New York Rangers send Zac Jones down, call up two from Wolf Pack
Zac Jones will be playing games in the foreseeable future with the Hartford Wolf Pack as the New York Rangers have sent him down.
In addition to that move, veteran defenseman Ben Harpur and forward Jonny Brodzinski have been called up.
The New York Rangers, who were carrying 22 out of a 23 man roster, called up Brodzinski due to potentially one forward being a game-time decision per the NY Post’s Mollie Walker.
That forward may be Vincent Trocheck, who was a game-time decision in Ottawa on Wednesday and appears to be nursing an injury.
The Blueshirts take on the Chicago Blackhawks at home on Saturday night.
UPDATE: Filip Chytil is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not play versus the Hawks.
Rangers send Zac Jones down
Jones, 22, had two points (1G – 1A) in 16 games this season before being sent down. The 2019 third-round pick will head back to Hartford where he led the defense in scoring last season with 35 points in 52 contests.
The small but quick puck-moving defender is in the final year of his entry level contract that comes with an AAV of $925,000. He’s waiver exempt which played a role in this decision. Jones will be an RFA in July.
Libor Hajek should now be considered the team’s sixth defenseman. The 24 year-old has one point (a goal) in 11 games this year. He’s an RFA with arbitration rights this summer.
The move also carries an additional cap savings of $175,000 since Ben Harpur signed a one-year deal for just $750,000.
Harpur, 27, has registered three goals and five points in 17 games in Hartford with 24 penalty minutes. The 6-6, 231 lbs defenseman is a big man that doesn’t mind mixing it up. He initially signed to a Professional Tryout with the Wolf Pack on October 13 and then parlayed that into a one-year deal. The lefthander is a veteran of 156 NHL games.
Brodzinski, 29, is the captain of the Wolf Pack and no stranger to Gerard Gallant. Last season, he was called up for 22 games and notched one goal and one assist. The versatile forward, who can kill penalties, has two goals and nine points in 17 AHL games in 2022-23.
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