Rangers Claim Adam Cracknell Off Waivers

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The Rangers have claimed forward Adam Cracknell off of waivers from the Dallas Stars.

This has obvious implications for the Rangers. Cracknell’s signing means that rookie Filip Chytil is all but a guarantee to be sent to his Junior team, the North Bay Battalion, or his Czech Extraliga team, HC Zlin. Chytil had been relegated to minimal ice time by head coach Alain Vigneault, and having him sit on the bench or in the press box does nothing by hinder his development.

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The move also means that Andrew Desjardins, should the Rangers do something with him, would be nothing more than a 13th forward. Cracknell and Desjardins play a similar style, and with Cracknell being a right-handed shot, it provides a different dynamic in the Rangers bottom six.

As for Cracknell, he is a 6’2″ 218 lb. grinder who can play all three offensive positions. He is a career 40.6% on faceoffs and has 43 career points. With Jesper Fast still recovering from offseason surgery, Cracknell can step in and be the energy guy in AV’s bottom six. Because of his experience down the middle, it’s possible Cracknell is put at center. But it seems more likely that JT Miller will move to the middle, Jimmy Vesey will move up in the lineup, and Cracknell will get slotted into the fourth line. Time will tell, but this is a nice pickup by Jeff Gorton and the Rangers.

One interesting note about Cracknell is his relationship with Rangers assistant coach Lindy Ruff. Cracknell played for Ruff in Dallas last season and you’d have to think that Ruff told Jeff Gorton to take a look at the veteran forward.

 

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