Ruhwedel finished his career in the Rangers organization, spending most of 2024-25 playing for Hartford of the American Hockey League. Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline, Ruhwedel played 10 regular-season games with the Rangers, including five last season.

The 35-year-old had 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 50 games with Hartford last season. He recorded one assist in five games with the Rangers, that point coming in what turned out to be his final NHL game on Dec. 22 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“Playing in the NHL has been a dream come true. I’m incredibly grateful to the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers organizations for giving me the opportunity to live that dream,” Ruhwedel said.

Chad Ruhwedel is officially calling it a career after going from undrafted to 369 NHL career games 👏
 
Wishing nothing but the best to Chad in his next chapter! pic.twitter.com/xkF9kqtZdw

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 12, 2025

Ruhwedel played eight seasons with the Penguins, each with Sullivan as coach. He helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2017, his first season in Pittsburgh after opening his NHL career by playing parts of three seasons with the Sabres.

Related: Igor Shesterkin has Rangers in top level of TSN team goalie tiers; defense core mired in middle

Chad Ruhwedel finished career with Rangers, won Stanley Cup with Penguins

A college star at UMass-Lowell, Ruhwedel was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Sabres in April 2013. He played seven games with the Sabres to close out the 2012-13 season. The San Diego native had his breakthrough after he signed with the Penguins ahead of the 2016-17 season. He played 34 games that season, averaged better than 17 minutes TOI and totaled 10 points, including his first NHL goal on Dec. 23, 2016, against the New Jersey Devils.

Ruhwedel appeared in six playoff games in the spring of 2017, including four against the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Final. The Penguins won their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship that year. Those were the first of 25 postseason games Ruhwedel played in during his career.

All told, Ruhwedel recorded 50 points (13 goals, 37 assists) in 369 NHL regular-season games.

The seventh-place Wolf Pack (24-27-5-2, 55 points) are 10 points behind sixth-place Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the final playoff spot in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division. Despite securing points in five of seven games, the Wolf Pack’s road to the playoffs remains difficult with 14 games remaining in the regular season.

Related: Rangers week ahead in includes big road trip, rematch against Blue Jackets

Hartford Wolf Pack news-n-notes

Chad Ruhwedel – Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Chad Ruhwedel on 5-game point streak

Chad Ruhwedel has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past five games, including two primary assists on Sunday. He also recorded a goal and assist on Feb. 22 to jumpstart Hartford’s recent surge.

The 34-year-old is a smart veteran defenseman, who takes calculated risks in the offensive zone, often recording shots with opportunities for a deflection or tip. He also goes deep in the offensive zone when Hartford pressures opponents and helps the transition game with crisp passes that typically have low risk for turnovers. Ruhwedel has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists), third most among Hartford defenseman.

Chad Ruhwedel's primary assist gives him a five-game point streak (2 g, 4 a). That's tied for the second longest by a Wolf Pack player this season.

The goal is the 100th career AHL point for Jake Leschyshyn, while Matthew Robertson's assist is his career-high 18th. https://t.co/c6oaN6grMS

— Alex Thomas (@AlexThomasHWP) March 9, 2025

Ruhwedel is sound in his own end. The veteran of 369 NHL games leads the defense corps with a plus-9 rating and been even or positive in 30 of 37 games played this season. He is well positioned, blocks shots, and can clear the crease when needed, even though he’s not the biggest defender (5-foot-11, 189 pounds). In addition, Ruhwedel is disciplined, called for eight minor penalties this season (along with a 10-minute misconduct).

With all the turnover on defense this season, Hartford is fortunate to have Ruhwedel’s steady hand on the blue line.

Jake Leschyshyn bounces back

Jake Leschyshyn had his best game of the season, 24 hours after perhaps his worst this weekend. The center, who turned 26 Monday, had two goals and an assist Sunday after he was pointless and minus-5 on Saturday.

That big game against Belleville gives him six points (three goals, three assists) in his past six games. . His willingness to get in front of the net, paid off Sunday with a pair of goals on deflections, giving him 11 goals on the season, tied for fifth on the Wolf Pack. Leschyshyn has 22 points (11 goal, 11 assists) this season.

Leschyshyn: Over the years, I’ve found success just getting to the front of the net. That’s my position on the power play and I take a lot of pride in it. #NYR

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) March 10, 2025

Potulny on Leschyshyn: I’m glad Jake was back for the third, I’ll tell you that. Huge game. Probably didn’t deserve to go 25 games without scoring, but it’s happened to him a couple times. He had stretches where he was playing better than the amount of goals he scored. #NYR

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) March 10, 2025

Two forwards join Wolf Pack ahead of NHL trade deadline

Nicolas Aube-Kubel – Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

The Wolf Pack debuted two trade-deadline acquisitions by the Rangers over the weekend. Each has NHL experience and upgraded Hartford’s contingent of forwards. Each debuted for Hartford Sunday and was held without a point.

Brendan Brisson

A low risk, high reward acquisition, Brendan Brisson was acquired along with a third-round pick in this year’s draft from the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Reilly Smith. The 23-year-old is a playmaker with a strong resume in the AHL and, before that, collegiately. He posted 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists) last season with Henderson and 37 in 2022-23. Despite struggling this season (14 points in 47 games), Brisson was a first-round pick (No. 29 overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Golden Knights and scored 21 goals in 38 games at the University of Michigan in 2021-22. In 24 NHL games with Vegas, Brisson has eight points (two goals, six assists).

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

A Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres for Hartford defenseman Erik Brannstrom. The 28-year-old forward has played 301 NHL games, including 19 this season with the Sabres. Aubé-Kubel played for Rangers coach Peter Laviolette with the Washington Capitals in 2022-23 and is another option for an NHL recall if the Rangers need forward help.

Upcoming Games

All games can be watched on AHLTV and listened on Mixlr.

Wednesday, March 12 vs Grand Rapids Griffins (Red Wings) at 7pm, Van Andel Arena

• This is the final meeting in the season series. Hartford won the first matchup 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 30.
• Grand Rapids is 29-22-4-2 for 64 points. They are third in the Central Division and eighth in the Western Conference. The Griffins are 3-5-1-1 in their past 10 games.
• Joe Snively leads the Griffins with 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists). Next is Austin Watson with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists).

Friday, March 14 vs Rockford IceHogs (Blackhawks) at 8pm, BMO Center

• This is the final meeting in this season. Hartford won the first game 4-0 on Dec. 6.
• Rockford is 24-25-5-1 for 54 points. They are fifth in the Central Division and 13th in the Western Conference. The IceHogs have won three straight and are 7-3-0-0 in their past 10 games.
• Cole Guttman leads the IceHogs with 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists) and is 12th in the AHL. Next is Brett Seney with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists).

Saturday, March 15 vs Milwaukee Admirals (Predators) at 7pm, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena

• This is the first of two meetings in the season series.
• Milwaukee is 30-18-4-5 for 69 points. They are first in the Central Division and third in the Western Conference. The Admirals are on a five game point streak (3-0-1-1).
• Cal O’Reilly leads the Admirals with 39 points (nine goals, 30 assists). Next is Ozzy Wiesblatt with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists).

Rempe was added to the roster when Chris Kreider was ruled out with an upper-body injury Monday. The 22-year-old replaced Jonny Brodzinski in the lineup, skating 9:26 TOI on the fourth line. Kreider’s spot in the lineup was taken by Brett Berard, who was also recalled from Hartford and earned an assist in his NHL debut skating on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle.

Brodzinski will return to the lineup Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Kreider remains out, as does Filip Chytil, who is skating, but will miss his sixth consecutive game.

Chad Ruhwedel was recalled from Hartford when Rempe was reassigned. The Rangers now have seven defensemen again on the roster. Ruhwedel has played one game this season and was passed over Saturday when the Rangers brought up rookie Victor Mancini and flew him out to Edmonton to replace the injured Zac Jones in the a 6-2 loss to the Oilers.

Related: Peter Laviolette impressed with Brett Berard’s NHL debut: ‘trying to make a difference’

Matt Rempe sent back to minors by Rangers

Rempe didn’t make much of an impact against the Blues. He, Sam Carrick and Jimmy Vesey had a team-worst xGF of -14.59 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. They were out-chanced 5-1, including 2-0 in high-danger opportunities in limited TOI.

Playing only his fourth game with the Rangers this season, Rempe was credited with one hit and lost the only face-off he took. His most noticeable moment was when he steamrolled Blues forward Jake Neighbours early in the second period. However, he was assessed a two-minute minor for roughing because the puck was nowhere near Neighbours when the hit was delivered in front of the benches.

Coach Peter Laviolette couldn’t have been too happy about that since the Rangers had just given up the go-ahead goal and were in danger of falling behind by a pair. The Rangers did kill off Rempe’s penalty, and the popular forward played three more shifts in the period.

Rempe was also involved in a brief scrum at the end of the second period, one that was more pushing and shoving than anything else. Cuylle and Neighbours received unsportsmanlike conduct minors, but Rempe was not penalized.

Instead, Rempe was laughing when the teams headed off the ice after goalies Igor Shesterkin and Hofer clipped skates and had a staredown at center ice.

With Hartford this season, Rempe has two goals, one assist and is minus-7. He scored on a neat deflection Saturday against Springfield.

The moves come after the Rangers lost the finale of a four-game road trip, 6-2 to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Sunday was an off day and the Rangers return to action when they host the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

There’s a chance that Berard could make his NHL debut in that game. The 22-year-old forward leads the Wolf Pack with seven goals, two power-play goals and 13 points in 16 games. He also has one short-handed goal this season and had a three-game point streak (four points; one goal, three assists) at the time of his recall.

BRETT BERARD TUCKS IT HOME! pic.twitter.com/Qrp4nS4YVs

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 24, 2024

Berard was among the final cuts in Rangers training camp and had a three-game goal streak to begin the AHL season. He scored five goals in his first five games before cooling off. He has two goals in 11 games since, including one in a 4-2 loss to Springfield on Saturday.

The 5-foot-9 wing led the Wolf Pack with 25 goals as a rookie pro last season. But he’s more than a goal scorer. Berard can play in any situation — including both specialty teams — and brings plenty of speed and a high compete level.

Mancini has four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 games with the Rangers this season. The 22-year-old defensemen was minus-3 against the Oilers after he was recalled from Hartford on Friday. Ruhwedel, who’s played just one game with the Rangers this season, was bypassed by coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday, when the rookie Mancini was inserted into the lineup instead to replace the injured Zac Jones.

Related: Rangers identify this one areas as major problem after loss to Oilers

What Brett Berard recall means for Rangers

With these three moves, the Rangers reduced their active roster to 22 players, consisting of 14 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies. That likely means Jones, who sat out Saturday with an upper-body injury, is good to go against the Blues on Monday since the Rangers don’t have an extra defenseman to replace him.

Filip Chytil is counted among the 14 forwards. The 25-year-old center missed his fourth straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. He rejoined the Rangers halfway through their road trip after a specialist in New York determined Chytil didn’t sustain a concussion against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 14. Chytil flew out to Calgary and skated twice after morning skates on the trip.

It’s not known when Chytil will return to the Rangers lineup. Jonny Brodzinski’s played four straight games centering the third line with Chytil sidelined. However, Laviolette has used Kaapo Kakko some in the middle of that line with wing Will Cuylle the past two games, moving him over from right wing.

Perhaps, the plan is to scratch Brodzinski on Monday, move Kakko to center and then slot Berard on right wing of that third line. Or Berard could play on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom, with Jimmy Vesey moving up to third line right wing.

There also could be another injury or illness we’re not aware of, necessitating Berard’s recall, similar to why Mancini was called up Friday. But it’d appear Berard has been added to the roster in order to play against the Blues, not to serve as a healthy scratch.

That’s especially so with Laviolette possibly looking to shake things up some after some dreadful play the past two games and an extended stretch of mediocre play the past several weeks.

Answers should come Monday at the morning skate.

This one is a bit of a head scratcher, for now at least. With Mancini called up, the Rangers have eight defenseman on their roster. If someone was injured in the 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, they have Chad Ruhwedel ready to step into the lineup. So, why fly Mancini all the way out to Edmonton for the last game of their road trip Saturday against the Oilers, only to immediately fly back home to New York for a game against the St. Louis Blues on Monday?

Well, there are a few scenarios that would make sense. There could be multiple Rangers defenseman who will need to miss time. It could be injuries, or there could be a sickness going around the team. Though it did not appear as any Ranger defenseman were injured in Thursday night’s contest.

Until we hear further word from Peter Laviolette, there’s no definitive explanation for the call up. Perhaps he hasn’t been happy with how his defensemen are playing and simply wants to give Mancini another look and/or prefers the rookie that much over the veteran Ruhwedel.

The Rangers did allow a season-high 49 shots and were once again heavily outplayed against the Flames. With an expected goals against of 5.97, they once again were bailed out by Igor Shesterkin, who was sensational making 46 saves, though not enough for a win.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from disappointing 3-2 loss to Flames

Victor Mancini earns another crack at NHL with recent call up

Mancini played nine NHL games before being sent down to Hartford, and played pretty well. He had one goal and three assists as well as a plus-three rating, averaging 15:21 TOI per game. While that doesn’t sound all too bad, a deeper dive into his numbers show why he was likely sent down, on top of the fact that he had been sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch for too long and needed to play.

In all situations, Mancini was on the ice for 49 scoring chances for, 97 against, as well as three high-danger chances for, six against, per Natural Stat Trick. He was out-shot 51-97, but still managed a plus-three rating, despite poor analytics.

Mancini scored a goal in his first AHL game after being sent down. He played three games with the Wolf Pack, scoring that one goal and playing top-pair minutes. Hartford was a perfect 3-0-0 in those games, winning twice against the Charlotte Checkers, and once against the Providence Bruins.

The 22-year-old likely wasn’t recalled and traveling five hours on a plane flight to be a healthy scratch. So, who comes out of the lineup? Laviolette has been very satisfied with the play of Zac Jones, so while he and Mancini rotated in and out of the lineup early on, it doesn’t make sense for Jones to be the one to sit.

After giving up 20 shots in the first period alone against Calgary, a case can be made for most of the defenseman to be woken up with a game in the press box, but who comes out remains a mystery.

The likely scenario is that someone is sick or injured. Less likely but very possible is that Laviolette is going to send a wake-up call to one or two of the top-six defenseman, especially after poor showing Thursday. Even less likely than that is perhaps a pending trade from general manager Chris Drury.

The Rangers do not practice Friday, so we’ll have to wait until Saturday for an explanation prior to New York’s game against Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

As for Leschyshyn, he was a healthy scratch in three straight games after being recalled to take the injured Filip Chytil’s spot on the roster. Chytil rejoined the Rangers in Calgary and could play against the Oilers. In his absence, Jonny Brodzinski drew into the Rangers lineup.

The 21-year-old forward, who played six preseason games with the Rangers and was among the final cuts at training camp, has five points (two goals, three assists) in three games with the Wolf Pack to begin the 2024-25 season. He scored 21 goals goals, second on the Wolf Pack, as a rookie pro last season.

Hear from Wolf Pack Head Coach Grant Potulny following last night's 4-3 OT win against the Phantoms ↓ pic.twitter.com/UVten1i658

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) October 26, 2024

Despite Othmann’s absence, Brett Berard and Benoit-Oliver Groulx are carrying the Wolf Pack’s production each is tied for the Wolf Pack lead with eight points. Each recorded a two-point performance in a 4-3 overtime win against Lehigh Valley on Friday. Berard leads Hartford and is tied for fifth in the AHL with five goals. Groulx has four goals and four assists.

BO GROULX OVERTIME WINNER!#RunTogether pic.twitter.com/uxRG26cAQF

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) October 26, 2024

Hartford secured two points this weekend, defeating Lehigh Valley and then suffering their first home loss of the season on Sunday, 5-2 to Springfield.

Related: Rangers NCAA prospects report, highlighted by Brody Lamb hat trick

Matt Rempe’s 2-game stint

Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Assigned to Hartford before last weekend and recalled by the Rangers on Monday, Rempe appeared in two games with the Wolf Pack. The gritty forward was inserted as a center on the Wolf Pack’s second line, centering Adam Erne (left) and Jaroslav Chmelar (right). Hartford coach Grant Potulny utilized Rempe in multiple situations for the Wolf Pack, including power play and penalty kill. The 22-year old received playing time of 16+ minutes in the win Friday and played a bunch Sunday.

Rempe, who was scoreless and minus-3 in two games, focused on the little things of the game. For instance, he was winning a good number of face-offs. He also had good looks on the power play, especially positioning himself in front of the opposing goalie’s net to block the view and be able to deflect pucks. He was also in areas where there were rebounds, especially on his line where they utilized Rempe’s strength and attempted to crash the crease. The penalty kill gave him good looks, clogging passing lanes and kept his game simple.

Potulny on Rempe: I thought Matt was good [tonight]. We used him power play, penalty kill. He played about 16 and a half minutes. I thought he played very well, did a good job [on] both special teams, was good in the dot. #NYR

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) October 26, 2024

The Rangers wanted Rempe to get playing time and remain sharp before returning to New York, where he’s played just two games this season.

Defensive struggles persist

Another notable aspect from games this past weekend is the continuation of defensive breakdowns. The Wolf Pack have allowed four or more goals in five of six games. An improvement was noted in the win Friday when the Wolf Pack allowed three goals. The struggles returned in Sunday, tying a season high with five goals against. Though Hartford is 3-2-0-1, is is teetering on a line where the defensive struggles could haunt the Wolf Pack long term.

Potulny: The thing for us is, as a team, is we gotta be able to win games 2-1, 3-2. As much as we love to score, we’re not gonna be able to continue a pace of 4, 5, 6 [goals per game]…it’s just not feasible over the course of the year. #NYR

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) October 27, 2024

Potulny correctly stated this current trend is unsustainable. Room for improvement defensively is necessary, especially with a tougher slate of games coming up. This week’s slate of games will be a measure on how the team responds defensively.

The pairings defensively have not changed much and there could be shakeup soon to right the ship. The defensive core has experience and Potulny needs to find the right chemistry for the pairings, which should be fortified with the addition of veteran Chad Ruhwedel. In addition, goalies Louis Domingue (1-2-1, 4.19 goals-against average, .873 save percentage) and Dylan Garand (2-0, 3.45 GAA, .889 save percentage) in net, which both have had lack of support. Each goalie has struggled slightly early on in need to be better too.

Con’t: You look at teams that are there in the end, they might be able to score a lot, but they do a nice job of defending in their end. It’s an area we have to clean up. #NYR

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) October 27, 2024

One Timers

• Nathan Sucese and Matthew Robertson returned to the lineup from injury. Robertson scored his forst goal of the season Friday. Alex Belzile was held out of the lineup last weekend and is day to day with an unspecified injury.
• With the addition of Chad Ruhwedel, Hartford assigned defensemen Case McCarthy and Ryan Siedem to Bloomington of the ECHL. Blake Hillman is the Wolf Pack’s seventh defenseman.
• The power play is on a four-game drought. After losing Othmann to injury, the club is 0-for-11 on the power play.

Upcoming Games

Wednesday, October 30th vs Grand Rapid Griffins (Red Wings) at 7pm, XL Center

• This is the first of two meetings in the season series. In the 2022-23 season,, Hartford swept the series (4-0 win, 6-4 win).
• Entering the week, Grand Rapids is 6-1-0 for 12 points. The Griffins are second in the Central Division and third in the Western Conference. They are on a five-game win streak.
• Three players are tied for the team lead in points. Amadeus Lombardi (four goals, two assists), Dominik Shine (two goals, four assists), and Austin Watson (six assists) each have six points in seven games.
• Listen – Mixlr. Watch – AHLTV.

Friday, November 1st vs Syracuse Crunch (Lightning) at 7pm, Upstate Medical Arena at the Oncenter War Memorial

• This is the first of two meetings in the season series. Hartford split the series with Syrause last season 1-1-0.
• Entering the week, Syracuse is 4-3-0 for eight points. The Crunch are third in the North Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference. Syracuse is 2-0-0 at home, and Hartford is looking for its first win on the road (0-1-0-1).
• Rookie Dylan Duke leads the Crunch with six points (three goals, three assists). Rookie Gabriel Szturc is second with five points (five assists).
• Listen – Mixlr. Watch – AHLTV.

Saturday, November 2nd vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 6:05pm, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

• This is the first of six meetings in the season series. The teams split the series 3-3-0 last season.
• Entering the week, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 4-2-0 for eight points, third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
• Forwards Emil Bemstrom and Sam Poulin each have seven points in six games (two goals, five assists apiece). They are tied for the team lead in scoring.
• Listen – Mixlr. Watch – AHLTV.

Mancini earned his way on to the opening-night roster following a strong preseason and with Lindgren placed on injured reserve after sustaining an injury to his jaw during a fight against Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield.

It raised some eyebrows Tuesday, when Lindgren returned to the lineup and was partnered with Mancini on the third pair. Jones and Ruhwedel were healthy scratches in that 7-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens.

Still, it felt that the logical move was to send Mancini to Hartford of the American Hockey League since he’s the only Rangers defenseman who does not require waivers. But clearly coach Peter Laviolette likes what he sees in the big (6-foot-3, 229 pounds), smooth-skating defenseman, who’s currently on a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists).

Victor Mancini's first NHL goal 🚨#NYR pic.twitter.com/FTyA3alVZH

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 18, 2024

Without speaking specifically about Mancini, Laviolette told reporters after the morning skate Thursday ahead of their game against the Florida Panthers that he likes the make-up of their defense pairs.

“They’re going to stay that way tonight and there’s no real plan for me to change things right now,” he said. “That doesn’t mean it won’t happen ever but right now I like the way that they’re playing.”

It’s a major vote of confidence for Mancini, who’s only months out of college, where he played at Nebraska-Omaha. He’s moved past Jones on the depth chart despite Jones being an apprentice the past few seasons and finally getting his shot at a full-time gig this season after Erik Gustafsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings.

Related: Rangers injury update: Jimmy Vesey takes part in morning skate before Panthers game

Victor Mancini earns right to stay in Rangers lineup

Mancini skated on the right side of Jones on the third pair for the first four games this season. He paired with Ruhwedel, who spelled Jones and made his season debut last weekend in a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Then Tuesday, Mancini remained in the lineup and skated with Lindgren, who did not return to his usual spot on the top pair alongside Adam Fox.

“With ‘Lindy’ coming back and playing with Mancini, that’s a good veteran player playing with a young player. A good pair and a good matchup,” Laviolette explained. “I thought Lindy came back and gave us some good minutes, and I think he’ll only get better as he gets into the game more.”

Lindgren’s injury not only allowed Mancini the opportunity to prove himself NHL ready, but gave Laviolette the chance to experiment with his defense pairs. K’Andre Miller moved up into Lindgren’s spot next to Fox, and that pair has been very good, likely a sign of things to come since Lindgren is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

“They’re both real high-end players. Defensively and offensively, they bring a lot to the table,” Laviolette said about the Miller-Fox pair. “They’re capable of moving the puck, getting it out of our end and contribute offensively. They’ve been a really good pair. I like the pairs, the way they have sat.”

With Mancini making it four right-hand shots on defense, Laviolette shifted Braden Schneider to his off side and paired him Trouba. They have been very good at both ends of the ice so far this season.

So, the Rangers will continue to ride these six defensemen. And Jones, as he’s been in seasons past, will be the extra defenseman. At least for now.

And assuming Ruhwedel clears waivers, the Rangers will be happy to have a 34-year-old Stanley Cup champion on call.

It’s all really a best-case scenario for the Rangers.

The 26-year-old defenseman was injured in a preseason fight with Scott Mayfield of the Islanders and will wear a bubble mask when he returns Tuesday.

“He’s a heart and soul guy. He plays hard every single shift, every game. He gives everything he has,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette told reporters Tuesday. “You remove a guy like that from the lineup and you feel it. It’ll be nice to get him back in there.”

The Rangers are 4-0-1 starting the season without Lindgren and allowed 10 goals — an average of two per game. Six of those goals came in a wild 6-5 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club.

In a bit of a surprise, Lindgren will skate on the third pair with rookie Victor Mancini against the Canadiens. Lindgren’s long-time partner Adam Fox will continue to play alongside K’Andre Miller, who took Lindgren’s spot on the top pair the first five games.

And that also means Mancini, an impressive 22-year-old rookie, remains in the lineup at least for one more game. Zac Jones and Chad Ruhwedel each will be scratched Tuesday. It’s the second straight healthy scratch for Jones. Ruhwedel, who began the season as the extra defenseman, played his first game Saturday, a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Related: Rangers coach tells Zac Jones to ‘keep doing your thing’ despite latest scratch

Victor Mancini remains in Rangers lineup against Canadiens

Assuming the Rangers won’t carry two extra defensemen, that means one must be removed from the roster before their game Thursday at home against the Florida Panthers. Mancini appears to be the obvious choice because he’s the only Rangers defenseman who doesn’t require waivers to be assigned to Hartford in the American Hockey League.

But the kid has impressed since the start of training camp and shown the NHL game is not too much for him. He scored his first NHL goal in a 5-2 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and picked up an assist Saturday. He’s big (6-foot-3, 229 pounds) can skate and is solid at both ends of the rink.

Victor Mancini's first NHL goal 🚨#NYR pic.twitter.com/FTyA3alVZH

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 18, 2024

Laviolette said Monday that Jones hasn’t done anything to deserve being removed from the lineup. So, perhaps, the coach is giving Mancini one last look before sending him down to play heavy minutes in Hartford. Which would clear a path for Jones to return to regular duty on the third pair in New York. And Ruhwedel then slides back into his seventh-defenseman role.

Lindgren signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Rangers this past summer that walks him straight into unrestricted free agency. Faced with having to re-sign goalie Igor Shesterkin to a massive contract and looming large raises expected for Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, the Rangers simply may not have enough money to bring Lindgren back after this season.

In 333 games with the Rangers, Lindgren has 80 points (10 goals, 70 assists) and 219 penalty minutes. He’s a plus-99 in his NHL career, including a plus-29 in 2022-23 and plus-20 last season. He’s blocked 456 shots since his first full season in 2019-20, third most on the Rangers.

“Conversations I’ve had with Zac are just keep working hard and when you get back in there just keep doing your thing,” Laviolette told Mollie Walker of the New York Post following practice Monday.

Jones was a healthy scratch against the Maple Leafs so that veteran Chad Ruhwedel could play his first game of the season. Ruhwedel responded with a solid showing on the third pair with rookie Victor Mancini, tying for the team lead with four blocked shots and finishing with a plus-two rating.

“It was about getting ‘Rudy’ out there and getting him an opportunity to play, as well,” Laviolette explained. “He’s been waiting and working hard every day. I would’ve been perfectly fine rolling back the same lineup, but we made some decisions and those decisions are going to continue to have to be made.”

Jones and Ruhwedel will be healthy scratches Tuesday when the Rangers visit the Montreal Canadiens because Ryan Lindgren is back in the lineup. After missing five games with an upper-body injury sustained in a preseason fight with Scott Mayfield of the Islanders, Lindgren will skate on the third pair with Mancini.

The Rangers now have a big decision to make. There’s no reason to carry two extra defenseman, so one will be removed from the roster, likely before a home game Thursday against the Florida Panthers.

Ruhwedel is a fine fit as the extra defenseman, a 34-year-old with a Stanley Cup ring who can capably step in when needed. And it seems Mancini will be the odd man out because he’s the only Rangers defenseman who does not need to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to Hartford in the American Hockey League.

So, the game Tuesday might be Mancini’s final audition.

Related: Rangers NCAA prospect report, including Gabe Perreault big night, Brody Lamb 1st goal

Rangers coach facing ‘decisions that are tough’ with defense corps

So, that logic means Jones should be a fixture on the third pair after Lindgren is back, even if not on Tuesday. An apprentice the past few seasons. Jones was virtually unchallenged in training camp to join the starting six. Mancini had a great camp, but made the team because of Lindgren’s injury in a preseason game against the Islanders.

The 24-year-old has one assist and is a plus-four averaging 15:45 TOI in four games this season. In 2023-24, Jones caught Laviolette’s attention by playing solid hockey over 31 games due to injuries to regulars Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Erik Gustafsson and Lindgren. When Gustafsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, his spot was filled internally by Jones.

So, that the consecutive healthy scratches are not punishment for Jones.

“We’re going to have decisions that are tough. I’m perfectly fine playing anybody, but we got decisions that we have to make,” Laviolette explained.

Things are getting interesting for Jones and Co. But all should be resolved shortly.

But the Rangers got another solid night out of their role players, as well. That’s been an under-the-radar key for the Rangers, who are 4-0-1 to begin the season and lead the Eastern Conference with a .900 points percentage.

Will Cuylle had an assist and led the Rangers with five hits. Rookie Victor Mancini had an assist, one game after scoring his first NHL goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. Matt Rempe stepped back into the lineup after being scratched two straight and played a straight-ahead game and stayed out of the penalty box.

RANGERS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/MTomBhoRgA

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 20, 2024

And then there was Chad Ruhwedel. The 34-year-old defenseman played his first game of the season, taking Zac Jones’ spot on the third defense pair with Mancini. He equaled teammate Braden Schneider with a game-high four blocked shots and also was credited with two hits in 14:04 of ice time.

Ruhwedel also played a bit on the penalty kill and was on ice for each of New York’s first two goals — a first-period score by Alexis Lafreniere and a second period goal by Kreider — to finish plus-two in a solid all-around showing.

“Everyone that’s been coming in and out (of the lineup), it’s not easy,” Zibanejad said of not only Ruhwedel, but Rempe and Jonny Brodzinski, as well. “I think everyone contributes every night, no matter who it is. It’s honestly impressive not to play for a couple of days and then come in. Maybe it’s a little bit easier when we are winning … but credit to those guys, it’s not easy. It takes a lot of focus, a lot of, honestly, dedication to just being ready when called upon.

“That’s a huge credit to those guys.”

Ruhwedel will likely slide back into his role as the extra defenseman when the Rangers visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. But his cameo showed coach Peter Laviolette that he can trust the veteran to play a reliable game when called upon.

Related: Rangers week ahead, including revenge game against Panthers

Igor Shesterkin earns high praise from new Rangers teammate

It says a lot about how brilliantly Shesterkin is playing right now that despite allowing six goals in one his four starts this season, his overall stats are among the best in the League. Shesterkin is 3-0-1 with a 1.95 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, even with the overall team blemish of a 6-5 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club.

In his other three starts, the 28-year-old goalie shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins with 31 saves, stopped 31 of 32 shots in a 4-1 win against the Red Wings and allowed just one goal on 35 shots against the Maple Leafs.

Because of course. 🎩 pic.twitter.com/xuorS0b0Y2

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 20, 2024

“He’s able to give us, probably, bigger leads in games than we deserve, especially through the first five games of the season,” Shesterkin’s new teammate Reilly Smith said postgame Saturday. “Games should probably be closer, but he makes saves on pretty much sure goals, and that makes a huge difference.

“Not only is he keeping the puck out of the net but he’s changed the momentum in games and it’s gone a long way for us in games so far this year.”

Peter Baugh of The Athletic reported that Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz also praised Shesterkin — who earned the Broadway Hat on Saturday — , saying “You can see why he’s going to be the highest paid goalie in the League.”

That, of course, was a reference to Shesterkin being a pending unrestricted free agent who’s already reportedly turned down an eight-year, $88 million contract offer from the Rangers, instead seeking upwards of $12 million per season.