The Rangers selected Halverson in the second round (No. 59 overall) in 2014, then chose Shesterkin in the fourth round (No. 118). Shesterkin came to North America from Russia in 2019 and had become one of the NHL’s top goaltenders; Halverson made one appearance in relief for the Rangers in a 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 17, 2018.

The Rangers let him become a free agent in 2019, and he didn’t resurface in the NHL until last season. Halverson’s second NHL appearance, and first start, came with the Lightning on March 22, when he allowed five goals in a 6-4 road loss to the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth).

With starter Andrei Vasilevskiy sidelined due to injury for much of training camp, Halverson made three appearances for the Lightning during the preseason, going 2-0-0 with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. But Tampa Bay claimed goalie Pheonix Copley on waivers from the Washington Capitals earlier this week, and Halverson is headed back to Syracuse, the Bolts’ AHL affiliate.

Halverson was an AHL All-Star last season with the Crunch and was a co-winner of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for allowing the fewest goals in the AHL.

Brandon Halverson, Ryan Graves among ex-Rangers waived

Another Rangers draft pick, defenseman Ryan Graves, is also likely headed for the AHL after he was placed on waivers Saturday by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers’ opponent on opening night at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

The Rangers selected Graves in the fourth round (No. 110) in the 2013 draft. But he never made it to Broadway: After nearly three seasons with AHL Hartford, the Rangers traded him to the Colorado Avalanche for Chris Bigras on Feb. 26, 2018.

Graves joined the Avs for 26 games in the 2018-19 season, then led the NHL in plus-minus (plus-40) in 2019-20. Colorado traded him to the New Jersey Devils in July 2021, and he played two solid seasons in Newark before the Penguins signed him to a six-year, $27 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value, according to PuckPedia) in July 2023.

But the 6-5, 227-pound defenseman’s time in Pittsburgh hasn’t worked out, to say the least. His struggles have been among the reasons the Pens have failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons – and the term and money left on his contract make him almost untradeable. He’s likely to spend the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Buffalo Sabres waived two former Rangers, defenseman Zac Jones and center Jake Leschyshyn, on Sunday. Jones signed with the Sabres as a free agent this summer after the Rangers didn’t make him an offer. He had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 46 games with the Blueshirts last season. Leschyshyn, son of longtime NHL defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn, spent all of last season in Hartford but had small stints with the Rangers in each of the previous two seasons.

One of the Rangers’ worst draft picks in recent years, forward Vitali Kravtsov, was waived by the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday; he cleared and was assigned to Abbotsford of the AHL. The Rangers took the Russian forward with the No. 9 pick in 2018, but he had just 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 48 games with New York before being traded to the Canucks in February 2023.

Kravtsov played 16 games in Vancouver before spending the past two seasons in the KHL, then signed with the Canucks in August after a 27-goal, 58-point season with Chelyabinsk Traktor in 2024-25.

Graves, 26, has two years left on his current contract with an average annual value of $3,166,667. He was originally a draft pick of the New York Rangers.

Devils acquire Ryan Graves from Avalanche

Colorado had a glut of left-shot defensemen, so amid a flat salary cap situation across the NHL and just ahead of next week’s Seattle Kraken expansion draft, the team moved Graves for a less expensive player. The Avalanche also recouped a pick after dealing their original second-rounder to the New York Islanders for Devon Toews last October.

“Ryan brings physicality, size, an ability to defend in tough situations and a fearless compete level that makes him tough to play against,” said New Jersey Devils Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald. “His assertive style of play and ability to play with young defensemen are characteristics that fit into what we are building with our group.”

NHL

Panthers buyout Keith Yandle

There seemed to be a growing divided between the Florida Panthers and Keith Yandle last season. Today, that divide has led to a buyout of the veteran defenseman.

Yandle turns 35 in September and had two seasons remaining on a seven-year, $44.45 million deal he signed in June 2016. That contract also had a no-movement clause. That meant Florida would have been forced to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft, and forced to expose a younger asset on defense.

The Panthers in turn used the savings on Yandle’s contract to sign Gustav Forsling and Anthony Duclair to three-year deals. Some early rumored landing spots are the Bruins, Flyers, Canadiens, and Kraken.

Latest Transactions and Rumors

Here’s the remaining transactions from yesterday:

• Devils signed Michael McLeod to a 2-year deal
• Flames signed Brett Ritchie to a 1-year deal
• Sharks signed Dylan Gambrell to a 1-year deal
• Predators signed Cole Smith to a 1-year deal
• Canadiens signed Alex Belzile to 1-year deal
• Blue Jackets signed Cameron Johnson to a 1-year deal

Here are the top rumors from yesterday:

• Zach Hyman has permission to talk with other teams
• Gabriel Landeskog upset with Avs, offers revealed
• Philip Danault likely heading to free agency
• Ben Bishop waives NMC

Read all the latest Rumors at The Daily Goal Horn.

Entering the first week of March, the playoff race continues in the American Hockey League for the Wolf Pack. The club gear up for another three in three weekend. Hartford has 18 games remaining in the season, already! The season has flown fast. Let’s get to the details of the current situations for the Pack.

Rangers, Avalanche Swap Defensemen

The trade deadline has affected the Wolf Pack in one move. Ryan Graves was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Chris Bigras. The new forward will debut on Friday night against Springfield. To read more on my analysis of the trade, check out my article earlier in the week here.

Post Season Race Update

The Wolf Pack continue to sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with 59 points. The fifth-place Bridgeport Sound Tigers are ahead of the Wolf Pack by a single point with two games in hand. The Charlotte Checkers are in fourth, continually holding down the last playoff spot in the division with 65 points. In addition, the Checkers have played one less game than Hartford. The Wolf Pack cannot afford to go on a losing streak. As of late, the club has won a few games, followed up with losses going 5-5 in the last ten games. They will have to play better hockey down the stretch if they want to make the postseason.

One positive aspect of the situation, the Wolf Pack will begin a three-game series with the Checkers starting this Sunday, with six points at stake. The next five games are critical, and any losing streak will have the club suffer at the end.

The American Hockey League has published their annual Playoff Primer. You can check it out here as the league updates the page daily (usually in the mornings).

Upcoming Games

Friday, March 2nd vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:05 pm, Mass Mutual Center

• This is the 10th of 12 meetings in the season series against Springfield.  This is the final meeting in Springfield, with Hartford having a record of 1-3-0-1 in the Mass Mutual Center. Hartford is 3-5-0-1 in the season series. They must be better in the rivalry games. Springfield comes into this one having won three of their last four games.

Saturday, March 3rd vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 3:00 pm, XL Center

• Hartford completed a home at home series with Providence last weekend, with each clubs winning at home. Hartford is 4-2-1-1 in the season series, with this matchup being the 9th of 10 meetings. Providence is 6-3-0-1 in their last ten games.

Sunday, March 4th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) at 3:00 pm, XL Center

• The important game of the weekend. This begins three straight games against the Checkers. After Sunday, the remaining two shift to Charlotte for the upcoming weekend. Hartford is 2-3 in the season series against the Checkers. Both clubs meet a total six times, with the season series ending next weekend. Last time out on February 13th and 14th, Hartford dropped both games. Charlotte is 6-4 in the last ten games.

Earlier today, the New York Rangers announced the acquisition of defenseman Chris Bigras from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Ryan Graves. The trade is an American Hockey Level trade that affects the San Antonio Rampage and the Hartford Wolf Pack, with both teams essentially swapping prospects.

Ryan Graves was exciting to watch with the Pack. The 22-year-old was still developing, and his game still needed some adjustments. His offensive game has always been there, but he still needs work on the defensive side of the puck. A red flag that I noticed is other prospects getting the call to New York while Ryan Graves was still in Hartford. After all the moves with New York, the long-term future of Hartford will be crowded with prospects on the blue line.

Chris Bigras is a year older than Ryan Graves. The defenseman has split time between the Colorado Avalanche and San Antonio Rampage. The 6’1″, second-round pick from 2013 brings a readiness element to the Rangers. He is able to play with the Rangers, or spend time in Hartford, and is on the grittier side as well that plays disciplined.

It’s about as official as it gets! The Rangers are officially in sell mode according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.In his article, Brooks said that the Rangers were in official sell mode and would consider any and all offers. As it currently stands, and as Dan mentioned here, the Rangers will almost definitely trade Rick Nash and Michael Grabner at the trade deadline. In addition, I believe that the Rangers will also move some of their other pending UFA’s including Nick Holden and David Desharnais. However, only trading their UFA’s would not signify a re-build, it would simply mean that they are not contenders this year and are gaining future assets for expiring assets. As Brooks mentioned, the Rangers are going to consider offers for Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello as well. This means that the Rangers are fully embracing the need for change.

Options

If the Rangers are going to trade McDonagh and/or Zuccarello, they will do so at the trade deadline or at the draft. Both scenarios have their merits and a few intriguing options. Either way, the Rangers will be able to gain a significant return and quick start the rebuild.

Trade Deadline

As mentioned above, and in Dan’s article, the Rangers are going to be busy at the trade deadline. However, for the first time in years, the Rangers will be sellers. If Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello are on the trading block, there will be teams lining up to pay a king’s ransom for their services. Not only would they be two of the most attractive deadline pieces, they both have an additional year on great, team-friendly contracts. Any team that is able to trade for them would receive two playoff runs before having to worry about resigning them to more expensive deals. As such, those teams would have to have significant assets to spare. Here are a few teams that could make a move for McDonagh or Zuccarello.

Note: All deals only have the main pieces shown. Other pieces would be required to level the deals.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights have been the biggest surprise of the year. The expansion team currently sits two points ahead of Winnipeg for the top spot in the West with two games in hand. They are also just three points behind Tampa for the top spot in the entire league. In addition to being a surprise contender, the Golden Knights have plenty of cap space, roughly $8.5 million, and a number of very intriguing prospects along with draft picks that could interest the Rangers.  Although there are some indications that they will not be buyers due to their desire to build an annual contender, the allure of a Stanley Cup run might sway Vegas into the buyer category.

The Rangers could be very interested in some of Vegas’ assets. Additionally, Vegas could be very interested in New York’s assets. While Zuccarello is a great addition to any team, McDonagh is a better fit for the Golden Knights. They are currently a top team in the NHL, but the Knights do not have a true number one defenseman. Adding Ryan McDonagh as an extremely talented veteran presence would cement Vegas’ status as a contender and could elevate them into favorite status in the west.

A deal for Ryan McDonagh would have to start with Vegas’ 1st round pick and one or more of their young talented prospects. Amongst these prospects are Alex Tuch, Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, and Erik Brannstrom. Any of these prospects would be right at the top of the Rangers prospect list with Chytil, Andersson, and Shestyorkin. Tuch is big at 6’4″, 220 lbs and can play in the dirty areas of the ice in addition to great hands and vision. Glass and Suzuki are both skilled centers that were drafted in the first-round of this year’s entry draft. Each has high-level skills and would be a great piece to add to the deal. However, my favorite out of the group is Erik Brannstrom. A quick and skilled defenseman, Brannstrom impressed in the Swedish League as a 17-year old playing in a professional men’s league.

The deal: Ryan McDonagh for Vegas’ 2018 1st, 2019 1st (conditional) and Nick Suzuki

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has not won a Stanley Cup in 51 years. However, they are getting closer after deciding to tear it down and rebuild under former Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan’s guidance a few years ago. Since then, the Maple Leafs have gathered an extremely talented young forward group with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, son of former Rangers center Michael Nylander. In addition players like James Van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau, and Tyler Bozak give the Maple Leafs a deep forward group.

While the Leafs have an extremely talented forward group, they do not have a number one defenseman that can match up against players like Crosby, Ovechkin, and Kucherov in the Eastern Conference. Adding Ryan McDonagh to the mix would allow the Leafs to take the next step forward in becoming a true contender in the east.

As with the Golden Knights, the Leafs have a number of extremely talented prospects and young players that the Rangers would be interested in. Mitch Marner and William Nylander are the most attractive pieces at the NHL level. Both have shown the ability to compete at a high level in the NHL and would immediately give the Rangers a potentially elite talent. In addition to the roster players, the Leafs have great talents in Kasperi Kapanen and Timothy Liljegren down in the AHL. Kapanen is extremely fast and has offensive skills that would translate well to the Rangers speed game. Liljegren, another Swedish defenseman, was drafted just before the Rangers selected Filip Chytil and would have been taken sooner had he not been battling mononucleosis for half of his pre-draft season.

The deal: Ryan McDonagh for Toronto’s 2018 1st round Pick, William Nylander, and Timothy Liljgren

Carolina Hurricanes

Unlike the two teams mentioned above, the Hurricanes have won a Stanley Cup in recent memory (2006). However, they are also in last place in the toughest division in hockey. The good news is that they are only four points outside of a playoff spot while having issues scoring and stopping the puck. The Hurricanes have a young, strong defensive corps. However, they lack forward depth and have not received strong goaltending from Scott Darling.

Mats Zuccarello and Ondrej Pavelec would be of great interest to the Hurricanes. Pavelec has performed extremely well this year while backing up Henrik Lundqvist and could solidify the goaltending situation behind a strong defense. In addition, Mats Zuccarello would be a great addition to Carolina due to its lack of scoring ability. Zuccarello would be a great complement to Jeff Skinner on the Hurricanes top line. Skinner shoots the puck as much as anyone in the league while Zucc passes the puck as much as anyone in the league. They could be a match made in heaven that could spark the Hurricanes offense while Zucc would be able to provide a veteran presence for a team that does not have a ton of Stanley Cup Playoff experience.

The Hurricanes have a glut of young defensemen and prospects that could interest the Rangers in any rebuild, especially if Ryan McDonagh is traded this year. Amongst these are Julien Gauthier, Jake Bean, Nicolas Roy, and Martin Necas. Gauthier is the Hurricanes’ first-round pick from 2016 and has some serious skill and speed on the wing. In addition, Gauthier is big at 6’4″ and 220 lbs. and would be able to translate well to the physicality of the NHL. Bean is an offensive defenseman that has very good hands and skating ability. While he may need to fill out a bit, Bean should be very available considering Carolina’s defensive depth. Roy and Necas are both centers. Roy is a bigger center at 6’4″ and 208 lbs while Necas is 6’1″ but only 167 lbs. However, Necas has played in the Czech Extraliga, a men’s league, and performed very well. When he fills out, Necas has the ability to be an impact player in the NHL.

The Deal: Mats Zuccarello and Ondrej Pavelec for Carolina’s 2018 1st Round Pick, Jake Bean, and Martin Necas.

Draft Day

While there are many teams that would be extremely interested in Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello at the trade deadline, the Rangers would be best served by holding onto them until draft day. This year’s NHL draft is expected to be extremely deep. At the top of the list are a number of players that could become elite talents in the NHL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WeMHXRdbU8

Rasmus Dahlin

Dahlin is the unquestioned, consensus top pick barring any unforeseen developments before draft day. Drawing comparisons to fellow Swede Erik Karlsson, Dahlin is a generational talent that will be the foundation for whatever team is lucky enough to draft him. This is where the Rangers come in. The Rangers have extremely small chance of winning the draft lottery in their current position, approximately 2%. In the event that they don’t win the lottery, the Rangers could still make a deal to gain the top draft spot. With Rick Nash and Michael Grabner near guarantees to be traded, the Rangers SHOULD have at least three first-round draft picks heading into this summer’s draft. These picks, along with McDonagh and Zuccarello, would be the foundation for the deal.

The Deal: Ryan McDonagh, Sean Day, Ryan Gropp, one of the Rangers’ first-round picks, and the Rangers’ second-round pick for the number one overall pick (Rasmus Dahlin).

Top 5 Pick

In addition to Rasmus Dahlin, the 2018 NHL draft will have a number of elite talents available early in the first-round. Filip Zadina, Andrei Svechnikov, Adam Boqvist, and Brady Tkachuk are all elite level talents that are worth trading up for if the Rangers have the ability to. Boqvist will be the first defenseman off of the board after Dahlin is taken with the first overall pick. Zadina played on the same line as Rangers prospect Filip Chytil in the World Junior Championship and is another elite Czech forward that would be a huge addition to a Rangers prospect pool in need of high-end talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULNIzyzpUyI

Additionally, Svechnikov and Tkachuk are both players that have the ability to be top line players for years to come. The Rangers have the ability to choose whichever player they would like to target if they choose to do so. With McDonagh and at least one of their first-round picks potentially gone to select Rasmus Dahlin, the Rangers would still have two first-round picks and Mats Zuccarello to highlight any additional deals for high end picks.

The Deal: Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Graves, and a 2018 first-round pick for the number three overall pick (Filip Zadina).

Conclusion

The Rangers have a unique opportunity to rebuild fairly quickly. The Rangers have a number of highly coveted talents, they have fallen out of true Stanley Cup contention, and the 2018 draft is extremely deep. The position that has presented itself should not be ignored in the false hope that the Rangers can be true contenders by just standing pat. The Rangers need to embrace the rebuild and gather elite talents to build the next Rangers championship team. Regardless of what exactly the Rangers do in the next six months, the Blueshirts should be able to quickly rebuild, within the next 2-3 years, maybe less with some luck, and return to contention in short order; provided they allow themselves to truly rebuild. Embrace it Rangers Fans, it’s time to sell.

Here is my Quick Hits recap of the Rangers 4-3 overtime defeat to the Flyers in Philadelphia.

Vinni Lettieri – I have to admit that I didn’t think Lettieri had any chance of making the opening night roster when camp opened. But after seeing how he’s played in the preseason, I’m quite sure he has done enough to be on the MSG ice on October 5th. The University of Minnesota product put up better numbers each year over the course of his time there. While Jesper Fast is out, Lettieri would become another right-handed forward (barring a trade) in the team’s bottom six.

He has shown enough compete on both sides of the puck to be trusted. His offensive skills are very good and could find him some power play time. He also shoots the puck without a conscience; which is also a welcome sight. With his hands, I wonder if he would also be a shootout specialist. Once Fast gets back, all bets are off. Lettieri will have 3-4 weeks to try and keep his spot on the roster

See Desharnais score on the power play with a ?! pic.twitter.com/p3UAF029kC

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 27, 2017

Jimmy Vesey – Vesey has shown a great ability to pass this preseason. With his big Harvard brain, he seems to be one thought ahead of the defense at all times. We have seen this numerous times these past two weeks. His assist on Paul Carey’s first-period goal was another example of that. It goes without question that the Blueshirts need him to score goals. But Vesey looks much more well-rounded and comfortable in his game.

Get another look at Paul Carey’s goal that got the scoring started for #NYR! pic.twitter.com/ykWnErGIyS

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 26, 2017

Michael Grabner – In my opinion, he is not a 4th line player. He should get top 9 forward ice time, and anything less is just doing opposing defensemen a favor. His speed and long reach give the other team nightmares. I am sure he will slot up in third periods with his team in the lead to utilize his strong defensive game and quick-strike ability. His third-period goal in this one came after great forecheck pressure from linemates Kevin Hayes and JT Miller. Last year, he started on the fourth line, but they couldn’t keep him there. And it looks like he hasn’t lost a step over the summer.

Filip Chytil – This was the first game where it seemed like he was a little low on energy. Chytil had a few good shifts in the third, he drew a penalty and took a big hit for the second night in a row. With the open ice that comes with 3v3 overtime, he showed a little more. In the end, the Rangers will have a big decision to make on him. I think the safe and smart thing to do is to send him back and wait a year for further development.

Gabriel Fontaine – I wish he was right-handed. He provides great energy every shift and is all over the puck. He gave the Flyers fits in this one with his ability to possess the puck, and is really difficult to dislodge once he has it. He also forechecks like crazy and is a deft pickpocket, which makes him a pain in the posterior to play against.

Notes – JT Miller had his most active game of the preseason, which isn’t saying much. He had a solid third period with some setups to Grabner. Ryan Graves was solid. His quickness and footwork aren’t great, but he is AHL depth or trade bait. His biggest calling card is a 104 mph slapshot, but we haven’t gotten to see it much. Boo Nieves has been lauded a lot this preseason, but I’m not sure why. He’s a little vanilla and hasn’t provided much offense at all. He’s solid on draws but doesn’t seem to create much nor get many opportunities.

The off-season and free agency have been off to a strong start for the organization. Jeff Gorton is restocking and rebuilding the prospect pool while improving the Rangers themselves. The upcoming season looks promising in Hartford with two strong signings for the American Hockey League club. The addition of Kevin Shattenkirk provided more depth in the organization as well.

The Kevin Shattenkirk Impact

Kevin Shattenkirk returns home to New York on the first day of free agency. He should provide phenomenal defense for the Rangers, but what is unknown is his impact on the blue line regarding the young defensemen in the Rangers system.

Currently, the organization has Sergey Zborovskiy, Calle Sjalin, Anthony DeAngelo, Tarmo Reunanen, Vince Pedrie, Tyler Nanne, Ryan Graves, John Gilmour, Sean Day, Brandon Crawley, and Alexei Bereglazov with the minor league clubs. And a few of the guys in this list will compete for a potential spot in Hartford.

But since Kevin Shattenkirk joined the team, there probably won’t be any available spots for the defensive prospects in New York. But, this does allow their prospects to develop for a year down in the minors, and then if ready, can make the jump next season.

From a developmental standpoint, friendly competition is great to develop prospects.  The bar would rise and each player will have to up their game. The blue line would become packed in the system, especially in Hartford. None of these guys want to be sent packing from Hartford, so the battles on the back end should be intense during training camp.

New York Signs Two Impressive Forwards

On the first day of free agency, Jeff Gorton wasted no time in helping his team in Hartford. He signed forwards Paul Carey (No relation to Matt Carey of Hartford or Greg Carey of Lehigh Valley) and Cole Schneider to one year, two-way deals. Both players last season provided a strong offensive punch to their respective AHL clubs. Hartford now has two experienced veteran players. These signings Nicklas Jensen will have help to produce offense as well.

Paul Carey (24 goals, 31 assists for 55 points in 55 games with the Hershey Bears in the 2016-17 season)

Paul Carey is a 28-year-old forward with strong experience in the American Hockey League. He joins Hartford after spending two seasons in Hershey and joined the Washington Capitals for brief stints in the NHL for a total of eleven games with the club.  Last season, Carey made some strides offensively. He impressed me on March 18th, 2017 as he recorded four goals against Hartford. He was noticeable in each game in the series between Hershey and Hartford. Carey is not afraid to make plays, especially on the power play. He is a well rounded player who can score and assist. His veteran presence will guide the prospects in situations throughout the season on how to successfully tackle problems.

Cole Schneider (24 goals, 39 assists for 63 points in 71 games with the Rochester Americans in the 2016-17 season)

Cole Schneider joins Hartford after completing a one man show on offense for the struggling Rochester Americans last season. The 26-year-old forward is another veteran who has produced quality numbers in the past few seasons. He has proven that he can dominate in the American Hockey League. Schneider is more of a playmaker than a scorer. He will certainly help on the power play and compliment Nicklas Jensen.

Jensen is the sniper of the club and having players who feed him the puck will boost his numbers. Schneider can score when needed if the opportunity rises. He has a quick release and is not afraid to get in the dirty areas. I look forward to another season where he produces healthy offensive numbers. He can show prospects a few tips on converting their opportunities.

What’s Next?

Jeff Gorton still needs to sign players for Hartford and New York as his work is not done. From the standpoint of Hartford, the club is off to a strong start. He addressed the presence of quality veterans along with an offensive punch. I believe he will sign a few more proven American Hockey League players to pitch in on offense. He still needs to address the defense. Despite the depth on the blue line, we need another veteran to help the young prospects. Steven Kampfer returns but he cannot do it all himself.  Having another veteran on defense will give prospects two examples on how to play defense in specific situations. As for goalies, we need him to sign a proven goalie for Hartford. The goalies in the system are not ready for the AHL. Brandon Halverson should be in Hartford next season, but he needs the guidance of a quality starting goalie, similar to Magnus Hellberg.

I am looking forward to the next moves by Jeff Gorton.  In Jeff we trust.

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein may be retiring during this offseason. The veteran Rangers defenseman was a bit of a disappointment this season, with his play dropping significantly. Klein only made it into 60 regular season games and was a healthy scratch for eleven of the team’s twelve postseason matches. After being expected to be in the Rangers “top four” entering the 2016-17 campaign, Klein looked lost from his first time on the ice back in October.

Why Now?

As noted by Brooks, Klein had been bothered by a nagging back issue, which took him off the ice for 16 games during the stretch run of the regular season. One has to think that his back would influence his next move, possibly one that would see Klein head to play in Europe. The European leagues all have lighter schedules, with an average of 55 games during the regular season.

In addition to this, there is the fact that Klein’s status with the Rangers was very much uncertain. While he is most probably going to be left unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft, he is not the asset that Vegas will be looking to take. He will be in the final year of his contract, earning $2.75 million next season. Even if Klein were to remain with the Blueshirts through next year, he’d likely be sent to free agency at season’s end.

What’s next?

What does all of this mean for Jeff Gorton and the Blueshirts? If Klein is to retire from the NHL, the Rangers would gain his $2.9 million on the cap to spend on free agents like Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith. In addition, should Klein exit Broadway, the Rangers would be able to give one of their prospects a good look during training camp. And with Sean Day, Ryan Graves and John Gilmour all waiting in the wings, this could be the opportunity for one of them to make the jump into the NHL.

Klein’s style of play is one that is slowly fading from today’s NHL. Defensemen today are expected to be very good in their own zone, plus quick skating puck movers with offensive abilities, à la Nashville’s Roman Josi or Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson. Klein came to the Rangers as a stay-at-home defender who provided a surprising offensive punch from the blue line. But his defensive play deteriorated, and he was usually the first player looking to break up the ice, even with the puck still in his own zone.

All signs seem to be pointing to Klein’s time on Broadway coming to an end. And if he is to retire, it could give the Blueshirts the necessary wiggle room to make a splash this offseason.

Around the trade deadline, all of the conversation amongst Rangers fans was about acquiring then St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. He certainly has value to the Blueshirts being a right-handed shot who is good both offensively and defensively. And while he would certainly improve the blue line, the cost at which it would come might not be so worth it.

With the Rangers defense in a need of change, they are in a bit of a tight spot. Dan Girardi and Marc Staal are both under contract until 2020 and 2021, respectively, and both have no move clauses on their deals. This makes them high-priced anchors, whose value will only decrease as the years go by. Which leaves the Rangers with Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei as the only Blueshirts blueliners who are good on both ends of the ice.

So how should the Rangers look to fill this void? If they go after Shattenkirk, he will command at least a five million dollar payday for his services. In order to do so, the Rangers would have to buy out either Girardi or Staal, so they are not completely burned by lengthy and expensive contracts. And though Shattenkirk will be in his prime years during this contract, his cost may not be worth it.

Brendan Smith, who the Rangers acquired at the 2017 trade deadline, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Smith showed his talents in his short time on Broadway, and he would be worth every penny. Signing Smith for around 3.5 million dollars would be a great start to their offseason, and it would leave some money left to sign more complimentary pieces, such as Cody Franson or Kris Russell. Jeff Gorton can also look to bring up some of his prospects from Hartford, such as Ryan Graves, John Gilmour or newly signed NCAA free agents Neal Pionk and Vince Pedrie.

This will be a pivotal summer for the Rangers future. It is very likely that Dan Girardi or Marc Staal will be bought out in the offseason, which will clear up some much-needed cap space. That leaves one question: does Jeff Gorton put all his eggs in the Kevin Shattenkirk basket? Or will he “spread the wealth” and sign two or three players for the price of one? Time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the Rangers defense must improve if this team wants to win a Stanley Cup.

Earlier this week, we published a story on Neal Pionk and his potential impact for the Rangers next season. Today we’re going to look at a different kind of defenseman. One who is bigger, more of a shutdown type player and has played professionally in Russia for the last three seasons. His name is Alexei Bereglazov and he already has a professional championship under his belt, winning the Gagarin Cup with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in 2016. Just who is he and what are his chances at a roster spot next season? Let’s get into it.

Bereglazov, 23, who stands 6’4” and weighs roughly 200 pounds, is no slouch. If we compare that to the Rangers current defensive corps, he’s the third largest in terms of size and weight behind Marc Staal and Nick Holden. Having a big body never hurt, especially on defense, even if the trend in the NHL is now to have a bit smaller of a defense that can skate and rush the puck.

What teams look for in a potential signee is if they see some form of progression in their play. Bereglazov increased his points totals year after year, and solidified his defensive play on the ice, evidenced by his plus/minus trending towards the plus side more and more each year. Bereglazov was signed this past season after showing immense growth from his first few seasons in the KHL. In his first three seasons playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, he registered only 14 combined points, but his breakout started during the 2016 Gagarin Cup playoffs. That year, when he won the Gagarin Cup, he scored two goals and six assists for eight points in 22 playoff games. He played 58 regular season games that season and only had eight points.

His breakout continued this past season when he scored 19 points with one goal and 18 assists in the regular season. If we look at his playoff stats as well, things begin to look even better, as Bereglazov earned six assists in 13 games during Magnitogorsk’s run to the Gagarin Cup Finals this past spring.

Contract wise, Bereglazov has a $925,000 cap hit with a European assignment clause in his contract; the same as Pavel Buchnevich. For those unfamiliar with that, it basically means that if Bereglazov is assigned to Hartford during the season, he has the option to return to the KHL at the end of the season. This is a good thing for the Rangers because if Bereglazov happens to not work out how they hope and he happens to spend a lot of time in Hartford he can leave.

So does Bereglazov have a legit shot to make the team? Just like Pionk, it depends on just how radically the Rangers defense changes this summer. It’s almost guaranteed that one of Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Nick Holden, and Kevin Klein will be gone this summer with possibly another of them leaving or (unlikely but possible) three or four of them. If one spot is all that is open it is going to be a dogfight between Pionk, Bereglazov, Ryan Graves, possibly even Sean Day and others to see who can fill that spot. One of the things possibly helping Bereglazov though is that he is a left-handed shot who plays the right side of the ice. The Rangers need help on the right side of the ice and if he can make an impression during training camp and the preseason… who knows?
One last point I’d like to make about Bereglazov is that unlike Pionk, Graves, Day and other Rangers defense prospects is that he has played primarily on European ice surfaces. European ice surfaces are larger than their North American cousins and players usually have to go through a period of transition if they’re coming from overseas. Forwards and defensemen both have to learn how to adjust their play style and address issues such as gap control.

The New York Rangers are hoping that Bereglazov will translate his game to the NHL rather quickly and if he plays well it only helps GM Jeff Gorton as he makes the decision on how to revamp his team’s defensive corps.