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Why Rangers could view Travis Dermott as depth defenseman option
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- Why Rangers could view Travis Dermott as depth defenseman option
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An NHL roster freeze is in effect during the three-week Olympic break from Feb 4-22. But that didn't stand in the way of a veteran player addition to the New York Rangers organization this weekend
Travis Dermott signed a PTO with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers ' affiliate in the American Hockey League, on Saturday. Though this is a minor-league transaction, it has some significance to the Rangers moving forward.
The 29-year-old defenseman has 348 games of NHL experience and another 22 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had shoulder surgery in July and a was a free agent after playing 19 games for the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild last season.
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Signing with Hartford allows Dermott to get in game shape, prove that he's healthy, and audition for an AHL or NHL contract. PTOs are for 25 games, though the player and/or team can terminate the deal at any point. These professional tryout agreements can be extended in similar fashion.
With the Rangers in a retool, and already in need of more organizational depth on the back end, they'll watch Dermott closely to see if he might fit the bill as a defenseman worthy of an NHL contract at some point. The Rangers have 46 players under standard contract ; the maximum for any one team is 50.
They already traded Carson Soucy to the Islanders, creating the need for another experienced left-shot blueliner in the system. The Rangers recently claimed Vincent Iorio , a right-shot defenseman, off waivers from the San Jose Sharks .
The worst-case scenario here is that Dermott provides better play for an underwhelming Hartford defense corps in front of top goalie prospect Dylan Garand . The best case is that the Rangers find a serviceable defenseman, who's again healthy and ready for a regular NHL role.
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Though Dermott battled injuries the past three seasons, the previous four he played 50 or more games, including 64 with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018-19. The 2015 second-round pick (No. 34 overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft has 62 points (16 goals, 46 assists) and 130 penalty minutes with the Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks , Arizona Coyotes, Oilers, and Wild.
Dermott played only four AHL games since 2017-18, when he helped the Toronto Marlies win the Calder Cup championship. He didn't play Saturday, when Hartford lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Providence Bruins. Dermott could make his Wolf Pack debut next weekend when they visit the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday and Sunday.
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