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Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Travis Dermott steady after signing PTO
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- Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Travis Dermott steady after signing PTO
Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Travis Dermott steady after signing PTO
The Hartford Wolf Pack are down but not out, their playoff hopes remain alive after a pair of wins this past weekend.. Initially eight points out of a playoff spot on Friday, following a 2-1 loss to Utica, Hartford rallied with back-to-back wins on Saturday and Sunday, closing the gap to five points.
Veteran goalie Spencer Martin's struggled this season , but he snapped his personal seven game losing streak (0-5-2) by shutting out Belleville on Saturday, stopping 20 shots in a 4-0 Hartford win.
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The New York Rangers AHL affiliate carried that positive momentum into Sunday, when they defeated Providence 5-2, led by three-point performances from Dylan Roobroeck (one goal, two assists) and Trey Fix-Wolansky (two goals, one assist).
The eighth-place Wolf Pack (19-25-4-2, 44 points) play a two-game series in Allentown against Lehigh Valley this weekend, with six points separating them in the AHL standings.
Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes
Dylan Garand and Travis Dermott — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Travis Dermott steady in two-game sample
Travis Dermott signed a Professional Tryout (PTO) with Hartford on Feb. 7, and played his first two games with the Wolf Pack last weekend. The 29-year-old skated on Hartford's second defense pair with Derrick Pouliot, and recorded a primary assist on Juuso Pärssinen's goal, in his debut Friday. He played another effective game in the shutout victory Saturday.
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These were his first games since he had shoulder surgery last offseason. Despite not playing since April 19, 2025, with AHL Bakersfield, Dermott provided a calm presence on the blue line. That's not a surprise considering Dermott has 348 games of NHL experience, mainly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently with the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers last season.
Hartford coach Grant Potulny elected to sit Dermott on Sunday so that he didn't return to play three games in three days.
Dermott's audition to earn a contract comes at a time when the Rangers seek better organizational depth . Given the defensive struggles throughout the organization, Dermott has an opportunity to showcase his skills in Hartford, and possibly compete for a spot in New York next season.
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Brandon Scanlin has eventful weekend
Brandon Scanlin — Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Fourth-year pro Brandon Scanlin was impactful in Hartford's rally. A healthy scratch Friday, Scanlin returned to the lineup with a vengeance, scoring the game-winning goal in consecutive games Saturday and Sunday, and snapped a 13-game scoring drought. Scanlin also stepped up physically, dropping the gloves against Dennis Gilbert from Belleville after a questionable hit against teammate Zakary Karpa.
Scanlin recorded four shots on goal, and was plus-three in the two games. Despite returning from injury in December, Scanlin is having a quietly effective season with the Wolf Pack. He's up to seven points (three goals, four assists) in 27 games, half the amount of points already compared to last season (14 points), when he played 66 games.
The Rangers have a decision to make on the 26-year-old this offseason since Scanlin can become an unrestricted free agent. He's played one NHL game and isn't much of a prospect. But Scanlin is a solid AHL defenseman.
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Dylan Roobroeck takes advantage of opportunity
Second-year pro Dylan Roobroeck was elevated to the Wolf Pack's second line after the loss Friday. Roobroeck, a sixth round pick (No. 178) by the Rangers in the 2023 NHL Draft, exploded with four points (one goal, three assists) in two games playing in Hartford's top six. On a line with Adam Sýkora and Fix-Wolansky, Roobroeck played his best game of the season against Providence. He recorded his fifth multi-point game, and snapped a 14-game goal drought. In addition, he was a plus-four which was his highest rating for a game in the pros.
Prior to the promotion, Roobroeck was stapled to the Wolf Pack's third line. This resulted in less playing time, and as a result, he struggled to produce consistently (he recorded a point in 14 of 50 games). The 21-year old led the Wolf Pack with 20 goals last season, but has just nine this season. Perhaps the recent promotion spurs a strong finish here in 2025-26.
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But his 20 points to date this season certainly are a disappointment.
Upcoming Games
All games can be viewed on AHLTV and heard on Mixlr .
Saturday, February 28 vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers) at 7:05pm, PPL Center
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This is the fifth of six meetings in the season series. Hartford is 0-1-2-1 against Lehigh Valley.
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Lehigh Valley is 23-22-2-2 (50 points), fifth in the Atlantic Division and tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference (with Belleville).
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Lane Pederson leads the Phantoms with 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists). Anthony Richard (13 goals, 15 assists) and Christian Kyrou (eight goals, 20 assists) are tied for second in scoring with 28 points apiece.
Sunday, March 1 vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers) at 3:05pm, PPL Center
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This is the sixth and final meeting in the season series.
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Hartford is 11-12-1-1 on the road.
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