We come to it at last, Gandalf the White once said. In The Return of the King , he referred to the Battle of Minas Tirith as the great battle of our (his?) time. The New York Rangers training camp battle between Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio likely won't be nearly as epic.
Still, it is noteworthy for a few reasons. The Rangers announced a new contract for Iorio. They claimed the former Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks defender on waivers last season. He appeared in just six games for the Rangers, wrapping up an inauspicious season that saw him bounce from Washington to San Jose to New York.
Iorio will likely go head-to-head with fellow right-handed defenseman Scott Morrow. The two appear to have signed identical, one-year contracts worth $850,000. The minor-league salary for both players is listed at $125,000, according to PuckPedia.
Two players, similar roles, similar styles, identical contracts and only one (at best) spot available. The Rangers will need a seventh defenseman. Short of Morrow or Iorio blowing the coaching staff out of the water in training camp, both players are competing for that slot. The Rangers already have three NHL-caliber right-handed defensemen. Admittedly, it's plausible the Ranger strade Braden Schneider before the season. That would give a very different meaning to this Rangers training camp battle.
For now, the Rangers' most likely competition for a starting spot is on the left side. As a result, Matthew Robertson, Drew Fortescue, Urho Vaakanainen and highly touted 18-year-old Alberts Smits should compete for the job. Again, it's plausible that Morrow or Iorio could move to the left side if either has a really strong camp, but that's probably not where the betting money lies.
Instead, it's more likely that the two are competing for one spot: the seventh defense spot. That competition would likely also include Robertson and Vaakanainen.
The most intriguing element of the pending Rangers training camp battle is Morrow. The Rangers made Morrow a critical component of what's been a mixed-bag blockbuster in dealing K'Andre Miller. As a result, the Rangers were able to utilize the first-round pick as part of that trade to acquire Pavel Dorofeyev this summer. The Rangers used the second-round pick to acquire defenseman Ben McBeath, which generally drew positive feedback.
However, Morrow was the only player acquired in the deal. His performance last season left a lot to be desired. Additionally, Morrow graded poorly in many of NHL Edge's metrics. The Connecticut native and former NCAA standout for UMass has been solid in the AHL, but less than adequate so far in the NHL. Now, his roster spot could be in jeopardy. Not only is Morrow locked in this Rangers training camp battle, but he's also waiver-eligible now.
The Rangers found themselves in a similar situation two seasons prior with left-handed defenseman Zac Jones. The Rangers kept Jones around as a seventh defenseman for much of that season. This isn't to imply he didn't earn his role, but the Rangers recognized a certain utility in keeping Jones. At minimum, it provided additional tape on Jones, who didn't crack the NHL as part of Buffalo's organization last season.
It's not clear how hot Chris Drury's seat is at the moment. There's clearly a push to be competitive with the presence of Vezina-winning goalie Igor Shesterkin and Norris-winning defenseman Adam Fox. The Rangers organization made it clear this summer that they have no interest in a repeat of the past two seasons.
Plus, owner James Dolan reportedly is a big fan of Drury's. It's not clear what it would take for Dolan to consider a leadership change. His GM has lost a portion of the team's fanbase, according to recent data. Still, if he's under any duress, that pressure will only intensify if a piece of the K'Andre Miller trade flops so spectacularly.
Maybe it won't be an epic Rangers training camp battle, but it's got a bit more intrigue than your typical seventh defenseman showdown. It's clear: Vincent Iorio and Scott Morrow are both fighting for their NHL lives.
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