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As the calendar hit September yesterday, triggering the start of hockey, with the New York Rangers first regular season in the 29th, GM Chris Deury bolstered the team’s depth.
Eeli Tolvanen, a player I wanted the team to add years ago, was signed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
PuckPedia broke the news first.
Tolvanen is not a perfect fit. He has talent but he doesn’t drive play. Meanwhile, presence adds to the bottom-six logjam. New York still needs another player who is a facilitator and creator. But Tolvanen brings a solid defensive presence along with some bite and ability/willingness to use his body to dish out hits.
NYR Louie did a great breakdown on the pros and cons of Tolvanen in June. His points are spot on. The drop in 5×5 is concerning. However, I think he could see an uptick in production and performance in New York based on lineup in front of and with him.
Adding a top-nine winger at a reasonable cap hit is a win. Rangers Tolvanen should line up opposite Will Cuylle on a third line center by Noah Lana. The pressure rises in Lana, who will need to be the play-driver j that line, as neither of wingers are. Cuylle and Tolvanen should dish out 400-plus hits between the two of them, creating a new type of identity line. Tolvanen’s cap hit should leave the team with a little over a million in room.
New York now has several fourth line options.
Tolvanen’s signing might result in Jarolslav Chmelar starting the season in Hartford.
The Rangers have Tye Kartye, Taylor Raddysh, Joe Veleno, Matt Rempe, Adam Sykora, and Chmelar as options.
Additionally, they are options for the fourth line.
Not all will make the roster.
Thus, Kartye-Veleno-Raddysh is the probable fourth line to start the season.
However, Raddysh is on the trade block, with Toronto as a possible option, where his brother Darren is now.
Rempe has to pass through waivers to be sent down.
He is likely to stick or be dealt.
However, Sykora has a shot to remain as well.
I see him opening the year with the Wolf Pack if no one is injured or dealt.
Barring a surprise move or a PTO, the roster is now set. As noted above, we could see a few deals to free up space in the bottom-six. New York still needs a top-six player, but that likely won’t happen until the trade deadline, dependent on if the team is in contention.
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