Headlines

  • Blue Jackets Re-Sign Dmitri Voronkov
  • Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley
  • Blues Pushing For Bowen Byram Trade
  • Hurricanes Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Six-Year Deal
  • Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov, Claim Nick Leddy
  • Islanders Sign Maxim Shabanov
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rangers Searching For Defensive Depth Upgrade

January 29, 2023 at 6:40 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 13 Comments

Although the Rangers gave blueliner Ben Harpur a vote of confidence with a two-year, $1.575MM contract extension earlier this week (a nice outcome for someone who started the year on an AHL tryout), it shouldn’t automatically be construed that he is in the plans for their upcoming playoff push.  To that end, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that GM Chris Drury is believed to be looking for an upgrade on Harpur on the third pairing alongside Braden Schneider.

New York has had a trio of defenders in that role this season with largely middling results.  Zachary Jones had the first opportunity over the first seven weeks of the year but the team decided he was better served by playing big minutes with AHL Hartford.  Libor Hajek continues to be stuck in the undesirable situation of not being deemed good enough to play regularly but is too good to risk losing for nothing on waivers.  The end result has once again been frequent healthy scratches.

Harpur has had the bulk of the opportunities lately but hasn’t stood out himself although he at least has provided a bit of consistency defensively.  Even so, he has just 14 career playoff games under his belt over his first six NHL seasons and as he’s averaging less than 14 minutes a night, it’s understandable that they’d want someone capable of doing a bit more.  All told, those three have combined for three goals and four assists across 51 games so it’s definitely a position that could stand to be improved upon.

The Rangers are one of the few buyers that are poised to have considerable cap flexibility heading into the March 3rd trade deadline with CapFriendly pegging their spending room at just over $6.78MM in full-season salary.  Between that and the potential for a trading team to retain salary, that’s more than enough space to make a splash up front as expected and then improve a depth spot or two.  And while impact defenders don’t often go at the deadline, moves to shore up defensive depth are quite commonplace.

With more than $67MM in commitments for next season already and a few key young players heading for restricted free agency (headlined by blueliner K’Andre Miller, center Filip Chytil, and winger Alexis Lafreniere), it’s unlikely that Drury would want to add someone signed beyond this season.  Fortunately, there should be several left-shot depth defenders on expiring contracts from teams that will be selling.  It’s a bit early yet to determine who all those sellers will be but Drury will have multiple teams and players to choose from when the time comes to find an upgrade on Harpur.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

New York Rangers Ben Harpur

Snapshots: Motte, Tarasenko, Guzda
Main
Predators Unsure Of Deadline Plans
View Comments (13)

Comments

  1. SuperSinker

    2 years ago

    Can Montreal interest you in a lightly used Joel Edmundson

    Reply
    • Joe Carters walkoff

      2 years ago

      Nope

      2
      Reply
    • uvmfiji

      2 years ago

      FDRs legs were lightly used.

      Reply
  2. User 318310488

    2 years ago

    The Rangers defense is good enough for the playoffs and the goaltending is obviously set, The Rangers downfall in the playoffs will be a huge lack of depth offensively, Kakko, Lafreniere, And Chytil are all busts thus far!!!!

    Reply
    • padam

      2 years ago

      Chytil has 29 points in 41 games with a +15 in ~15 TOI per game as a 3rd line Center. Bust?

      4
      Reply
    • jallopy

      2 years ago

      Chytil isn’t a bust. Guys having a solid season. The biggest disappointment is Lafreniere

      3
      Reply
    • Gasu1

      2 years ago

      Chytil is their third best forward. He’s better than Kreider. He was out for a bit and hasn’t had much time on the PP. If you look at what he’s done compared to the amount of time he’s been on this season, he’s really pretty good. The stats bear this out if you compare even strength points (he’s #3 for forwards, just behind Mika) and the fact his TOI is low. Kakko has been middling, plays like an average middle-sixer right now.

      Reply
  3. Alrangers

    2 years ago

    Busts, you dont watch them do you

    4
    Reply
    • Unclemike1525

      2 years ago

      @airangers-
      Well if they’re not busts you surely have to admit they haven’t lived up to expectations. Hawks cut bait with Dach and the top of that draft will be remembered for #’s 2 and 3 not being very good. Would say Lafraniere and Chytil at least deserve a larger sample size before saying busts. Dach broke his wrist soon after the draft in Juniors and hasn’t been the same since. Had Deja vu when his brother went down screaming this year.

      Reply
    • Gasu1

      2 years ago

      Chytil has been playing up to expectations; he just hasn’t had that much opportunity.

      Reply
  4. Bucky76

    2 years ago

    JOSH BROWN OR SCOTT MAYFIELD WOULD BE MY GUESSES..

    Reply
  5. User 318310488

    2 years ago

    Busts for sure!!!!!

    Reply
  6. smoked_gouda

    2 years ago

    Adam Larsson…?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Blue Jackets Re-Sign Dmitri Voronkov

    Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley

    Blues Pushing For Bowen Byram Trade

    Hurricanes Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Six-Year Deal

    Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov, Claim Nick Leddy

    Islanders Sign Maxim Shabanov

    Blues Waive Nick Leddy

    Nikolaj Ehlers Expected To Sign Today

    Oilers Sign Andrew Mangiapane To Two-Year Deal

    Hurricanes Acquire K’Andre Miller In Sign-And-Trade With Rangers

    Recent

    Golden Knights Looking To Trade Ben Hutton

    Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye

    Blue Jackets Re-Sign Dmitri Voronkov

    Capitals Notes: Milano, Free Agency, McMichael, Goaltending

    Canucks Have Started Extension Talks With Kiefer Sherwood

    Atlantic Notes: Korpisalo, Pradel, AHL Contracts

    Capitals Sign Lynden Lakovic To Entry-Level Contract

    Sharks Reportedly Looking To Trade Timothy Liljegren, Henry Thrun

    Flames Not Expected To Trade Nazem Kadri This Offseason

    Flyers’ Tyson Foerster May Miss Start Of Regular Season

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version