The Rangers have assigned forward Alex Belzile to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, the team announced Tuesday.
By assigning Belzile’s $775K cap hit to the minors, the Rangers have created a second opening on the active roster and increased their cap space to $5.16MM. Doing so gives them increased roster flexibility ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
Belzile, 32, has served as the Rangers’ 13th forward since Blake Wheeler sustained a season-ending lower-body injury in mid-February. However, he was scratched in all nine games during his recall. He remained on the roster for less than 30 days, so he can be returned to Hartford without waivers.
The 12-year minor-league veteran is in his first season with the Rangers organization after inking a two-year, $1.55MM contract when free agency opened last summer. He’d spent the previous four seasons under contract with the Canadiens, with whom he accumulated all of his 44 career regular-season and six career playoff appearances. Last season, Belzile notched a career-high six goals, eight assists, and 14 points in 31 games with the Habs, averaging 12:08 per game.
Twice a Kelly Cup champion in the ECHL in the mid-2010s, Belzile has since developed into a solid top-six presence in the AHL as he enters the twilight of his prime. He leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 14 goals, 23 assists, and 37 points in 43 games.
This will not be the only player that the Rangers re-assign. Their next game is Saturday, after the deadline, so the Rangers will try and accrue as much cap as possible.