Number two: Joel Ward
In all seriousness, no one wants to see the New York Rangers dress Cody McLeod for anything other than the press box. In addition to avoiding the struggle of lower quality fourth line players, the Rangers would benefit from a forward like Joel Ward that has some snarl in his game. There are at least two spots in the bottom six up for grabs during camp, Ward would likely be the best choice New York could have.
This past season, Ward got into 52 games for the San Jose Sharks and registered 12 points including five goals. In a heavy checking line role, the forward registered a CF% of 48.7 meaning that the Sharks generated 48.7% of the games shots. This figure was a -2.6 Corsi relative on the Sharks, but on the Rangers, he would have been a +3.2 corsi relative.
There is no inclination as to whether or not Ward wants to continue in the league, but at 37 years old he could still find a place. As a veteran presence in the bottom six capable of playing tough minutes, Ward could certainly help the Rangers out. The team would be better off with Ward over Vinni Lettieri or Boo Nieves on the fourth line.