New York Rangers: The best undrafted players in franchise history

TAMPA, FL - MAY 22: Martin St. Louis
TAMPA, FL - MAY 22: Martin St. Louis
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TAMPA, FL – MAY 22: Martin St. Louis
TAMPA, FL – MAY 22: Martin St. Louis /

Every year NHL teams draft 200 players over the course of seven rounds and leave undrafted free agents.  Signing an undrafted player who becomes an NHLer is like finding gold.  The New York Rangers have struck gold a few times.

The list of undrafted players who are in the Hall of Fame is impressive.  It includes Adam Oates, Ed Belfour, Peter Stastny, Joe Mullen, Dino Ciccarelli and Borje Salming. Martin St. Louis finished his career as a Ranger, but in 1988 every NHL team thought that there were 252 other players who were better.  It was Calgary who took the chance to sign St. Louis and he became a star in Tampa.  Current undrafted NHL players include Sergei Bobrovsky, Tyler Johnson, Chris Kunitz, Nate Schmidt, Tyler Bozak and Artemi Panarin.

Every season the Rangers go out and sign undrafted players in the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. This past year the list included Alexandar Georgiev, Ville Meskanen, Neal Pionk, Michael Lindqvist, Chris Nell, Vinni Lettieri and Dawson Leedahl.   Each of these players hope to make it on Broadway and not end up like Malte Stromwell or Andrei Bereglazov who were released from their deals after failing to make an impression.

While the Rangers have never discovered a Hall of Fame caliber player, they have found a few quality players

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 31: Mark Laforest #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers alumni shakes hands with Nick Fotiu #22 of the New York Rangers alumni after the game at Citizens Bank Park during the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – Alumni Game on December 31, 2011 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 31: Mark Laforest #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers alumni shakes hands with Nick Fotiu #22 of the New York Rangers alumni after the game at Citizens Bank Park during the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – Alumni Game on December 31, 2011 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images) /

#5 – Nick Fotiu

Staten Island native Nick Fotiu was not an unknown when the Rangers signed him in 1976. He had played two seasons in the WHA for the New England Whalers . The Whalers had discovered him toiling for the Cape Codders in the NAHL where he led the league in penalty minutes.

Fotiu had two stints in New York over eight seasons.  While he scored only 41 goals in 455 games, the left winger is sixth all time in Ranger penalty minutes. Beloved by Blueshirt fans, Fotiu was a willing fighter who brought toughness to the team and ranks as one of the best enforcers in Ranger history.

Famously, Fotiu was one of the first players to make it from the five boroughs. He often spoke about coming to games and sitting up in the fabled blue seats back when they made up the entire upper bowl. Cult heroes inspire fans and Fotiu was no exception. For future generations of kids that went to games in hopes of one day donning the Ranger sweater, Fotiu was god.

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER, 1981: Ron Duguay #10, Barry Beck #3, Mark Pavelich #40 and head coach Herb Brooks pose for a portrait before an NHL game circa December, 1981 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER, 1981: Ron Duguay #10, Barry Beck #3, Mark Pavelich #40 and head coach Herb Brooks pose for a portrait before an NHL game circa December, 1981 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images) /

#4 – Mark Pavelich

After winning an Olympic golf medal with the U.S. Men’s hockey team in 1980 , the Minnesota native found a professional career in Switzerland playing for HC Lugano.  That all changed when the Rangers hired Herb Brooks to coach the team in 1981.  He immediately reached out out to Pavelich and signed the diminutive five-foot-eight inch center to a contract.

Pavelich was the epitome of the Rangers under Brooks. Puck possession and creativity were key to Brooks’ system and Pavelich excelled at both.  In his rookie season he set a team rookie record for points (76) and assists (43)  and  he tied Bill Cook’s rookie record of 33 goals. His assists total was later exceeded by Brian Leetch and Tony Granato scored more goals, but he is still the highest scoring rookie in Ranger history.

In his second season he became the first and only American-born NHL player to score five goals in one game matching Don Murdoch as the only Rangers to score that many goals in a game.

Pavelich’s Ranger career went south after Brooks was let go after four years. In 1986, completely at odds with coach Ted Sator, Pavelich actually quit the team in March.  He later returned for short stints in Minnesota and San Jose, but, disenchanted with professional hockey, he retired to a cabin in northern Minnesota where he became a  recluse. He made headlines when he sold his Olympic gold medal at auction to pay for his daughter’s expenses and made his first public appearance in years at a reunion of the Olympic team in 2015.

Pavelich ended up playing five years in New York, scoring 133 goals in 341 games.  With 318 points he almost averaged a point a game. He will always be remembered as one of the most creative and determined Rangers and the best of the four gold medalists to play for New York.

OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 17: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the New York Rangers looks on in a game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on February 17, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 17: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the New York Rangers looks on in a game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on February 17, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

#3 – Mats Zuccarello

The headlines in 2010 called him Mats Zuccarello Aasen and “the Hobbit.” The 22 year old had exploded offensively in 2009-10, named Swedish Elite League MVP with 23 goals and 64 points in 55 games. The only knock on him was his size, but his success as a youngster in one of the top professional leagues in the world was reason enough for Glen Sather to take a flyer on him.

His first two seasons were a struggle as he split  time between the Rangers and the AHL.  During the lockout of 2012-13 he got valuable playing time in the KHL, but still only played in 15 games under John Tortorella after play resumed.

It was under new coach Alain Vigneault that Zuccarello blossomed into the offensive force that  has made him one of the most beloved players in NHL history. His creativity with the puck and a feistiness that belies his size has endeared him to the Garden faithful. He has led the team in scoring four out of the last five years while averaging 18 goals per season.

It’s not unreasonable to point to the head injury that knocked him out of the 2015 playoffs as the key reason that they Rangers lost the Conference Final to Tampa and their best shot at a Stanley Cup in two decades.

A free agent next season, the anticipation is that Zuccarello will be dealt at the trade deadline next spring.  It will be a sad day in New York when the heart and soul of the current New York Rangers departs.

NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 25: New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi (5) skates during the third period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on February 25, 2017, at the Prudential Center in Newark,NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 25: New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi (5) skates during the third period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on February 25, 2017, at the Prudential Center in Newark,NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

#2 – Dan Girardi

As maligned as Dan Girardi was by the end of his career as a Ranger, he has to rank as one of the best undrafted free agent signings in Ranger history. Although he was a member of the Memorial Cup winning London Knights in 2005, he was not drafted and remained unsigned until Sather offered him a minor league contract that summer. Not even invited to training camp, Girardi started his pro career in the ECHL before he was quickly promoted to Hartford. In the middle of his second year at Hartford, he was brought up to replace an injured Dariuis Kasparaitis and never looked back.

Girardi went on to play 11 years and 788 games in New York.  From 2008 to 2017 he averaged over two blocked shots per game and led the league in that category in 2010-11 with 236. Girardi epitomized grit as he played through numerous injuries and he was an All-Star in 2012 . Through no fault of his, Sather signed Girardi to a  six-year, $33 million contract in 2014 at the same time that the years of blocked shots and tough minutes began to take their toll. The Rangers were forced to buy him out of his contract to clear cap space in the summer of 2017.

Girardi has gone on to have success with Tampa and has never played a game in the NHL without being in playoff contention, second only to  Chris Kunitz in that category. Another heart and soul player for the New York Rangers, Girardi’s solid career as Ryan McDonagh’s partner on the backline ranks him as the second best undrafted free agent signed by New York.

Getting nearly 800 games of NHL production out of someone who did not even get a training camp invite with their first professional contract is an insane return on investment.

NEW YORK, NY – 1972: Stan Mikita #21 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Walt Tkzczuk #18 of the New York Rangers follow the puck circa 1972 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – 1972: Stan Mikita #21 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Walt Tkzczuk #18 of the New York Rangers follow the puck circa 1972 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images) /

#1 – Walt Tkaczuk

Walt Tkaczuk was a scoring machine in the Ontario Hockey Association for the Kitchener Rangers, but remained undrafted after five years. In the spring of 1968, the Rangers offered him a contract and he was held scoreless in two games for the team, becoming the first German-born player in NHL history.

In the 1968-69 season he lit up the AHL with Buffalo scoring nine points in five games and was promoted to the big club. He went on to play 14 seasons in New York as one of the top defensive players in the game as the center of the “Bulldog Line” with Bill Fairbairn and Dave Balon. Known as one of the strongest players in the NHL, Tkaczuk finished up with 227 goals and 678 points in 945 games.

The highlight of his career was the Stanley Cup Final in 1972 against the Boston Bruins. Playing for a Rangers team crippled by injuries to Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert and Eddie Giacomin, Tkaczuk took over as one of the team leaders. He was given the job of shutting down Phil Esposito who had scored 66 goals that season and was averaging a goal a game in the playoffs.  Tkaczuk held Esposito scoreless in the six game series, one of the greatest defensive performances in Stanley Cup Final history.

An All-Star and one of the greatest Rangers of all times, Tkaczuk made another Finals appearance in 1979 when they lost to Montreal.  Tkaczuk is the only player in the post-expansion era to play in two Stanley Cup Finals for the Rangers.

8 Jan 1997: Center Mike Ridley of the Vancouver Canucks (right) moves the puck during a game against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The Canucks won the game, 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport
8 Jan 1997: Center Mike Ridley of the Vancouver Canucks (right) moves the puck during a game against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The Canucks won the game, 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport /

Here are some that got away

The Rangers have found some gems in the undrafted free agent market, only to give up on them too soon or to lose them in bad trades.  Here are a few that got away.

Mike Ridley – After averaging almost three points a game for the University of Manitoba, the Rangers signed center Mike Ridley  in the summer of 1985. The deal immediately paid off when he scored 22 goals and had 65 points in his rookie season. Off to a great start the next season, he was traded by  General Manager Phil Esposito to Washington for Bobby Carpenter. In a deal that ranks as one of the all-time worst, Ridley went on to play 866 games in the NHL, scoring 292 goals and 758 points.  Mark Tinordi – Tinordi was a physical defenseman for Lethbridge in the WHL.  After four years he was undrafted and  was playing as an over-age player for Calgary in the WHL when Esposito signed him in  January 1987.  He played 24 games in New York in 1987-88. At the start of the 1988 season, Trader Phil sent him to Minnesota in a multi-player trade  for Brian Lawton. Tinordi played 12 seasons in the NHL, playing in the 1992 All-Star game and had a reputation as a physical, solid defenseman.  This is another of the all-time worst Ranger trades. 

Related Story. The ten worst trades in Ranger history. light

Grant Ledyard – Ledyard had scored 25 goals as a defenseman for the Fort Garry Blues when the Rangers signed him in July 1982. Ledyard got into 69 games over two seasons for the Rangers before they traded him to Los Angeles along with Roland Melanson for Brian MacLellan and a draft pick. While not a household name, Ledyard ended up playing in the NHL for 18 seasons appearing in over a thousand games as a stay at home defenseman for nine teams.  Tim Bothwell, Norm Maciver and Mike Donnelly – All three of these players were NCAA stars who remained undrafted.  The Rangers had the good sense to sign them  but let them all go.  All three ended up playing over ten years in the NHL. 
WINNIPEG, MB – MAY 1: Head Coach Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators looks on from the bench during second period action against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 1, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB – MAY 1: Head Coach Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators looks on from the bench during second period action against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 1, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Rangers have a knack for picking players who have potential off the ice.  Two undrafted free agents signed by the Rangers have gone on to become successes behind the bench or in the front office.

Peter Laviolette -Laviolette had a short NHL career. A very short NHL career. It consisted of 12 games with the New York Rangers in 1988-89. After four years at Westfield State College and a brief stint in the IHL, the Rangers inked the defenseman to a contract. After that brief debut on Broadway he ended up the AHL where he played for five years before retiring to try coaching.  As a coach, he won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricane in 2006 and has made the Finals with Philadelphia and Nashville making him one of only three active coaches who have made it to the Finals three times.

George McPhee – Everybody knows George McPhee as the miracle worker of the Vegas Golden Knights. What most people don’t know is that the Rangers thought they had signed an all star when they signed the winger after he capped a four years career at Bowling Green University with the Hobey Baker Award in 1982. The Rangers thought they had pulled off a coup by signing the undrafted player who had 80 points in 40 games as a senior.

That feeling was reinforced when he potted three goals in the 1983 playoffs before playing a regular season NHL game. The NHL record was set that spring by McPhee and Edmonton forward Ray Cote  and was ultimately broken by Chris Kreider with five goals in the 2012 playoffs.

McPhee never lived up that the promise of that playoff, playing 109 games over four years with 21 goals and 45 points. McPhee turned to a career in management and was the Assistant GM in Vancouver when they played the Rangers for the Stanley Cup in 1994. He was the GM in Washington for 18 years and did the Rangers a big favor when he dealt Jaromir Jagr to the Blueshirts.  Fired by Washington in 2014 he has found great success in Las Vegas.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 07: Neal Pionk #44 of the New York Rangers skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers shut out the Rangers 5-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 07: Neal Pionk #44 of the New York Rangers skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers shut out the Rangers 5-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Who’s Next?

Of the undrafted free agents in training camp,  Dawson Leedahl seems to be destined for his second year in the minors and Chris Nell has slipped in the goalie prospect depth chart. Hopes are still high for Ville Meskanen and Michael Lindqvist as both rookies will get a chance to get accustomed to North American hockey in Hartford.

Vinni Lettieri has already made his Ranger debut and is a feisty forward with a great shot. Neal Pionk and Alexandar Georgiev had outstanding debuts last season and look to be the next two undrafted free agents to be successful for the Rangers.  Will any of them turn into the next Walt Tkaczuk or Dan Girardi?  Ranger fans can only hope.

Next. Why Duguay's absence is a good thing. dark

Of the hopefuls, Pionk looks most ready to be a full time NHL player.

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