New York Rangers reportedly add depth with Phil Di Giuseppe signing
Free agency fever may have fizzled out over the last week or so, but that hasn’t stopped the New York Rangers from making another move.
According to John Matisz of theScore, the New York Rangers have signed forward Phil Di Giuseppe to a one-year, $700,000 deal.
It has yet to be officially announced by the Rangers but it is a move that makes sense for the franchise in more ways than one. Although it will hardly get the pulses racing the way Artemi Panarin’s free agency signing did, this move shows the Blueshirts’ desire to continue to bolster their depth chart.
After signing forwards Greg McKegg and Danny O’Regan to deals on the opening day of free agency, the Rangers have now added another forward in Di Giuseppe who will probably begin 2019-20 in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Told Rangers are signing forward Phil Di Giuseppe. Believe it's 1 year, $700,000.
— John Matisz (@MatiszJohn) July 16, 2019
Still only 25-years-old, the left-wing is young enough to be able to prove that he can become a reliable role player in the NHL and it gives the Blueshirts an insurance policy should their bottom-six take an injury-hit at any point in 2019-20.
Given the relatively small cap hit, it is a smart signing for the Rangers who pad out their AHL roster in addition to having a solid option to fall back on should they suffer with injuries or if one of their many high-end prospects need to spend a short stint down in the AHL.
It is unlikely that Di Giuseppe will start next year in the NHL given the Rangers’ abundance of riches on the wings, but you can never have too much of something as they say and competition is always imperative, especially in training camp.
Drafted 38th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Di Giuseppe split much of his time between the Canes and the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL.
The Ontario native, who spent his collegiate career with the University of Michigan (78 points in 115 games), is a bottom nine forward who could be used on the penalty kill and in certain key matchup situations.
In 160 contests with the Checkers in the AHL, Di Giuseppe tallied 35 goals and 54 assists for 89 points, while he totaled 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 147 NHL regular-season games for the Hurricanes.
He posted one goal and three assists for four points in 21 games for the Canes last year, before being claimed off waivers by the Nashville Predators in Jan 2019. Again, the forward split his time between the big leagues and the AHL, putting up 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 24 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.
However, Di Giuseppe’s chances to impress for the Predators in the NHL were limited and he finished 2018-19 with no points in three outings with a plus/minus rating of -1 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Averaging just 9:55 minutes of ice time per night for the Hurricanes and 11:41 per game for the Preds, Di Giuseppe’s impact was limited in 2018-19 and he’ll be pushing for a bounceback year.
Next. Expectation from the kids. dark
Once projected to be a top-six forward for the Canes, Di Giuseppe hasn’t quite lived up to his potential but the talent is obviously there and he now has the chance to resurrect his career in the Big Apple.
Billed as a playmaker as a rookie, Di Giuseppe will likely be part of the rebuilding efforts in Hartford with the Wolf Pack once the puck drops in 2019-20. But, you need depth in order to be successful in the NHL and, in that regard, Phil Di Giuseppe is a smart enough pickup and could become a decent role player for the New York Rangers.