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4 gritty depth signings that would fill a sizeable void on the Rangers

By Andrew Steele-Davis

Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders takes the ice prior to Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders takes the ice prior to Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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3. Erik Haula, C

This is another player that has been linked to the New York Rangers since Free Agency opened on Friday. And it could be a good fit for both parties.

Haula ticks all the boxes as a third-line center in that he’s a gritty checking forward, while he can also provide secondary scoring by the bucketload.

Basically, Haula can do everything and he would become a key cog of the bottom-six forward group for the Rangers.

Able to battle hard in the dirty areas, win face-offs, score and create and also incredibly responsible in his own zone, Haula may be the best option out there for the Rangers right now.

Traded to the Florida Panthers by the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the Trade Deadline, Haula put up 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points with eight of those points coming on the power play.

He averaged 15:50 minutes of ice time last year but, most impressive was Haula’s 54.1 winning percentage in the faceoff circle in 2019-20, a vast improvement on what the Rangers currently have.

Erik Haula #56 of the Florida Panthers.
Erik Haula #56 of the Florida Panthers warms up prior to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Haula boasts a career draw win percentage of 51.3 and he would excel in high-pressure situations and on the penalty kill.

Also, while there are reports out there that some doubt if Haula was the player he once was, there’s no denying that he would be an effective bottom-six center.

And, with 62 points (31 G, 31 A) in 91 career regular season games for the Vegas Golden Knights, the offensive production is clearly there which means that the Rangers could be getting a two-way pivot who can excel in both zones if Haula can get back to what he was two years ago, which isn’t out of the question given that he is only 29-years-old.

With a $2,750,000 cap hit in 2019-20, Haula would likely look for $3-$4 million on the open market but the Rangers may be able to get him for slightly less given that he’s still available coupled with the role he could play on this roster.

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