The New York Rangers did everything they could to keep Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow in the organization. To avoid losing them on waivers, they've kept both players in the press box for the first four games of the season. Still, after Joseph Veleno's injury on Sunday night, it became apparent that New York has to get an extra forward, preferably a center, up with the NHL club.
Chris Drury's next decision was whether to risk sending Matthew Robertson or Scott Morrow to Hartford. With Vladislav Gavrikov, Marcus Pettersson, and Alberts Smits on the left side, the decision was made to place Robertson on waivers for assignment to the AHL. In the grand scheme, teams are also more likely to leave Robertson on the wire over a right-shot defenseman like Morrow.
Matthew Robertson is on waivers. He played 72 games last year as a serviceable third-pair defenseman.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) October 5, 2026
This move gives the Rangers cap room to call up a center if they want with Joseph Veleno hurt. https://t.co/da0bvxfx1W
It might surprise some, since Robertson was a mainstay in the Rangers' lineup last season, playing 72 games, while Morrow played just 29 games and 34 in the AHL. However, the 25-year-old Robertson is a depth defenseman, nothing more or nothing less, while the team still has hopes that a 23-year-old Morrow has some growing to do and could steal a spot higher in the lineup.
Smits' emergence also made Robertson a bit more expendable. He was sticking around as insurance for the 18-year-old, but it doesn't look like the 2026 first-round pick will be leaving this Rangers lineup for hopefully the next 20 years. Anything can happen with Smits, Gavrikov, or Pettersson's health, but until it does, there's no room for Robertson.
It doesn't get any easier for Morrow to earn a spot on the right side. Sean Durzi is reliable when healthy, Braden Schneider has missed hardly any games in the past four seasons, and Adam Fox obviously isn't leaving the lineup. At some point, it's preposterous to keep two extra defensemen around to wait for a group of six who won't relinquish one spot, let alone two.
Which Rangers' AHLer will replace Matthew Robertson?
The Rangers would have enough cap room to recall Juuso Parssinen with Robertson out of the press box. They are likely looking to add a center with Veleno's status in question, and the salary unfortunately doesn't work for New York to add Connor Zary through the waiver wire from the Calgary Flames.
Parssinen had a less-than-impressive 2025-26 season, but he had seven points in 15 AHL games after the Rangers placed him on waivers and has two points in two games already this season. Is it time to give the Finnish forward another chance in a fourth-line role?
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