The New York Rangers' newest defenseman took the ice for the first time at practice on Monday, and Head Coach Mike Sullivan had some interesting things to say. Vincent Iorio is a 6'3" and 201-pound right hand defenseman, and although his stats don't paint a pretty picture, Sullivan sees something in the 2021 second round draft pick.
Sullivan impressed by Iorio's ability to move the puck
Sullivan thought Iorio "looked good" at practice, and then he went on to give some particulars about what stood out to him. "Maybe the biggest thing that jumped out at me was just his ability to move the puck, and I think that skillset will certainly help us." The Rangers' defense as constructed is not full of puck movers, and that is where Sullivan feels Iorio can be a difference maker.
Adam Fox is the only defenseman who excels at distributing, and Scott Morrow is a work in progress. Beyond that, the Rangers can use all the help they can get. This is something that they didn't address after trading K'Andre Miller in the offseason, and adding another option certainly is a situation of better late than never.
Iorio tallied 61 assists in 191 WHL games, and 52 assists in 196 AHL games across four seasons. In the 30 NHL games he's played, all four of Iorio's points are assists. An ability to move the puck was highlighted by Elite Prospects in their 2021 draft guide, and here's a snippet of what they saw in Iorio.
"Iorio on the breakout is basically Han Solo with a blaster: Well-placed laser-beam after well-placed laser-beam. He misdirects opponents by looking relaxed, even vulnerable, before firing. He looks off his target, skates into the lane, then holds the deception until the puck’s released, even for long-range, three-line passes"EliteProspects 2021 NHL Draft Guide
The Rangers' final game before the Olympic break is on Thursday, and much of Iorio's acclimation to the team will be a bit accelerated mini camp of sorts when the league is paused. The Rangers' bench boss explained, "It will give him an opportunity to spend some time with coaches, going through some of the details on how we’re trying to play, the X’s and O’s, the team strategy, so to speak, that might be a little bit different than where he came from." Sullivan also added that the break, "will be a huge help, he’ll get some reps in practice, he’ll get an opportunity to know his teammates..."
Rangers look at Iorio as a work in progress
Overall, the tone of Sullivan's comments suggest that adding Iorio is a chance at giving another young defender a shot in a new system, and trying to build him up. What he does the rest of the season is important, but isn't the be all, end all. Sullivan noted that he's a player that's been sought after, and because he's young with much of a future ahead of him, it's good for the Rangers to have him in the mix. It is also worth mentioning that Iorio's former teammate, and current NHL phenom Macklin Celebrini, was not happy to see him go.
Celebrini, on losing his Vancouver buddy Vincent Iorio to waivers: "It's tough. I know our roster and the numbers we have, it's tough…He’s a hell of player, that’s why he got picked up."
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 2, 2026
The Rangers making this move would suggest that someone will eventually need to come out of the lineup, as Adam Fox has been practicing in a non-contact jersey, and should be ready to return after the Olympics. It is possible someone like Braden Schneider could be on the move, and he's a player that has been mentioned in trade rumors.
In any case, this will be a wait and see moment with Iorio. His overall stats don't tell an encouraging story, but Sullivan sees something in him. The Rangers are in a position where they will not be making the playoffs this season, but there's still a lot of time to learn about young players. It would be great if Iorio is a diamond in the rough that is able to put it all together in New York, and the organization will need to have things like that happen as they move forward with their retool post Letter 2.0.