he New York Rangers made what felt like an easy roster trim on September 27 when they placed veteran forward Taylor Raddysh on waivers alongside goaltender Dylan Garand.
With a crowded bottom six and younger options pushing for depth spots, the front office was content risking losing the 28 year old for nothing just to get under the roster limit. Raddysh passed through waivers unclaimed, but he wasn’t handed an immediate ticket back to the NHL.
Instead, he was sent down to the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he put his head down and played like he should in the AHL against weaker competition. Raddysh led Hartford with five points (three goals, two assists) in his first five games, actively playing his way out of the minors.
Meanwhile in New York, the coaching staff gave 23 year old Jaroslav Chmelař seven games to claim the fourth-line role, but the rookie managed zero points while averaging just over eight minutes a night. With Joe Veleno already sidelined by injury, the Rangers finally pulled the trigger on October 16, swapping Chmelař for Raddysh. In the five games since his recall, Raddysh has shown he still has something to give, and that just might help him prolong his NHL career.
Raddysh took demotion in stride and is contributing in return
Mike Sullivan leaned on Raddysh last season to eat defensive-zone starts and kill penalties. Nobody expected Raddysh to turn into an offensive dynamo, but he has been quite efficient since rejoining the varsity squad on Broadway.
Through five games, Raddysh is averaging just 7:34 of ice time per night, logging just under 38 minutes at 5v5. In those limited shifts, his underlying metrics jump off the screen.
Per Evolving-Hockey, Raddysh carries a 76.08 GF%, a 56.95 CF%, and a 66.73 xGF%.
For those interested in the actual on-ice splits, the Rangers are generating 4.76 goals per 60 minutes and conceding just 1.50 goals against whenever Raddysh hops over the boards at five-on-five. From an expected-goals standpoint, the split sits at 5.34 xGF/60 compared to just 2.66 xGA/60.
A nightly average of 7:34 represents the lowest of Raddysh’s entire NHL career by a wide margin. Last season in New York, he posted nine goals, 10 assists, and 19 points in 68 games while averaging 11:51 a night. The fact that he is having this profound of an impact in under eight minutes a game demands a closer look.
Mike Sullivan would be justified in shaking up bottom six
With the Rangers currently toward the end of six-day layoff following a three-game skid, Sullivan has to search for answers in his bottom six. The third line, in particular, is sputtering. Noah Laba has endured a brutal sophomore slump down the middle, posting an alarming 35.86 xGF%, while Eeli Tolvanen has cooled off significantly after an early season heater.
This isn't about pointing fingers at Tolvanen, it's just looking at the options and making a choice on who is the easiest to move out based on current performance. Laba is visibly drowning against top-nine competition, and the third line desperately needs a heavy, stabilizing presence on the forecheck who can win wall battles, protect pucks, and relieve defensive pressure.
Raddysh provides exactly that profile. Elevating him alongside Will Cuylle gives Sullivan a battle-tested internal fix without blowing up the top two lines, and it might be something that can help get Laba's game going.
Raddysh is here, might as well get some value out of him
New York entered the season with several middle-six forwards operating essentially as placeholders. Tolvanen was one, Oliver Bjorkstrand was another, and then you had others that include Matt Rempe to an extent.
The Blueshirts have a decent cupboard of high-end forward talent developing in Hartford under newly hired bench boss Jay Leach, from Liam Greentree to Cole Beaudoin, but development takes time. Until those prospects prove they are ready, Drury needs his veterans to be net positive players, but that doesn't mean the incumbents just get to remain unquestioned.
In-season stop gaps like Luke Glendening and James Reimer haven't quite worked out, but Raddysh is giving the team an honest effort. Even if Raddysh is yet another placeholder until Veleno can return, there's a way the team can make the most of the current situation.
Showcasing Raddysh in a regular middle-six role with penalty killing reps can help boost his stock, turning a player who cleared waivers a month ago into an interesting and attractive depth piece ahead of the trade deadline. He's not going to get much, but anything he can do to improve his perception as a player is worth exploring.
In a transitional season where the margin for error has evaporated following Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending injury, the Rangers cannot afford to ignore players who tilt the ice. Raddysh took his demotion like a professional, earned his recall with his play in Hartford, and has decisively won his NHL minutes ever since.
Raddysh could have been lost for free. He wasn't, and now that he's back with the Rangers, Sullivan should get the most out of him while he's here, and just maybe the team will be able to get something for him later when he's once again expendable.
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