The New York Rangers have just made a quiet move which could be a precursor for a major move post the release of the Letter 2.0. With the organization set to undergo a "retool" process, familiar faces will be traded as the team looks to shake things up and contend in the coming years. Today's claim of Vincent Iorio suggests a bigger move could be coming, and his overall profile and body of work tells a lot.
Who is Vincent Iorio?
Iorio is a 6'3", 201 pound defenseman who is a righty shot, and he has just 30 games of NHL experience in his career to date. He's also logged 196 games in the AHL over four seasons, and in that time he has a line of 11-52-63. Iorio was part of the Washington Capitals organization, and selected 55th overall in the second round of the 2021 draft, but he primarily played in the AHL with Hershey.
In 305 minutes at 5v5, Iorio has a 42.45 GF%, a 43.38 CF%, and a 40.44 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey, and in many ways this makes him very similar to Braden Schneider. Schneider is a player who has been involved in trade rumors, and the claiming of Iorio could suggest that they view him as a potential replacement. Interestingly enough, Iorio was a teammate of Schneider's with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the OHL, so an alternate possibility could be that the Rangers saw a young player on waivers, and Schneider vouched for him.
What could move mean for the Rangers?
Iorio hasn't done anything spectacular in his career to this point, and while he is still young with time to develop since he's only 23, bringing him in suggest that someone on the team is going to leave soon. Scott Morrow was acquired in the summer, and the Rangers gave up K'Andre Miller to get him. It's unlikely he is on the way out, or will be sent back to Hartford. Will Borgen was just signed to a contract extension last year, and unless the Rangers get a no-brainer of a trade offer, he's expected to remain with the team. That leaves Schneider, a player who has struggled on the top pair this season, and someone who needs a contract extension. His name has been in the rumor mill, and for that reason it seems like he's the most likely player to be replace by Iorio.
It doesn't feel like a depth move for depth's sake, as the Rangers have Casey Fitzgerald (RHD) and Derrick Pouliot (LHD) in the AHL, both of whom have some NHL experience under their belt. Iorio represents a youngster that still has a chance to make a career, and that will only happen with consistent playing time and a roster spot. Adam Fox could be back after the break, so that means someone from the main group will have to head out.
We will see what happens in the coming weeks, but it certainly feels like this is the beginning of a bigger move.