The New York Rangers' defense has a pretty set hierarchy for the top four, with names such as Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson set to take the main assignments, and beyond that there's a lot of opportunity. Braden Schneider is the fifth name I'd include in the "safe" category, and Friday's signing of Vincent Iorio adds another name to the mix to fight for a final spot.
The Blueshirts have a number of directions they could go, and even though his contract structure suggests he will be Hartford bound, there's still a chance Iorio sticks around to get to prove himself. It's not the likeliest outcome, but let's get into what his outlook for the upcoming season could be.
Rangers clearly see something in Iorio
Iorio was claimed off waivers from San Jose last season, and he suited up for six games with the varsity squad. He averaged just 13:05 in the stretch, he tallied zero points, and had a neutral rating of zero. His underlying metrics were pretty bad, but it's hard to look at a six-game sample and expand up on it.
That being said, the Rangers decided to take a chance by claiming the 6'4" and 220 pound defender, and given that he was a second round pick in 2021, fair to say that the front office is trying to get something out of him that the Washington Capitals weren't able to.
He turns 24 in November, so the clock is certainly ticking a little bit faster. That being said, Matthew Robertson made the roster out of training camp at age 24, and he went on to have six goals, 12 assists, and 18 points in 72 games after not showing anything spectacular offensively during his lengthy stint in the American Hockey League.
Robertson, like Iorio, was second round draft pick, so the comparison feels right. It is possible that the Rangers feel that more time with Mike Sullivan will be beneficial, as he's had success stories before with defensemen. Chad Ruhwedel was "a guy" who played some great hockey unexpectedly under Sullivan. Pettersson developed into a capable top-four defender in Pittsburgh, and Ryan Shea is another youngster who did quite well for himself.
Does that mean Iorio is going to put it all together? No, but I think it was interesting that his overall profile as a young defender was not all that different than Schneider. It's almost as if the Rangers wanted another player like Schneider, ahead of a potential trade.
When it comes to RHD, it really is just Iorio and Scott Morrow on the depth chart. The left side options are a lot more interesting, as you have Robertson as an incumbent, Urho Vaakanainen as someone who could be the veteran depth guy, Drew Fortescue in Hartford, and then the big unknown in Alberts Smits.
In any case, if the Rangers don't have Iorio on the main roster to start, he will be subject to waivers. Odds are he would clear given he's still a bit of an unknown, but I get this sneaking suspicion he could be a guy who makes it so that he can hopefully develop into something more than he's shown to be.
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