Why Rangers’ Travis Dermott Signing Could Change Everything This Season

You don’t see moves like this every day — the New York Rangers bringing Travis Dermott into the fold on a professional tryout contract with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Now, I can’t help but wonder: is this just a courtesy call, or could we actually witness Dermott skate in a Rangers jersey soon? With the NHL paused for the Olympic break until late February, timing couldn’t be better for him to get some real ice time and show what he’s got at the AHL level. Here’s the kicker — his PTO spans 25 games but can be cut short anytime, which means the Rangers are keeping their options wide open as they juggle trades and roster shuffles leading up to the March 6 deadline. Having dealt away Carson Soucy and dipped into waiver wire talent like Vincent Iorio, the Blueshirts are clearly sprinting to bolster their defensive depth — and Dermott, with nearly 350 NHL games under his belt and experience across multiple teams, might just be the seasoned hand they need. So yeah, there’s plenty to chew on here, and I’m all eyes on how this little chess move plays out on the larger ice. LEARN MORE

The New York Rangers signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.

Could we actually see Dermott in a Rangers uniform?

With the NHL Olympic break running up until Feb. 26, Dermott will get an opportunity to get into some game action in the AHL.

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Dermott’s PTO will last 25 games and can be terminated at any point.

Given the fact that the Rangers are in the midst of “retooling” the roster, they’ll likely need depth reinforcements, with more trades likely to be made by the Blueshirts before the March 6th NHL Trade Deadline.

Carson Soucy was already dealt to the New York Islanders, and we’ve seen the Rangers attempt to fill the vacant spot with recent waiver pick-up Vincent Iorio.

Because of Dermott’s NHL experience, he may have a leg up over some of the other defensemen in Hartford to be called up if need be.

The 29-year-old defenseman has played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, and most recently, the Minnesota Wild through the course of his eight seasons in the NHL.

In 348 career games, Dermott has recorded 16 goals, 46 assists, and 62 points while averaging 15:50 minutes per game.