Blueliner Vincent Iorio – the final remaining Rangers RFA – has signed a one year $850K two-way contract, just a couple of days after fellow defenseman Scott Morrow signed. This means the Rangers will go into Training Camp in three weeks or so, with all their players signed and ready to go.
His chances of making the roster out of camp are far less certain. Claimed off of waivers from the Sharks last January, Iorio managed just six games for the Rangers despite being healthy. The 6-4 220lb Canadian has desirable size but looked out of his depth on the Rangers blueline during his brief cameo. Often out of position defensively, he struggled to make an impact with his third club since breaking into the league as a 20 year old with the Washington Capitals – the team that drafted him in the 2nd round.
To date he has no goals and four assists in 36 games, the majority of those played last season with San Jose. He’ll be 24 in November, so he still has some time to figure things out. His likely destination will be Hartford, where he’ll get the chance to play bigger minutes on a relatively young team. While it’s possible that he could be claimed off of waivers, he would be far more likely to pass through successfully than Morrow.
He has had some success at the AHL level, putting up 22 points in 63 games with the Hershey Bears in his first pro season, as well as 7 assist in 6 games with the San Jose Barracuda last year.
PIT
CBJ