As the NHL free agency period opened, the Rangers made a couple of moves to make the signing of defenseman Patrik Nemeth official and adding depth defender Jarred Tinordi to the roster.  The pair of blueline signings mean the Rangers are likely pretty set on defense, with Nemeth expected to be the third pair left defender, and Tinordi serving as first call up.

Just like we’ve seen throughout the offseason, both players bring size and some physicality to the line-up with Nemeth at 6-3 228 and Tinordi a lankier 6-6 205.  Tinordi in particular will catch fans attention for his scrimmage with Tom Wilson last season when he played for Boston.https://www.youtube.com/embed/wmwriDK8iAM

A former first round pick of the Montreal Canadiens – 2010 21st overll, as wel las the son of former NHLer Mark Tinordi, Tinordi the younger figures to be a depth defender called up in case of injury, rather than a regular.  At 29, Tinordi has just 102 NHL games to his career highs coming in 2019-20 with the Nashville Predators: 28 Games, 1 Goal and 4 assists.  He has 123 penalty minutes, and 13 playoff appearances to his name as well.

The two year deal at $900K AAV means that Tinordi’s contract could be buried in the AHL if need be, for full Cap relief.

With the Nemeth signing made official, the Rangers get their veteran third pair defender to likely play alongside one of the rookies vying for the final spot on the righ-hand.  Nemeth’s three year deal at $2.5M is also a relatively cheap deal in the grand scheme of UFA contracts, and is likely not a significant burden to the organization if it doesn’t work out.

The pair of signings also mean that Anthony Bitetto and Libor Hajek will likely start in Hartford or be moved as part of a deal before the start of the season.  With the Rangers moving on from veteran Darren Raddysh in Hartford, it’s possible that they leverage Bitetto as his replacement or go out and sign another AHL veteran to help guide the influx of young players.