Original six team claims Sharks' Vincent Iorio off waivers
Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers just pulled a sneaky move by claiming Vincent Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks. It is a calculated gamble on a young defender with a massive frame.
New York is desperate for stability on the back end while Adam Fox recovers from a lower-body injury.
Losing a Norris-caliber anchor is a nightmare for any coach. Mike Sullivan needs bodies. He needs them yesterday. The Rangers are currently sitting at the bottom of the East and looking at a massive retool. Chris Drury is already hunting for young talent to fill the gaps.
Claiming Iorio fits that mission perfectly. He is a mountain at 6'4'' and 220 pounds who plays a heavy game. The Capitals originally took him 55th overall back in 2021. He is a blue-chip prospect who hasn't quite found his rhythm yet.
He is only 23 and already has two Calder Cups on his resume. That winning pedigree is exactly what the Rangers need to inject into their room. San Jose tried to sneak the young defender down to the AHL. They thought they could slide him through. They were wrong.
He only dressed for 21 games in San Jose this season. He put up three assists while playing around 16 minutes a night. Those aren't elite numbers. But he is a project with a massive ceiling. He won't break the bank either.
Getting a guy like Iorio at an $814,167 cap hit is a total steal. It gives Drury some much-needed breathing room. The front office is already dealing with the Artemi Panarin headache. The star winger is being held out of the lineup for ‘roster management.’
Rangers grab a massive bargain for the stretch run
Everyone knows Panarin is on the move. The Rangers are clearing the decks and looking for fresh blood. Iorio won't be a healthy scratch in New York for long. He is too big and too mobile to sit in the press box while Fox is out.
Expect him to challenge for a spot on the bottom pair immediately. He has got the reach to kill penalties and the grit to clear the porch. The Sharks are struggling and couldn't find a permanent spot for him. Their loss is New York''s gain.
The Rangers' scouts clearly saw something the Sharks didn't. Or maybe San Jose just got lazy with their roster management. Either way, the Sharks lose a promising 23-year-old for nothing. That is a tough pill for Mike Grier to swallow.
The Rangers just got younger, bigger, and cheaper in one move. Drury is playing the long game here. He is betting on Iorio's size and championship experience to stabilize a shaky defense corps. It is the kind of low-risk, high-reward move that keeps GMs employed.
Will Iorio finally live up to his second-round pedigree in the Big Apple? He has got the tools to be a mainstay for years if he can find his footing. For now, he is a much-needed reinforcement for a team under heavy fire.
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