Still, it is noteworthy for a few reasons. The Rangers announced a new contract for Iorio. They claimed the former Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks defender on waivers last season. He appeared in just six games for the Rangers, wrapping up an inauspicious season that saw him bounce from Washington to San Jose to New York.
A Rangers Training Camp Battle Neither Could Win
Iorio will likely go head-to-head with fellow right-handed defenseman Scott Morrow. The two appear to have signed identical, one-year contracts worth $850,000. The minor-league salary for both players is listed at $125,000, according to PuckPedia.Two players, similar roles, similar styles, identical contracts and only one (at best) spot available. The Rangers will need a seventh defenseman. Short of Morrow or Iorio blowing the coaching staff out of the water in training camp, both players are competing for that slot. The Rangers already have three NHL-caliber right-handed defensemen. Admittedly, it’s plausible the Ranger strade Braden Schneider before the season. That would give a very different meaning to this Rangers training camp battle.
For now, the Rangers’ most likely competition for a starting spot is on the left side. As a result, Matthew Robertson, Drew Fortescue, Urho Vaakanainen and highly touted 18-year-old Alberts Smits should compete for the job. Again, it’s plausible that Morrow or Iorio could move to the left side if either has a really strong camp, but that’s probably not where the betting money lies.
Instead, it’s more likely that the two are competing for one spot: the seventh defense spot. That competition would likely also include Robertson and Vaakanainen.
An Intriguing Seventh Defenseman Competition? Really?
The most intriguing element of the pending Rangers training camp battle is Morrow. The Rangers made Morrow a critical component of what’s been a mixed-bag blockbuster in dealing K’Andre Miller. As a result, the Rangers were able to utilize the first-round pick as part of that trade to acquire Pavel Dorofeyev this summer. The Rangers used the second-round pick to acquire defenseman Ben McBeath, which generally drew positive feedback.However, Morrow was the only player acquired in the deal. to be competitive with the presence of Adam Fox. The Rangers organization made it clear this summer that they have no interest in a repeat of the past two seasons.
Plus, owner James Dolan reportedly is a big fan of Drury’s. It’s not clear what it would take for Dolan to consider a leadership change. His GM has .
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