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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matthew Robertson returning to Rangers after signing 2-year contract
For the second time this week, the New York Rangers re-signed one of their own restricted free agents, when they agreed to terms with defenseman Matthew Robertson on Friday. Two days earlier, popular forward Matt Rempe re-upped on a two-year, $1.95 million deal. Robertson also landed a two-year deal. Though the Rangers didn't disclose financial terms, it's been reported that the first-year is a two-way deal and the second is one-way at the League minimum. Robertson will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when this contract expires in 2027. A year ago at this time, Robertson was sweating out whether he'd even receive a qualifying offer from the Rangers after he played three seasons with Hartford of the American Hockey League and not a single game in the NHL. The 2019 second-round pick did receive a one-year contract last summer, despite the disappointing start to his professional career. Advertisement The Rangers were rewarded for showing faith in Robertson when he put together a solid season at Hartford this past season. The 24-year-old led Wolf Pack defensemen with 23 assists and 24 points, each a career high, and was promoted to the Rangers at the end of the regular season. Robertson was placed on the top pair alongside Adam Fox for season-ending wins against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning and nearly scored a goal on his first NHL shift down in South Florida. He and Fox logged 30:43 TOI together in those two games and were on ice for three Rangers goals and one for the opposition, though their expected goals share was 34.42 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. At worst, Robertson provides organizational depth at the defense position. At best, the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder is in the mix this season for a spot on the left side, especially if the Rangers move on from disgruntled restricted free agent Zac Jones. Advertisement Related: Why Rangers 'are going to get better with David Quinn coaching the defense': Pierre McGuire tells Forever Blueshirts Rangers still need to sign, make decisions on several RFAs, including K'Andre Miller Danny Wild-Imagn Images The Rangers have now re-signed three of their RFAs this offseason — Robertson, Rempe, and forward Juuso Parssinen — each to two-year contracts. These signings haven't impacted New York's salary cap much at all, but remain important pieces of business in filling out the NHL roster. The Rangers have roughly $13.95 million in cap space this offseason, thanks in part to saving $6.5 million annually by trading Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks last week. Advertisement Rumors are swirling that the Rangers may trade K'Andre Miller, an RFA with arbitration rights. That could impact Robertson since Miller is a staple on the left side of the Rangers defense, though one would imagine New York would bring in a top-four left-shot defender if the 25-year-old is shipped out. Other restricted free agents due new deals are forward Will Cuylle, who's coming off a 20-goal season, towering forward Adam Edstrom, forward Arthur Kaliyev, and Jones. Goalie Dylan Garand and forwards Brendan Brisson, Jake Leschyshyn and Lucas Edmonds are notable RFAs who played last season with Hartford. Related Headlines
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Rangers hoping for Brennan Othmann breakthrough next season
A year ago at this time, Brennan Othmann was talking up his leadership role at the annual New York Rangers development camp for prospects. Now, for the first time in five years, Othmann is not a part of the prospects camp, which began Monday and includes on-ice sessions Tuesday and Wednesday. That doesn't mean Othmann is no longer a top Rangers prospect. He is. But the 22-year-old is about to head into his third professional season, and will contend for a spot on the opening-night roster. So, Othmann basically graduated out from dev camp, with his complete focus on training camp this fall. Advertisement The No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft has a big opportunity in front of him. At worst, there appear to be open spots on the third line for him to snag. At best, a really strong camp could push him into contention for a top-six role in the forward group. Of course, no one knows how the roster may change between now and then. General manager Chris Drury is reportedly seeking to make some trades to shake things up, plus NHL free agency begins July 1. But there's definitely a feeling that Othmann, who was among the final cuts last year, will get every chance to land a roster spot this fall. Related: Intriguing prospects to watch at Rangers development camp, including Malcolm Spence H2 Advertisement Despite failing to make the team out of training camp, Othmann did play 22 games with the Rangers last season. It likely would've been more, but Othmann sustained an upper-body injury in October with Hartford of the American Hockey League that sidelined him more than two months. Had he been healthy, Othmann, who started fast with five points (two goals, three assists) in three AHL games before the Oct. 19 injury, would've been in line for a recall when Filip Chytil was injured in November and the Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko in December. The Rangers called him up in late February after he totaled 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) in 27 games with Hartford. Othmann spent most of his time in a bottom-six role, with limited ice time, and was scratched three times with the Rangers desperately trying (and ultimately failing) to secure a postseason playoff berth. Othmann was at his best when moved into the top six alongside Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. That line outscored opponents 6-1 and held a 15-4 advantage in high-danger chances in 65:34 of ice time, per Natural Stat Trick. Advertisement Though he came close several times, Othmann didn't score a goal with the Rangers last season and is still searching for his first NHL tally after 25 games over two seasons. He did have two assists and was plus-7, averaging 9:58 TOI. One constant was his willingness to play an effective physical game. He's tenacious on the forecheck and drives hard to the net, elements the Rangers desperately lack in their lineup. While those are valuable traits, Othmann is best known for his prolific scoring. In 2021-22, he scored 50 goals in 66 OHL games with the Flint Firebirds. In his first pro season with Hartford, he tied for fourth among all AHL rookies with 49 points, and was second on the Wolf Pack with 21 goals. Now entering his third season in the pros, Othmann knows he must produce offensively to stay in the NHL 'I was still pretty upset that I wasn't able to do more offensively,' Othmann said at breakup day. 'That's the goal going into the summertime. I know I can do more offensively. The organization knows I can do more offensively. It's just an opportunity that I'm hoping to be able to get next year. This year was just an opportunity to come in and be noticeable and work hard, not so much worry about the points.' Advertisement Othmann remains confident confident he has the skills to score regularly in the NHL. 'I've produced at every level that I can possibly produce at,' he explained. 'I've produced in the OHL, I've produced in Switzerland, in the American League, so I'm not too worried about the production. I'm just gonna go into the summer with a clear mind, being healthy, work out, get stronger, and come back ready to go in September.' Brennan Othman faces bootom-6 competition on Rangers roster Robert Edwards-Imagn Images The likely top-six will include J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, Panarin, Trocheck, and restricted free agent Will Cuylle, once he re-signs. The Rangers already re-signed Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom to identical two-year contracts this summer. The towering wings are expected to start the season on the fourth line, flanking center Sam Carrick. Advertisement Returning bottom-six players from last season include Brett Berard, Gabe Perreault, Jonny Brodzinski, Juuso Parssinen, and Othmann. Restricted free agent Arthur Kaliyev remains unsigned. Drury may look to add a more proven third-line center and/or more straight-ahead grit on the wings. Still, with approximately $12.2 million in available salary cap space, young, affordable, internal candidates like Othmann are hold great value and could help fill out the roster. Berard led all Rangers rookies last season with six goals and 10 points in 35 games. The 2020 fifth-round pick fits the north-south style of play that the Rangers strive for this season. Perreault burned a year of his entry-level deal to jump straight to the NHL, appearing in five games after leaving Boston College. He could start in the AHL to gain more experience and playing time before returning to the Rangers. But, like Othmann, the 2023 first-rounder will get a long look in training camp, trying ti impress new coach Mike Sullivan. 'It's just a new face, new eyes looking at you. Whoever it is may not know who I am or know my game or anything like that,' Othmann explained. 'All I have to do is just impress them and be noticeable. And that's just the thing I thought I've been doing since I came up here — be noticeable and take each day by the horns.' Advertisement Related Headlines
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Rangers reach two-year contract extension with Adam Edstrom
Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers. tRY IT NOW The Rangers signed Adam Edström to a two-year extension on Monday, the team announced. Carrying an average annual value of $975,000, the contract is valued and structured the same way as the one Edström's usual linemate, Matt Rempe, signed last week. Advertisement The two deals took care of a couple of key pending restricted free agents relatively early in the offseason, with Will Cuylle, Zac Jones and K'Andre Miller all still in need of new deals. Edström's first season making the team out of training camp was derailed by a lower-body injury that sidelined him for the final 31 games of the 2024-25 campaign. The undisclosed injury, which occurred Feb. 1 in Boston, required surgery. After managing to get back on the ice before the Rangers' season ended in April, Edström expects to be a full go at training camp. The Rangers signed Adam Edstrom to a two-year contract extension on Monday. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST Advertisement 'It took some time,' Edström said of his injury during the Rangers' break-up day. 'But the help I've gotten here, it's been great. The more time went on, kind of shifted my focus into getting ready for next season and coming back in great shape.' The 6-foot-7 forward was just starting to hit his stride at the NHL level when he sustained his season-ending injury. After appearing in just two games during the 2023-24 season, Edström earned his spot in the opening night lineup and firmly held onto it until the injury. Advertisement He primarily skated on the fourth line, but also earned a handful of looks on the wing of the third unit. Adam Edstrom Robert Sabo for NY Post In 51 games, Edström posted five goals, including two game-winners, and four assists while averaging 9:16 of ice time per game. His line with Rempe and Sam Carrick put up strong numbers during five-on-five play, outscoring opponents 4-0 and outchancing them 31-28 in their 76:55 of ice time together, according to Natural Stat Trick. Advertisement 'It's tough,' the Swede said. 'I felt like we really got going there at the end, me, Remps and Carrick. We found something really good. It's always tough to miss time, but it's one of those things that happens. It's part of the sport, but I'm excited to come back strong.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Goalie change sparks Oilers epic 5-4 OT win in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final vs. Panthers: takeaways
Leon Draisaitl capped a historic comeback by the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, when he scored a fortuitous goal at 11:18 of overtime to lift the visitors to a thrilling 5-4 victory The Oilers evened the best-of-7 series 2-2 after rallying from an early 3-0 deficit, the first time in Stanley Cup Final history that a team won when trailing by three goals in the first period. Speaking of history, Draisaitl became the first player ever to score four overtime goals in one postseason. It was also his second OT winner of this series, after he also scored in overtime in the Game 1 victory. Advertisement Draisaitl led the NHL with 52 goals this season and now has 11 in the playoffs. He likely didn't score many like this, when he chipped a shot/pass into the low slot off the rush, only to have it hit Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola, who was on the seat of his pants sliding on the ice. The puck deflected off Mikkola and between Sergei Bobrovsky's pads to cap the Oilers epic comeback. Draisaitl (one goal, two assists) finished with three points, as did Florida's Matthew Tkachuk (two goals, one assist) and Sam Reinhart (one goal, two assists). Calvin Pickard came off the Oilers bench to start the second period and stopped 22 of 23 shots in relief of starter Stuart Skinner to backstop the win. Advertisement It was Reinhart's goal with 19.5 seconds remaining in regulation and Bobrovsky on the bench for the sixth attacker that temporarily saved Florida and forced overtime after it had blown a 3-0 lead and allowed Edmonton to score four straight. The fourth of those Edmonton goals came at 13:36 of the third period when defenseman Jake Walman hammered a slap shot inside the right post The teams took turns dominating the first two periods. It was all Panthers in the opening 20 minutes, with the Oilers flipping the script the next 20. The third period was played on more even terms. Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on a pair of power-play goals by Tkachuk at 11:40 and 16:56, his first two scores of any kind in the series. Then Anton Lundell skated right down the middle of the ice to bury a Carter Verhaeghe pass at 19:18 to make it 3-0 and put an exclamation point on a near perfect first period for the Panthers. Advertisement They out-shot the Oilers 17-7, out-attempted them 34-15 and had a 22-5 advantage in scoring chances in all situations, including a whopping 13-2 of the high-danger variety. At 5v5, the Panthers had an expected goals share of 77.78 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. Simply, the Panthers picked up where they left off from their 6-1 win in Game 3 and thoroughly dominated the Oilers in the opening period Thursday. Skinner, who made a series of outstanding saves when the Oilers were out-shot 10-1 in the opening 7:38, was pulled for the second straight game, this time after allowing three goals on 17 shots over 20 minutes. Perhaps, inserting Pickard changed their mojo because the Oilers were a different team in the second period. They out-scored their hosts 3-0, out-shot the Panthers 17-10, and had a 16-5 advantage in scoring chances (13-3 in high-danger opportunities). Edmonton's expected goal share in the second period was 72.73 percent. Advertisement Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wired a power-play goal past Bobrovsky at 3:33 to start the Oilers comeback. It was his first goal in the past seven postseason games, and Darnell Nurse followed it up when he beat Bobrovsky over the shoulder short side with a snipe from the bottom of the left circle. Bobrovsky made two huge in the next couple of minutes to keep the score 3-2. He exploded across his crease to deny Draisaitl at 13:57, then robbed Connor McDavid with a sprawling right-pad save after the Oilers captain split the Florida defense and broke in at 14:36. The Oilers tied the game shortly thereafter. Vasily Podkolzin flipped a backhand shot from the slot past a screened Bobrovsky at 15:05 to make it 3-3. Advertisement Edmonton took its first lead thanks to a Florida turnover in its own end late in the third period. Nugent-Hopkins helped force the giveaway, and Kasperi Kapanen fed a wide-open Walman on right wing for the go-ahead goal. But in the final seconds, Verhaeghe won a puck battle along the wall to start the scoring play that tied the game again. The sequence ended with Tkachuk and Reinhart playing pitch and catch before Reinhart was able to score from a bad left-wing angle, with Pickard pulled out of position. Related: NHL Games Today: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Schedule, Dates, Times, and Results 3 takeaways after Oilers rally for 5-4 OT win over Panthers in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final 1. Turning point easy to 'Pick' It wasn't a coincidence that Game 4 took a decided sharp turn in the other direction after Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch inserted Pickard to start the second period after his team was pretty much run out of Amerant Bank Arena in the opening 20 minutes. It's not even so much that Skinner was bad, as previously pointed out, the Oilers starter made a string of Grade A stops to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes. But the Oilers needed a fresh start in the second period and putting Pickard in goal did just that. It was the clear turning point in the game. The 33-year-old, who was 6-0 earlier in these playoffs before he was injured, offered the Oilers a calming presence in net, and his teammates certainly played a helluva lot better, too. It was a winning combination again for the Oilers. They scored five of the last six goals in this game, with Pickard beaten only off that last-second scramble in regulation. Advertisement Pickard saved his best for last. He got his glove on Sam Bennett's blast 6:51 into overtime, and deflected the puck off the crossbar. A minute later, Pickard denied Eetu Luostarinen's rising snap shot for another clutch save. A little more than three minutes later, Pickard was being mobbed by his teammates, with Skinner giving him the longest hug. 2. Comeback kings Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Oilers are the comeback kings of these playoffs. They are an incredible 5-5 in 10 games when trailing after two periods, and have eight comeback victories total. They trailed 3-2 in the third period of Game 1 against the Panthers before tying it and then winning in OT. Edmonton is now 5-1 in six overtime games this postseason, the only loss coming in Game 2, a double-OT heartbreaker. Advertisement None of their comebacks match this one, though, considering the Oilers are just the seventh NHL team ever to rally from three goals down at any point and win a Stanley Cup Final game. They're also the first road team to do so since 1919. Also Read:: NHL rumors: Insider sheds light on Sam Bennett's future with Florida Panthers ahead of NHL free agency 3. Deja pew This loss was eerily similar — though worse — than the Panthers' Game 1 defeat, when they blew a 3-1 second-period lead. Uncharacteristic turnovers, like on the Walman goal, and defensive breakdowns pockmarked each of their two losses in this series. The Panthers are 12-2 when leading after two periods in these playoffs; but they're only 2-2 in such a situation against the Oilers in the Final. Advertisement We've seen how the Panthers are able to dust themselves off and get right back to work before — evidenced recently by their wins in Games 2 and 3 after that tough-to-swallow loss in the opener. Let's see how they fare in Game 5, though, when the Panthers will be back in hostile Edmonton on Saturday after flying 2,500 miles on the lone day off between games and having played three overtime games already in the series. Related Headlines
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Goalie change sparks Oilers epic 5-4 OT win in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final vs. Panthers: takeaways
Leon Draisaitl capped a historic comeback by the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, when he scored a fortuitous goal at 11:18 of overtime to lift the visitors to a thrilling 5-4 victory The Oilers evened the best-of-7 series 2-2 after rallying from an early 3-0 deficit, the first time in Stanley Cup Final history that a team won when trailing by three goals in the first period. Speaking of history, Draisaitl became the first player ever to score four overtime goals in one postseason. It was also his second OT winner of this series, after he also scored in overtime in the Game 1 victory. Advertisement Draisaitl led the NHL with 52 goals this season and now has 11 in the playoffs. He likely didn't score many like this, when he chipped a shot/pass into the low slot off the rush, only to have it hit Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola, who was on the seat of his pants sliding on the ice. The puck deflected off Mikkola and between Sergei Bobrovsky's pads to cap the Oilers epic comeback. Draisaitl (one goal, two assists) finished with three points, as did Florida's Matthew Tkachuk (two goals, one assist) and Sam Reinhart (one goal, two assists). Calvin Pickard came off the Oilers bench to start the second period and stopped 22 of 23 shots in relief of starter Stuart Skinner to backstop the win. Advertisement It was Reinhart's goal with 19.5 seconds remaining in regulation and Bobrovsky on the bench for the sixth attacker that temporarily saved Florida and forced overtime after it had blown a 3-0 lead and allowed Edmonton to score four straight. The fourth of those Edmonton goals came at 13:36 of the third period when defenseman Jake Walman hammered a slap shot inside the right post The teams took turns dominating the first two periods. It was all Panthers in the opening 20 minutes, with the Oilers flipping the script the next 20. The third period was played on more even terms. Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on a pair of power-play goals by Tkachuk at 11:40 and 16:56, his first two scores of any kind in the series. Then Anton Lundell skated right down the middle of the ice to bury a Carter Verhaeghe pass at 19:18 to make it 3-0 and put an exclamation point on a near perfect first period for the Panthers. Advertisement They out-shot the Oilers 17-7, out-attempted them 34-15 and had a 22-5 advantage in scoring chances in all situations, including a whopping 13-2 of the high-danger variety. At 5v5, the Panthers had an expected goals share of 77.78 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. Simply, the Panthers picked up where they left off from their 6-1 win in Game 3 and thoroughly dominated the Oilers in the opening period Thursday. Skinner, who made a series of outstanding saves when the Oilers were out-shot 10-1 in the opening 7:38, was pulled for the second straight game, this time after allowing three goals on 17 shots over 20 minutes. Perhaps, inserting Pickard changed their mojo because the Oilers were a different team in the second period. They out-scored their hosts 3-0, out-shot the Panthers 17-10, and had a 16-5 advantage in scoring chances (13-3 in high-danger opportunities). Edmonton's expected goal share in the second period was 72.73 percent. Advertisement Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wired a power-play goal past Bobrovsky at 3:33 to start the Oilers comeback. It was his first goal in the past seven postseason games, and Darnell Nurse followed it up when he beat Bobrovsky over the shoulder short side with a snipe from the bottom of the left circle. Bobrovsky made two huge in the next couple of minutes to keep the score 3-2. He exploded across his crease to deny Draisaitl at 13:57, then robbed Connor McDavid with a sprawling right-pad save after the Oilers captain split the Florida defense and broke in at 14:36. The Oilers tied the game shortly thereafter. Vasily Podkolzin flipped a backhand shot from the slot past a screened Bobrovsky at 15:05 to make it 3-3. Advertisement Edmonton took its first lead thanks to a Florida turnover in its own end late in the third period. Nugent-Hopkins helped force the giveaway, and Kasperi Kapanen fed a wide-open Walman on right wing for the go-ahead goal. But in the final seconds, Verhaeghe won a puck battle along the wall to start the scoring play that tied the game again. The sequence ended with Tkachuk and Reinhart playing pitch and catch before Reinhart was able to score from a bad left-wing angle, with Pickard pulled out of position. Related: NHL Games Today: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Schedule, Dates, Times, and Results 3 takeaways after Oilers rally for 5-4 OT win over Panthers in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final 1. Turning point easy to 'Pick' It wasn't a coincidence that Game 4 took a decided sharp turn in the other direction after Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch inserted Pickard to start the second period after his team was pretty much run out of Amerant Bank Arena in the opening 20 minutes. It's not even so much that Skinner was bad, as previously pointed out, the Oilers starter made a string of Grade A stops to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes. But the Oilers needed a fresh start in the second period and putting Pickard in goal did just that. It was the clear turning point in the game. The 33-year-old, who was 6-0 earlier in these playoffs before he was injured, offered the Oilers a calming presence in net, and his teammates certainly played a helluva lot better, too. It was a winning combination again for the Oilers. They scored five of the last six goals in this game, with Pickard beaten only off that last-second scramble in regulation. Advertisement Pickard saved his best for last. He got his glove on Sam Bennett's blast 6:51 into overtime, and deflected the puck off the crossbar. A minute later, Pickard denied Eetu Luostarinen's rising snap shot for another clutch save. A little more than three minutes later, Pickard was being mobbed by his teammates, with Skinner giving him the longest hug. 2. Comeback kings Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Oilers are the comeback kings of these playoffs. They are an incredible 5-5 in 10 games when trailing after two periods, and have eight comeback victories total. They trailed 3-2 in the third period of Game 1 against the Panthers before tying it and then winning in OT. Edmonton is now 5-1 in six overtime games this postseason, the only loss coming in Game 2, a double-OT heartbreaker. Advertisement None of their comebacks match this one, though, considering the Oilers are just the seventh NHL team ever to rally from three goals down at any point and win a Stanley Cup Final game. They're also the first road team to do so since 1919. Also Read:: NHL rumors: Insider sheds light on Sam Bennett's future with Florida Panthers ahead of NHL free agency 3. Deja pew This loss was eerily similar — though worse — than the Panthers' Game 1 defeat, when they blew a 3-1 second-period lead. Uncharacteristic turnovers, like on the Walman goal, and defensive breakdowns pockmarked each of their two losses in this series. The Panthers are 12-2 when leading after two periods in these playoffs; but they're only 2-2 in such a situation against the Oilers in the Final. Advertisement We've seen how the Panthers are able to dust themselves off and get right back to work before — evidenced recently by their wins in Games 2 and 3 after that tough-to-swallow loss in the opener. Let's see how they fare in Game 5, though, when the Panthers will be back in hostile Edmonton on Saturday after flying 2,500 miles on the lone day off between games and having played three overtime games already in the series. Related Headlines
