The Rangers have retained one of their more intriguing young restricted free agent defensemen, re-signing Matthew Robertson to a one-year two-way contract.
Robertson has been in the organization since being drafted with the 49th overall pick (Round 2) in 2019 and he is still looking to crack the NHL level, which he may have a chance to do this season.
The 23-year-old will likely compete in training camp and preseason with veteran Chad Ruhwedel, who also re-signed on a one-year deal last week, for the spot as the team’s seventh defenseman.
If he is able to crack the Blueshirts’ roster, Robertson is set to make the league minimum this season as part of his new contract, according to numerous reports.
The youngster finished second in games played (68), third in assists (17) and points (21), tied for third in goals (four), and first in shots on goal (131) last season with AHL Hartford.
Robertson is a strong puck-carrying defenseman, but he has struggled in his own zone at times as he’s begun his pro career, recording a -7 over worse in each of his three seasons with the Wolf Pack.
Still, the Rangers decided to keep him around as depth, and he’ll look to make the most of this opportunity before hitting free agency again next offseason.
