Matthew Robertson will return to the New York Rangers organization for a fourth season in 2024-25 after agreeing to a one-year, two way contract that pays $775,000 at the NHL level.
The 23-year-old defenseman is still waiting to make his NHL debut. Selected in the second round (No. 49 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Robertson played the past three seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League.
Even with veteran Ben Harpur out injured, Robertson did not receive a call up when the Rangers needed a defenseman to fill in because of injury and/or suspension on their blue line. Connor Mackey, who has 40 games of NHL experience, was called up to play Jan. 27 against the Ottawa Senators and Brandon Scanlin made his NHL debut March 26 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
With Harpur healthy this season and Chad Ruhwedel back on a one-year contract, Robertson is ninth — at best — on the Rangers organizational depth chart for defensemen. Harpur played only seven games with the Wolf Pack last season after the 29-year-old had surgery for a torn pectoral muscle.
It’s the third day out of the past four the Rangers signed a defenseman. Ruhwedel, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year, two-way contract Friday. And Braden Schneider, a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, agreed to a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the Rangers on Saturday.
Rangers, Matthew Robertson agree to one-year contract
Robertson played in 68 games last season with Hartford, the most in his professional career and second most among Wolf Pack defensemen. He had 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) and led Wolf Pack defensemen with 131 shots on goal. He was also a minus-11, and had one assist in 10 Calder Cup playoff games.
The season prior, Robertson had 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 57 games with Hartford.
The 6-foot-4, 209-pound defenseman had 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 60 games with Edmonton in the Wester Hockey League in 2019-20 and averaged a point per game (four goals, 18 assists in 22 games) in 2020-21 with Edmonton.
The Rangers somewhat surprisingly extended a qualifying offer to Robertson this offseason. But there’s no question he needs to take a major step forward in his development under new coach Grant Potulny in Hartford next season.
