It appears the Ryan Malone experiment is over. With the Rangers needing to call up defensemen from Hartford to fill out their defense, 34 year old Malone has been placed on waivers with the intention of demoting him to Hartford if he clears. Malone has indicated he will report if he clears.

The idea of Malone was better than the real thing. Malone should have brought a combination of size, a physical edge, a scoring touch and a much needed net presence but it has been clear from the beginning of the year Alain Vigneault didn’t see him as a fit. He rarely got the ice time even when the Rangers were losing physical battles all over the ice and they were struggling to establish pressure in front of opposing goalies.

If Malone clears waivers it’s possible – if he plays hard in Hartford – that he could make it back to New York as he still has tools the Rangers lack but a return to New York for Ryan Malone seems unlikely at this stage. Whether Malone clears waivers won’t be known until Monday at noon.

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