The Rangers have re-signed RFA defenseman Stu Bickel to a one year, two-way contract. The deal will have Bickel earn $75,000 while in the AHL, and $600,000 if he makes the NHL club. Bickel, acquired in exchange for Nigel Williams last November, netted two goals and seven assists with the Whale last season in 54 games. He also had 135 PIMs. In the playoffs, Bickel had an assist and six PIMs in six games. Bickel will likely be with the Whale all year this year, barring significant injuries on the Rangers roster.
In a relatively minor trade, the Rangers have acquired defenseman Stu Bickel from Anaheim in exchange for defenseman Nigel Williams. Bickel, 24, is 6’4 and 218 lbs, and has played in six games with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch. In those six games, Bickel has put together a line of 0-3-3 with 14 PIMs. Bickel is a typical stay at home defenseman, who has a bit of a mean streak to him. Williams, 22, was initially acquired by the Rangers in exchange for Brian Fahey in the 2009 offseason, and had a line of 0-1-1 with a -3 rating on a terrible Hartford Wolfpack/Connecticut Whale team. Williams had been a locker room cancer, according to Laurie Carr. As per Jesse Rubenstein, Williams had been requesting a trade all year.
This move was made to strengthen the Hartford defense locker room, which has been abysmal an issue this season, by ridding themselves of a clubhouse cancer.
