Per CapFriendly, the NY Rangers have let Leevi Aaltonen’s (5th, 2019)signing rights expire. The Rangers had until 5pm yesterday to sign him and Jayden Grubbe (3rd, 2021), or else they would become free agents. Grubbe was traded to Edmonton for a 2023 5th round pick. Aaltonen will stay in Finland, most likely.
MUST SIGN BY – June 1, 2023 @ 5pm ET
Reminder that today at 5pm ET is the deadline for clubs to sign the following drafted players on their reserve lists to entry level contracts, otherwise they will lose their exclusive signing rights window.
https://t.co/nXfmDT1fO4 pic.twitter.com/rQfep5MbVJ
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) June 1, 2023
We covered how Grubbe was a bad pick at that spot. Aaltonen was a solid value pick, and was considered by some to be one of the best skaters in the draft. The Rangers banked on that tool being enough to help develop the rest of his skill set, but it just didn’t pan out. Aaltonen was a high ceiling skill player pick, which is what you want in this mid rounds. Most don’t hit, and Aaltonen clearly didn’t.
Good process, somewhat expected result.
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