Rangers return Victor Mancini to Hartford; recall Chad Ruhwedel

In a relatively expected move, the New York Rangers have returned defenseman Victor Mancini to Hartford. They have recalled defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to take his place as the team’s 7th defenseman. The move was expected, as the return of Ryan Lindgren, for better or for worse, has shifted Mancini to the bench. Given Zac Jones’ strong play, Mancini was the odd man out.

Mancini will get top pair minutes in Hartford and will likely be the first extended injury call up. Given Lindgren’s injury history, that may be sooner than we think. If the Rangers make a trade on the blue line, then Mancini would also be the first man up as a replacement.

The move also nets the Rangers a little under $100,000 in cap space, as Mancini’s contract had a larger cap hit than Ruhwedel.