Rangers sign Urho Vaakanainen to 2 year contract extension

Chris Drury isn’t done yet, as the Rangers sign Urho Vaakanainen to a two year contract extension with a $1.55 million cap hit. Vaakanainen, acquired in the Jacob Trouba trade, has been a steadying presence on the third pair, playing mostly with Braden Schneider this season. They struggled to start, but as the Rangers improved, so did they. Vaakanainen is simply steady and not overly flashy, something most teams want on their third pair.

In 30 games with the Rangers since the trade, Vaakanainen has put up a line of 2-7-9 while averaging about 15 minutes a night. The cap hit is solid for a depth defenseman like Vaakanainen and is easily manageable. It’s about as low risk as you can get with a contract like this.