Rangers Bolster Wolf Pack Roster For Postseason Push

HARTFORD, CT - The push to secure a spot for the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs is on in Connecticut's Capitol city.

The Rangers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate is aiming to snap their lengthy playoff drought as Wolf Pack fans and the area have not witnessed playoff hockey since the magical 2014-15 season, which Hartford fell short in the deep run as they were swept by the Manchester Monarchs (now Ontario Reign) in the Eastern Conference Final.

The excitement and buzz around the Wolf Pack is real, considering the strong second half push from the group in addition to strong attendance figures throughout the 2022-23 season. Regardless of which aspect of the franchise you discuss, there is optimism from all around.

From the attendance standpoint, Hartford is expected to outdraw the last five seasons (excluding 2020-21 season as there were no fans) with nine home games remaining. Of the nine, six are prime weekend dates. The Wolf Pack have drawn 122,263 fans in 27 home games. The season average stands at 4,528. The front office has potential to match or surpass the 2014-15 average of 4,468 fans. The Wolf Pack have not drawn 5,000 and up since the 2010-11 season under the Wolf Pack and Connecticut Whale banner. There are plenty of reasons to be encouraged and excited for the remainder of the season.

Returning to the on ice product, February's slate of games was successful for the Wolf Pack as the club managed to have a winning month, compiling a 6-4 record in the 10 games. The Wolf Pack built themselves a point-streak heading into March, which ultimately ended on March 5 with a regulation loss to the Charlotte Checkers. The club had a six game point streak, securing five wins and the overtime point with a shootout loss to Springfield on March 4

Prior to the trade deadline for the National Hockey League (NHL) , the Wolf Pack had opportunity for roster improvements. From offense to defense, the team had struggles early on. Despite the slow start, the group found a spark in the second half of the season and pushed. As the team improved, the Rangers became active and examined the Wolf Pack roster to identify the deficiencies.

At the conclusion of the deadline, Hartford swapped six players.  Five of the six players were acquired by trade.

Jake Leschyshyn was assigned to Hartford resulting from the Rangers acquisition of Patrick Kane.

Players IN: Anton Blidh, Adam Clendening, Wyatt Kalynuk, Jake Leschyshyn, Will Lockwood & Cooper Zech

Players OUT: Zach Giuttari, Zach Jordan, Austin Rueschhoff, Gustav Rhydal, Andy Welinski & Alex Whelan

Let's dive in further on how the recent additions affect the roster.

Rangers Serious About Playoffs for AHL Affiliate

The players that left the organization for Hartford featured two veterans and depth pieces that were rotated in and out of the lineup.

First up is Gustav Rydahl. The 28-year-old was a two-way forward. In 40 games played, Rydahl recorded 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points. While his offense was spotty, the forward brought impact in both ends of the ice. He was also strong in the face-off circle.

However, Rydahl found himself in and out of the lineup throughout the year. Competition to play was fierce throughout the season with the abundance of forwards available. After struggling in the first half of the season, especially with offense, Rydahl improved in the second half of the season. In fact, he carried Hartford to a wild 6-4 win against Lehigh Valley where he recorded a hat-trick. That was not good enough for the Rangers management and the forward fell short in compelling the organization to have him remain with the Wolf Pack.

Andy Welinski, a 29-year old defenseman, was brought in to bolster Hartford’s blueline with offense and steady defense along with mentoring the young core. Despite having a good start to the season, Welinski tapered off as the season progressed. Similar to Rydahl’s situation, the veteran found himself in and out of the lineup as Hartford had numerous defenseman available. As a result, Welinski began to struggle further and was often out of place when playing, with numerous defensive mistakes and had become a noticeable concern from a coaching standpoint. Welinski needed a new scenery as he was not the right match in Hartford. In past seasons, Welinski proved to be a top tier defenseman in the AHL.

A former Rangers prospect, Austin Rueschhoff had size and body to be effective. The forward was in and out of the lineup and was a depth piece for Hartford. Despite his growth in the second half of the season last year, Rueschoff was having a quiet year this season. Again with competition, he was bumped out of the lineup as other players were given opportunities.

Alex Whelan and Zach Jordan were depth players for Hartford. Jordan played in one game with Hartford as he spent the season in the ECHL with Jacksonville. Whelan began the season in Jacksonville as well until a call up middle of the season. Add in an injury, Whelan was bumped out of the lineup. The Wolf Pack were looking for different player types that they did not have.

Zach Giuttari was the last player to be swapped out. Considering Hartford was carrying nine defenseman on the roster, there is a high chance players will not be playing nightly. Giuttari was a reliable defenseman for Hartford.

Unfortunately, he had to be moved as the Rangers brought in Libor Hajek from New York and the organization acquired Cooper Zech and Wyatt Kalynuk. Add in the addition of Adam Clendening, there was limited space for Giuttari.

The Wolf Pack sent the young player to Abbotsford where he will have an opportunity to play and enhance his development further.

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Now, looking at the new players, Hartford found themselves with additions to grit, depth, experience, and skill.

Anton Blidh replaces Rydahl in a veteran swap essentially. The 27-year-old veteran is known for his style of play, being physical and gritty. He is not afraid to become physical and be tough after whistles and in scrums. Hartford was lacking in these categories, where the club is unable to collect gritty goals or grind out offense.

Hartford’s offense relied heavily on quality shots and clean chances. As they saw before, some games take a different approach to collect two points. Blidh recorded a goal in his debut, and none the less, in a fashion where he popped in a goal off a rebound opportunity and pushed through, utilizing his body and get in the greasy areas.

Wyatt Kalynuk adds further toughness to the lineup and gives Hartford flexibility on the blueline. The 25-year-old defenseman is not afraid to become physical and give the club a further edge if needed. The Wolf Pack have options depending on the opponent and style they want to play. He is a good depth piece.

Adam Clendening replaces Welinski for experience and leadership of the young defensive core. The 30- year-old has an extensive resume with years of experience with limited playoff experience. However, he has experience in the NHL which helps the locker room. Clendening played for the Rangers in the 2016- 17 season and was known for being reliable. He continues to do so in the AHL with the teams he played for.

Hartford needed a defenseman who can come in and make an impact immediately.

Jake Leschyshyn and Will Lockwood gives Hartford a further push for offense. Both players have experience in the AHL and is able to make an impact in different aspects.

Leschyshyn brings in NHL experience and has proven to provide offense in the AHL level. The center is a well-rounded player who can make strong passing plays in addition to converting on opportunities. He will complement the current roster and can be utilized on the power play or penalty kill.

Lockwood gives the offense a further offensive pop. Prior to the trade, Locwkood recorded 12 goals in 26 games with Abbotsford. He has a knack of scoring and finding ways to convert on shots, rebound opportunities, deflections, and not give up on the play. The Wolf Pack needed diversity on offense on how they score.

Cooper Zech is another depth piece on defense. He has speed and adds in further skill to the lineup. I expect all the new additions to debut within the next week. Considering all these moves, the Rangers are throwing everything at their affiliate to be successful.

Wolf Pack Have Consistency

In February and the early indications in March has shown that Hartford is managing how they are playing. They are stringing together games with points with certain patterns. After not being consistent in the first half of the season, the club often find themselves outshooting opponents in majority of games. Add in quality chances, the offense can produce goals nightly and be engaged in all aspects.

The defense continues to improve and has seasoning. Add in Hajek, Clendening, and the fact of Jones remaining on the roster as he was protected from the deadline shows that the Rangers want more experience on the back end. The young players have will more guys to lean to in situations and in the locker room.

Goaltending continues to be the most consistent part of the season. Louis Domingue continues to impress. However, he does have slumps, but he bounces back. Domingue is 13-11-7 with 2 shutouts. He has a 2.62 goals against average and a .907 save percentage as we enter the early stages of March.

Rangers rookie Dylan Garand is having a superb year. It is impressive for his first year in the pros. Garand in recent weeks is heating up and has stood tall in games. The prospect is comfortable in net and continues to develop well and be mentored by Domingue. Garand is 11-10-3 with three shutouts. He has 2.91 goals against average and a .894 save percentage.

The turning point of the season was in December. That is when the Wolf Pack found consistency and began to roll. The group came far and overcome significant diversity.

Standings Outlook

The Wolf Pack continue to fight and battle for the last playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. As of March 7,  Hartford is 24-21-3-7 for 58 points. The Bridgeport Islanders and Hartford are neck and neck in the standings over the last month. The season series against Bridgeport is critical for Hartford to win, especially if both clubs are tied at the end of the season. Hartford is 3-5 against Bridgeport in the 12-game series. Four games remain between the clubs.

The Atlantic Division continues to be fierce and teams ranked fourth through eighth are close. If the Wolf Pack continue to push and have success collecting points, they could find themselves in a great spot. Their greatest enemy is Bridgeport, along with time.

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Under two dozen games remain on the docket. Now is the time for Hartford to get on another win or point-streak. A lengthy streak could go long ways and possibly see Hartford further upward in the standings. They have no cushion for error.

Having some cushion is necessary, especially with a busy schedule coming up. Hartford has shown to be a strong road-team as they completed a season long five-game road-trip. The club went 4-0-0-1 in that span. Another plus is that Hartford is home heavy in mid to late March. They must make good of that opportunity. The club has struggled at home and must find a way to get comfortable at home, like they are on the road.

The Outlook

March and April are make it or break it months. The time is now to see where Hartford ends up in the standings. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the roster. Hartford will not be touched for the remainder of the season until playoffs unless the Rangers use an emergency call up. Wolf Pack fans should be excited for the season finale and crowds for the final six of nine games.

Ready or not, the end of the season is approaching.

In the next article, we could be discussing about the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. If so, this will be an accomplishment. Stay tuned folks!