The New York Rangers made a move! But before fans get too excited, it’s not the roster-changing, coaching-staff altering one you hoped for.
It seems like the New York Rangers may finally be ready to give up on their unorthodox deployment of seven defensemen and 11 forwards. The team announced that it has recalled forward Cristoval “Boo” Nieves from Hartford.
Nieves was the Rangers second-round pick in 2012, and made one appearance with the big club last season, going 3-of-10 on faceoffs and blocking one shot in 11:44 of ice time.
Nieves played four years of college hockey at the University of Michigan, putting up a 10-21-31 line in his senior year.
He spent last season with the Wolf Pack (beyond the one-game cameo with the Rangers), where he went 6-12-18 in 40 games. This season he’s gone 2-1-3 in seven games with the Wolf Pack.
Nieves is expected to slot in and fill the fourth-line center role. He has a chance to show that he’s ready to stick in the NHL, as it’s clear that coach Alain Vigneault hasn’t decided on his full forward group yet.