Rangers re-sign Potter, Pre-season announced

July 14, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Earlier today, the Rangers came to terms with defenseman Corey Potter. The 25 year-old Lansing, Michigan native re-signed for a year a shade under 600 K.

The former 2003 third round pick should be expected to compete for a starting position on the blueline along with prospects Matt Gilroy, Mike Sauer, Michael Del Zotto, Bobby Sanguinetti, Ilkka Heikkinen, Tomas Kundratek and Ryan McDonagh.

In his first full season with Hartford, Potter excelled posting career highs in games (80), assists (27), points (32), penalty minutes (102) and plus/minus (33). Not only did he perform well for the Wolf Pack but in a brief five-game stint with the Rangers, he didn’t look out of place registering his first NHL goal and assist while going minus-one.

Based on experience, he deserves more than a look on our D. I’d say the fifth, sixth and seventh spots should be between Potter, Sauer and Gilroy with competition coming from Heikkinen and Sanguinetti.

Given how stacked they are and the recent trend, I have my doubts as to whether they’ll give Potter- a steady puckmoving defenseman who was part of the 2003 WJC USA gold medal team- a real opportunity. In asssessing his play, he wasn’t that different from another teammate who has went onto a nice career with Chicago and Anaheim in James Wisniewski. Will he get the chance to show what he can do here or become the latest prospect to get the shaft? We’ll have to wait and see.

Potter wasn’t the only player signed. Yesterday, the Blueshirts signed goalie Chad Johnson, who they acquired from the Pens at the Draft. He’ll likely be Hartford bound.

Pre-season schedule released: Also today, the pre-season schedule was announced. The Blueshirts will play seven exhibition games beginning September 15 versus Boston in one of three played at Madison Square Garden.

Unlike last year’s congested sched due to starting the season in the Czech Republic with games against Bern in Switzlerland prior to a successful home-and-home sweep of the Lightning, the Rangers won’t be traveling as much. They’ll meet the Bruins, Red Wings and Caps twice splitting home and road while also paying a visit to Newark against the Devils on Sept.16.

Four of the first five will be played in a five-day span between 9/15 and 9/19 starting at home with the Bruins before concluding in Beantown. Here’s the complete sched:

Tue, 9/15  Boston, 7 ET

Wed, 9/16 @ New Jersey, 7 ET

Fri, 9/18 @ Detroit, 7:30 ET

Sat, 9/19 @ Boston, 4 ET

Mon, 9/21 Detroit, 7 ET

Thu, 9/24 Washington, 7 ET

Sun, 9/27 @ Washington, 12 ET