The New York Rangers are certainly working hard to improve their organizational depth, and have inked another European free agent. Ville Meskanen has agreed to terms with the club, on what will be a two-year entry-level contract.
After bringing in Michael Lindqvist yesterday, the Rangers have once again signed a skilled forward that could be ready for an NHL role in short order. Meskanen broke out this season in Finland scoring 44 points in 48 games at the country’s highest level, finishing third in the entire league with 24 goals. He’s a talented offensive player, capable of scoring on every shot he takes and can find open ice regularly.
Though there is no guarantee that Lindqvist or Meskanen will make the NHL, the Rangers seem focused on adding talent wherever they can get it. After trading away big parts of their team over the last calendar year, they’ve started a rebuild that could be shorter than many believe. Using their vast financial assets to add lottery tickets like these European free agents is an easy way to try and find more talent, and comes with relatively no risk.
The only thing the Rangers will have to worry about is contract slots, as no team is allowed to carry more than 50 at one time. They currently have 37 signed for next season, but still have 12 restricted free agents in the organization. While some of those may not be qualified, the team is getting close to the limit and will have to carefully choose who to award contracts to, and when to do it.