The Rangers add bottom-six forward depth in Tyler Motte. Motte was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks Monday afternoon in exchange for a 4th round pick in 2023.
Motte could be one of those sneaky additions that pay dividends down the line. He’s an aggressive forechecker who should thrive in the dump and chase system that head coach Gerard Gallant deploys. He may not put up many points, but he’ll be in the right position and continually force turnovers. With the addition of Andrew Copp, Justin Braun, and now Motte on Monday, the Rangers added three extremely capable penalty killers.
Where he’ll fit into the lineup is an intriguing question that might take all 19 remaining games to answer. The Rangers addressed their biggest weakness Monday by solidifying their 3rd line. Whether he plays on the 3rd or 4th line, Motte should etch his name into the lineup because there is no one on this current Rangers roster that can do what he does. For a dump and chase team, they lack the speed and tenacity on the forecheck that Motte brings to the table. Expect him to grind out shifts and become one of those workman-like fan favorites.
The Rangers now have a logjam in the bottom six that will only get worse once Kaapo Kakko returns from injury. Head Coach Gerard Gallant almost has too many players to choose from. It will be extremely interesting to see how he deploys his new toys down the stretch.
