With Arnott Deal Off, Scoring Help Still Needed
Arnott was the second-leading scorer from last season available as a free agent, but it appears he has not recovered from off-season knee surgery to the Rangers’ satisfaction.
“He couldn’t pass a medical, so we’ll move on, that’s all I can tell you,” Rangers General Manager Glen Sather told reporters at practice. He added that “it’s always necessary to look around” and that he would continue to do so.
The top-scoring free-agent forward remaining is Petr Sykora, 36, who scored 21 goals for the Devils last season. But he is not considered a good fit for a Tortorella team.
The No. 3 scorer is Andrew Brunette, 39, who had 12 goals for the Chicago Blackhawks last season and is a garbage-goal specialist. He is a Tortorella-type grinder, but he said earlier this month he might retire.
That leaves the No. 4 free-agent scorer as the most likely target for the Rangers: Daymond Langkow, who scored 11 goals for the Phoenix Coyotes last season. Langkow, 36, is small at 5 feet 10 inches, but he has 672 points in 1,090 career N.H.L. games.