Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Travis Dermott just took a PTO with the New York Rangers pipeline, and the Hartford Wolf Pack suddenly got a real veteran option on the blue line.
Just moments ago, on Saturday evening, the Hartford Wolf Pack announced that have signed 29-year-old defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout agreement.
It’s a small headline, but it fits the moment. The Rangers are retooling, bodies are moving, and depth matters more than pride right now. Dermott was originally drafted in 2015, Round 2, by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He’s also a left-shot defender who has already lived the NHL grind, which is exactly the type teams stash in the AHL when the calendar gets messy.
UPDATE: The Hartford Wolf Pack have signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout agreement (PTO).
For the Wolf Pack, it’s cover. Injuries happen, call-ups happen, and a retool always creates weird nights where you need someone who can settle the puck.
Travis Dermott gives the New York Rangers a safety net
The cleanest read is this: Hartford wants to stay competitive while still developing kids, and a veteran defender can stop a game from turning into chaos.
Dermott can kill penalties, eat second-pair minutes in the AHL, and help younger partners survive tough matchups.
He also pushes internal competition. Nobody gets to coast when a guy with NHL games is sitting in your locker room. If he looks sharp, the Rangers can convert the tryout into a contract without overthinking it.
If he doesn’t, they walk away, no harm, no dead money, no roster logjam.
For a Rangers organization searching for stability, that kind of boring reliability has real value.
Previously on NY Hockey Insider
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Major development: New York Rangers organization signs 29-year-old defenseman to a Professional Tryout
Should the New York Rangers consider Travis Dermott for NHL games if he earns a contract?