NY Rangers Defensemen Depth Could Be in Danger via Waivers

The New York Rangers could be at the mercy of the waiver process when it comes to their defensemen depth.

Jan 29, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Scott Morrow (60) attempts a shot against the New York Islanders during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the items on the New York Rangers’ offseason checklist was to improve their team defensively.

When Adam Fox went down with an injury, the blueline production crumbled. Replacing one of the NHL's best defensemen is no small task, but it did shed light on how much help the team needed at that position.

So, Chris Drury revamped the organizational depth chart. The No. 5 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft was used on Alberts Smits, a left-handed defenseman. He was one of five players selected in this year’s draft that is a left-handed shooting defensemen, restocking the pipeline.

A new second pairing was brought into town, with Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi being acquired in trades from the Vancouver Canucks and Utah Mammoth. Their addition pushes other players down the depth chart, which also creates some difficult decisions for the front office to make.

Rangers have reloaded defensemen depth chart

Apr 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi (50) shoots the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rangers' opening night lineup for defense looks pretty set. Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov are the No. 1 pairing, followed by Pettersson and Durzi. The No. 3 pairing can be Matthew Robertson and Braden Schneider until Smits proves ready for an NHL role. Urho Vaakanainen can also be an option as the No. 7 defenseman.

This is where things get tricky, because New York could lose some of their depth. The two players to keep a close eye on in this regard are Vincent Iorio and Scott Morrow.

Both are 23 years old and projected to be on the outside looking in on the opening night roster. That creates a conundrum for the team because neither player is waiver-exempt any longer. That means if they don’t make the team, the Rangers will have to try to pass them through waivers to play in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Retaining both of them via the waiver process would be a surprise. Iorio was claimed twice during the 2025-26 season. He began the campaign with the Washington Capitals before being claimed by the San Jose Sharks and then the Rangers.

Rangers risk losing quality depth to waivers

Mar 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Vincent Iorio (6) plays the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Morrow, who was the centerpiece of the K’Andre Miller trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, has 12 points in 45 career NHL games, showing some promise early on.

Losing either of them would be a real dent in the organizational depth of right-handed defensemen. They look to be the Nos. 4 and 5 options behind Fox, Durzi and Schneider, and there isn’t much established talent behind them.

Balancing out the defensemen depth chart is an underrated need for New York heading into the season. There is a ton of left-handed shooting depth, with Marc Del Gazio and Dennis Cholowski behind Smits, Vaakanainen and Drew Fortescue.