New York Rangers recall former second-round pick

The New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. This is not the 22-year-old’s first recall of his career, though he has still not yet made his NHL debut for the Rangers.

The New York Post’s Larry Brooks contextualized this move on X, stating that captain Jacob Trouba has missed the team’s last two practices tending to a personal matter. Robertson’s call-up gives the Rangers some additional cover on defense in case Trouba misses Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. Although Zac Jones, the Rangers’ seventh defenseman is currently the more likely option to step into Trouba’s role if needed on the team’s second pairing, Robertson is more stylistically comparable to Trouba than Jones is.

Jones, 23, is an undersized offensive blueliner who has excelled at the AHL level but struggled to have the same impact in the NHL without premier offensive or power play opportunities. Robertson, on the other hand, is a 6-foot-3 crease-clearing defenseman who doesn’t bring as much offense to the table, but adds a physical dimension to his game that Jones lacks. In case Trouba misses any time, this recall gives head coach Peter Laviolette the choice of two defensemen in order to fill his captain’s vacated role.