Rangers claim Vincent Iorio off waivers

In 21 games played for San Jose this season, Iorio has three assists while averaging 16 and a half minutes of ice time. He also put up seven assists during a six-game conditioning stint with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

This marks the second time this season the Coquitlam, British Columbia native has been claimed off waivers. In October, Iorio was placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals and claimed by the Sharks.

Initially selected by Washington in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Iorio played only nine games over two seasons with the Capitals, registering just one assist. He played a total of 190 games for Washington’s AHL affiliate Hershey Bears over three seasons, tallying 11 goals and 45 assists for a total of 56 points. He also won back-to-back Calder Cups as AHL champions with Hershey in 2023 and 2024.

Iorio played his junior hockey for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he notched 11 goals and 33 assists for 44 points in 60 games during his strong final season in 2021-22.

Standing at 6’4″ and weighing 220 pounds, Iorio is a big-bodied presence on the back end.

The last-placed Rangers have all but declared themselves as sellers ahead of March 6th’s trade deadline. General manager Chris Drury’s letter to the fans announced the team’s intention to “retool”, and star forward Artemi Panarin is being held out of the lineup with a trade seemingly imminent. The pick up of Iorio could signal that veteran defensemen such as Will Borgen or Vladislav Gavrikov are headed out the door.

New York plays a matinee game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, before beginning a five-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.