Rangers Place Matthew Robertson On Waivers

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed defenseman Matthew Robertson on waivers. Vince Z. Mercogliano hinted that the Rangers could place Robertson on waivers earlier today, citing that he did not practice with the team for “roster management reasons.”

Last night, in New York’s contest against the Utah Mammoth, the Rangers lost center Joe Veleno to a lower-body injury after he collided with the boards. It’s unlikely Veleno will be healthy to return against the New York Islanders tomorrow evening, so the Rangers have opted to send down a defenseman in favor of adding forward depth ahead of tomorrow’s contest.

Robertson, 25, was picked 49th overall by New York in the 2019 NHL Draft. He didn’t turn professional until the 2021-22 campaign, and spent many years as a valuable two-way defenseman for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. During the 2024-25 campaign, the last time he suited up for the Wolf Pack, Robertson scored a goal and 25 points in 60 games with a -5 rating.

It was only last season that Robertson received consistent minutes on the Rangers’ blue line. At 24 years old, Robertson completed his rookie season with six goals and 18 points in 72 games, recording a -1 rating and averaging 17:24 of ice time per game.

He offered decent physicality, blocking 80 shots and throwing 107 hits on the year. Still, he struggled on the defensive side of the puck, finishing with a 48.6% CorsiFor and 90.6% on-ice SV% at even strength. Although he’s projected to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Robertson only needs to play in six more games to become a restricted free agent. Given this, a team may be inclined to add him via the waiver wire in an effort to keep his signing rights through next season.