Rangers sign Justin Dowling to two-year contract

Dowling comes to the Rangers after finishing up a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. That deal also had a cap hit of $775,000 over its tenure. He spent the majority of the season with the Devils, appearing in a career-high 52 games in the NHL, scoring two goals and five assists for seven points. He also appeared in all five of New Jersey’s games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, though the team ended up getting bounced in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes.

In seven games with the Devils’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets, the 34-year-old posted two goals and two assists for four points.

Dowling turned pro back at the end of the 2010-11 season. After grinding it in the minors for five years, he finally made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars during the 2016-17 campaign. He’s gone up and down between the NHL and AHL for much of his career, including a cup of coffee with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2021-22 season. In 152 NHL games, Dowling has scored nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points, including two assists in 20 postseason contests.

In 573 AHL appearances, the Cochrane, Alberta native has notched 131 goals and 277 assists for 408 points, with another 42 points in 60 Calder Cup Playoff games.

According to PuckPedia, the Rangers are projected to have a little over $5.3 million in cap space for the 2025-26 season.