The New York Rangers and Nashville Predators swapped defencemen on Wednesday afternoon with Michael Del Zotto on his way to Music City and Kevin Klein heading to the Big Apple.
Del Zotto, 23, has 11 points in 42 games for the Rangers so far this season. Originally a first round pick of the Rangers in 2008, he has 121 career points in 292 career games. Del Zotto is in the final year of a two year deal with an annual cap hit of $2.55 million. He will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Del Zotto is a talented young puck mover, with great skating and passing skills but continues to need work on his defensive game and his physicality. While he was a big part of the Rangers blueline under former coach John Tortorella, he has seen his ice time reduced and has often been a healthy scratch since Alain Vigneault took over as the Rangers head coach. Del Zotto has also faced issues adapting to playing on his unnatural side (the right side) under Vigneault. A change of scenery might be just what he needs to find the form that saw him put up 10 goals and 41 points in the 2011-12 season.
“Michael gives us another young, gifted left-handed shooting defenceman with significant offensive upside,” Predators general manager David Poile Poile said in a statement. “We look forward to his presence on our already talented young blue line, further balancing our defensive corps.”
Klein has one goal and three points in 47 games for the Predators this season, where he averages almost 19 minutes per game. A second round pick from the 2003 NHL Draft, he has spent his entire career in Nashville and has 82 points in 403 career NHL games.
In Klein, the Rangers may not get the offensive potential of a Del Zotto, but they do get a steady, veteran defensive presence who should fit in better with Vigneault’s system. He is also a right-handed shot which helps balance things on the Rangers blue line. The 29-year-old is in the first year of a 5-year $14.5 million deal with a $2.9 million annual cap hit.
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