The New York Rangers announced that they have signed forward Austin Rueschhoff to an entry-level contract. The contract is set to begin for the 2020-21 season.
OFFICIAL: Rangers have signed free agent forward Austin Rueschhoff of @WesternMichU to an entry-level contract.
Full details ⬇️
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 20, 2020
Austin Rueschhoff Signed by New York
This season, the towering forward had 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points in 36 games played. Throughout his three-year collegiate career at Western Michigan University, Rueschhoff put up 35 goals and 35 assists for 70 points in 105 career games.
Standing at 6’7″, the first thing opposing players see is his height. Rusechhoff loves to use his height to his ability as he is great at standing in front of opposing goalies and screening them. Pair that with his ability to create plays and people begin to see how valuable a player Rueschhoff can be.
Rueschhoff is also great at using his long reach to his advantage. When the play returns towards their defensive zone, Rueschhoff can be seen coming back and helping out his defenders. He is great at cutting off passing lanes and breaking up plays before they can develop.
What This Means for the Future
Before the postponement of the season, the New York Rangers had gone on a few nice runs. Had the season been in full swing, the Rangers would have loved to have a guy like Rueschhoff join their ranks if his collegiate season had terminated.
The Rangers could have given a chance for Rueschhoff to get some power play time and maybe make an impact. Any team would love to have a towering player of his size parked in front of the opposing team’s net. It would make it a lot easier for his fellow teammates to get shots through on net.
Come next season, the Rangers hope that Rueschhoff can make an impact. With the game becoming smaller and faster, a towering behemoth like Rueschhoff would be a valuable commodity in today’s game.
