New York Rangers News: Jeff Halpern Claimed; Stu Bickel ON Waivers
Jeff Halpern has been claimed by the Montreal Canadiens off of waivers, and Stu Bickel was added to the waiver wire today.
According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, the Montreal Canadiens have claimed Jeff Halpern off of waivers from the New York Rangers. Halpern was placed on waivers yesterday, with Arron Asham hopeful to return on Sunday against the Washington Capitals. While the Rangers lose one of their top faceoff guys, the move was likely made to clear some space in the contracts department. The Rangers were currently sitting at 49 contracts with Halpern on the payroll, and with this claim they now drop down to 48.
It now gives them some room to breath, as they will have two contract spots to take on in the event of a trade, or signing. There is definitely a lot brewing in Ranger land, and these moves only add on to that speculation. There are already rumors floating around that Jesper Fast will be on his way over from Sweden by next week.
With the Halpern news only several minutes old, the New York Rangers confirmed shortly after that they had placed Stu Bickel on waivers. It's highly unlikely that Bickel gets claimed, but the fact that the Rangers are cleaning house means something is brewing.
That's all we have for now, thoughts?