After parting ways with Tony DeAngelo and electing to not pursue Brendan Smith as a cheap defensive option, the Rangers brass turned towards free agency to shore up their defensive depth chart. This is where our protagonist Patrik Nemeth enters our story, ripe off of a disappointing playoff run with the Colorado Avalanche, the Rangers signed him to a 3-year $7,500,000 contract with an annual cap hit of $2.5 million. On top of this, they gave him a modified NTC where he could provide a list of eight teams to which he wouldn’t accept a trade.
At the time, hopes were, well, not entirely hopeful amidst the Rangers’ fanbase and their overall thoughts on Nemeth as a Blueshirt.