Kartye’s partnership with Laba gives Rangers hope for 3rd-line solution

New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury knew that his Jan. 16 announcement of the intent to “retool” the roster would attract a lot of scrutiny. With his all-but-unnoticed waiver claim of Tye Kartye from the Seattle Kraken six weeks later, Drury might be well on his way to solidifying an impactful third line — something the Rangers have sought desperately for years.

Picking up the 24-year-old Kartye on Feb. 27 looked like nothing more than a team playing out the string taking a flier on a marginal player. But so far, that flier has paid off and then some. Kartye is making his presence felt with a versatile, high-intensity game that’s meshed perfectly with rising young center Noah Laba.…