The Rangers have recalled another defenseman to give the team added depth and protection.
Corey Potter was set to travel with the Blueshirts to the West Coast yesterday, bringing the team’s total number of defensemen to seven. Potter’s arrival gives the Rangers insurance – they play tomorrow in Anaheim against the Ducks, then Wednesday in Los Angeles versus the Kings.
With a back-to-back set, if someone among the defenseman group of Dan Girardi, Dmitri Kalinin, Paul Mara, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival or Marc Staal gets hurt, the Rangers would be in a tough spot to get someone to California in time for the Kings contest.
Potter, 24, has little experience with the Rangers, making his NHL debut last Sunday after Redden left with a groin injury. Potter, a fourth-round pick in the 2003 draft, logged 23 shifts and 15:49 in ice time vs. Calgary.
With Hartford this year, he has two goals and nine assists in 25 games.
The Rangers, who won Saturday but have dropped three of their last five, have gotten some streaky play from their defense recently.
In two of those losses, they gave up six goals or more, including an eight-goal pasting by the Devils on Friday.