NHL

Rangers sign New York native Stempniak

The Rangers added another veteran to bolster the depth up front, inking Lee Stempniak to a one-year, $900,000 deal on Saturday.

The 31-year-old from West Seneca, N.Y. — just outside Buffalo — spent last season playing with the Flames and Penguins. He often played alongside Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh’s second-round playoff loss to the Rangers — during which he had one goal in seven games — and he finished the season with 12 goals and 34 points in 73 games.

Stempniak joins a Rangers team already with two former teammates of his who came as veteran free-agent forward signees, as well. He played with tough-guy Tanner Glass while on the Penguins, and was with winger Matt Lombardi while with the Coyotes. Stempniak, who is 6-foot and 201 pounds, has 150 goals and 191 assists in 637 career NHL games for the Penguins, Flames, Coyotes, Maple Leafs and Blues.

The signing leaves the Rangers with approximately $12 million of salary-cap space left to sign restricted free agents Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard and John Moore. With arbitration hearing dates set for Kreider, Zuccarello and Brassard ( Moore was not arbitration-eligible) deals are hoping to be made with all of them before training camp opens in September.