Nick Bonino and Erik Gustafsson talk about their new roles with the Rangers, playing under Peter Laviolette, and more.
Tarrytown, New York- Nick Bonino and Erik Gustafsson were two of the free-agent signings the Rangers acquired on July 1st.
Two-time Stanely Cup champion Nick Bonino skates in his fifteenth NHL season at age 35, in search of a third ring.
He did not hesitate to reveal his connections with New York following yesterday's skating drills, “I’ve talked with the Rangers since ‘17. When I was a free agent I ended up going to Nashville and Chris [Drury] and my agent know each other well and I’ve always been in touch… It didn’t work out two years ago and this year seems like a great fit”
Nick Bonino is a five-tool player and relied on his style as a Shark and Penguin. A career depth player, Bonino acknowledged the importance of training camp, “I’m going to compete every practice. I don’t have the luxury of not competing. I think there's a few guys in this league that have that luxury.”
READ MORE ON TRAINING CAMP: “We’re Serious About Ourselves”: Training Camp Day One Sets the Foundation of a New Frontier
On the other side of the red line, Erik Gustafsson tallied 7 goals and 31 helpers under Peter Laviolette for the Washington Capitals last season.
Both are now a part of New York’s original six clubs.
Offense is his game, and the Swedish native emphasized, “The system is all offensive, but you get to play hard on defense too. It benefits my game.”
He also talked about playing for Laviolette, “He’s a very honest guy. If you do the hard work, you’re going to play so that’s why I liked it.”
Gustafsson will contend for a third-pairing role, likely against Zac Jones and Ben Harpur throughout the three weeks of training camp.
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