It may not have been a flashy move, but the New York Rangers’ signing of Taylor Raddysh was severely underrated, and that is beginning to become prevalent.
This past summer, the Rangers signed Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million contract extension.
It was a move that slid under the radar, but is now paying dividends for the Rangers in a major way.
It didn’t take long for Raddysh to integrate into the group and feel at home.
“Obviously, it was a pretty easy transition,” Raddysh said. “Just the group of guys here made it really easy.”
From the season opener to now, Raddysh’s role with the Rangers has increased.
The 27-year-old forward is now serving a role on both the power play and penalty kill, as he is proving to be a real Swiss Army Knife.
Over the years, Raddysh has prided himself on providing a strong two-way presence, with an emphasis at the defensive end.
“I feel like over my career so far, I've kind of switched a couple different times just the way teams have been, but I feel like the last couple years I've kind of been kind of (used) more defensively,” Raddysh said of his role. “I’m kind of trying to be as good as I can there, just to make an impact. Wherever I kind of slot in, I’m going to be ready for whatever comes my way. Here, I just feel like a two-way game, I’m going to be needed. Just gotta do my best to be ready every night that way.”
On top of his two-way game, Raddysh is the Rangers’ leading goal scorer with five goals on the season thus far.
Raddysh’s offensive game came alive when he recorded a hat trick in a game on Oct. 23 against the San Jose Sharks.
Connor Mackey And Jaroslav Chmelar Ready To Step Into Rangers' Lineup If Needed
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There was a spark of confidence that washed over Raddysh after that hat trick, and he’s been a lot more active offensively ever since.
“Obviously, don't ever expect to get a hat trick, and when they're going in like that, just got to keep shooting, so it feels good,” said Raddysh. “ I just got to keep building offensively.
“I’ve had some different line mates over the first month and a bit here, but I just have to build that chemistry. When the puck goes in, it's nice. Just have to keep continuing to do my best to get to the net and try to find more.”
Top-six, bottom-six, you name it, Mike Sullivan has placed Raddysh all over the lineup, proving how valuable he can be playing multiple different roles.
Raddysh has provided a steady link in this Rangers lineup, and bringing him in during the offseason is turning out to be a smart decision on Chris Drury’s part.