Undrafted 4th year defenseman Matt Gilroy(97) was an unrestricted free agent heading into the 2012/2013 season.
With no deal (or NHL) in the offseason, he inked an AHL contract with Connecticut Whale, a team he skated in 5 games with in his rookie campaign while signed with New York Rangers. He was with the Blueshirts for a couple of years before last season’s ride started with Tampa Bay Lightning and ended with an underdog playoff bid by Ottawa Senators that brought him back to MSG for some postseason play against his former team.
The 6’1″ 201 lbs. blue liner displayed an offensive-minded upside in his college career but has yet to ignite the same sort of chemistry in the show. He was the Hobey Baker award winner in 2009 as the top player in college hockey.
In 13 AHL games this season he has 3 goals and 6 assists but more importantly brings some big league experience and accountability to the ice in every game.
Once/if the NHL gets their sides to meet somewhere in the middle, the 28-year old could find himself with a suitor or two for what will probably be a two-way deal at the league minimum salary cap.
Original story: 11/25-12
After 34 games with the farm team scoring 6 goals and 9 assists with a -16 rating, he was signed for 2013’s post-lockout season with New York Rangers and skated 15 games getting no points.
He parlayed that into a one-year contract with Florida Panthers and opened the 2013/2014 campaign with 16 games for the team until getting reassigned for the balance of the stint to affiliate San Antonio Rampage, where he did pretty nicely popping in 10 goals and 11 assists in 42 contests.
For his sixth pro season he inked an overseas deal with Atlant Moscow Oblast and had some of his best offensive production yet connecting for 9 goals and 24 assists in 60 KHL games.
The 30-year will stay in the country for 2015/2016 and play for Spartak Moskva.
It will be interesting to see if he can maintain his new affinity with the score sheet.