New York Rangers‘ 7th year net minder Magnus Hellberg(45) received his first big league start and got an NHL win in a tough fought battle against 2016 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
He made 22 saves on 24 shots leaving the game with a .917 SV%.
The 26-year is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current calendar and even though he was unable to save affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack from being the worst team in the AHL it seems likely he would be a good bet for the Blueshirts to keep around.
Magnus Hellberg (45)
New York Rangers‘ 6th year goalie, Swedish-born Magnus Hellberg(45) played a career high 53 AHL games with affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack posting an easy best 30 wins and 20 losses with a 2.40 GAA and .918 SV% including 4 shutouts.
Originally a Nashville Predators‘ 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft (#38 overall) he played his first two pro seasons in Allvenskan with Almtuna IS, then Frolunda HC of the SHL before coming to North America.
The big 6’5″ 200 lbs. net minder played most of his time with minor league team Milwaukee Admirals, but did get into his only NHL game in 2012 and also had a smattering of appearances in the ECHL for Cincinnati Cyclones.
As the just turned 25-year old was heading into his first restricted free agency at the end of 2014/2015, he was dealt to the Blueshirts and quickly signed to a two-year deal.
He was recalled on a couple of occasions but mostly for simple practice and back up purposes. He could easily slide into more big league time, especially if he keeps up the workload for the farm team.