New York Rangers News: Michael Del Zotto Traded To Nashville For Kevin Klein
The New York Rangers have shipped Michael Del Zotto off to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Kevin Klein.
According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the New York Rangers have traded Michael Del Zotto to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Kevin Klein. At first glance, Klein is a right-handed shot which the Rangers have been sorely lacking, and he's also locked in for the next four years (plus this season) at $2.9 million. The Rangers only gained an extra $350,000 in cap space with the deal, and with Del Zotto likely to command a slight raise in the future, this was a perfect move from a financial standpoint.
Since his rough sophomore season on Broadway, Del Zotto has been considered the Rangers "whipping boy" on defense, and hasn't really progressed as many originally believed. That being said, Del Zotto's days in blue have been numbered for quite some time, and the Rangers were able to fill a need by shipping him off.
As mentioned above, Klein fills a much needed role with a right-handed shot, and he's also very reliable when it comes to the defensive part of his game. He will likely slot in on the third pairing with John Moore, and will be the guy that does the little things to help his team win hockey games.
We'll close this out with a little quote from our friends over at On The Forecheck, as they share some insight on what to expect from Kevin Klein.
Klein, of course, has been a staple of the Nashville Predators for many years, locked up to a 5-year contract just before the 2012 Lockout and a major contributor to the Preds as a shutdown defenseman and penalty killer.
Thoughts?
