Adam Clendening signs tryout contract with New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have added defenseman Adam Clendening on a professional tryout offer.

The move comes just as the Rangers’ have kicked off training camp, with Clendening seeking his first pro contract since 2021-22.

TRANSACTION: The Rangers have signed defenseman Adam Clendening to a PTO. The Niagara Falls, NY native split the 2022-23 season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and Rockford IceHogs, compiling 33 pts (4G-29A) in 68 games.

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) September 22, 2023

Drafted 36th overall in 2011 by Chicago, the Niagara Falls, N.Y. native spent two years with Boston University before turning pro in 2012-13. He made his NHL debut with Chicago in 2014-15 before moving to Vancouver, playing a combined 21 games. He has struggled to stay in the same city for over a year, going from Pittsburgh, Edmonton, the Rangers, Arizona and Columbus.

Last year, Clendening signed an AHL deal with the Rockford Ice Hogs, and put up a solid 24 points in 48 games. He was later traded to the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he had nine points in 20 games to close out the regular season, and another two goals in the postseason.

Clendening had 11 points in 31 games with the Rangers in 2016-17, the lone season of his pro career in which he didn’t step foot in the AHL.

In 90 NHL games, the offensive defenseman has four goals and 20 points and 318 points in 512 regular season AHL contests. Clendening also helped USA win bronze at the 2021 IIHF men’s World Hockey Championship, recording five points in seven games.

The Rangers currently sit $46,583 over the salary cap with 23 players signed to the main roster. That includes eight defensemen, including Connor Mackey, who’ll likely land in the AHL, as well. Only Braden Schneider is waiver-exempt among blueliners. If Clendening is signed, it’s likely to make him an impact veteran with Hartford again while giving the Rangers a bit of extra defensive flexibility.

The Rangers originally had 20 defensemen at camp, not including Clendening. Clendending is the only Ranger on a PTO.