The New York Rangers made a move to bolster their blue line, claiming 23-year-old defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers, President and GM Chris Drury announced.
At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Iorio brings size, experience, and a winning pedigree to a Rangers team looking to deepen its defensive corps. He’s split time this season between the NHL and AHL, appearing in 21 games with the San Jose Sharks and picking up three points, while also suiting up for six games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, where he notched seven assists.
Iorio's recent AHL track record shows a player trending in the right direction. During the 2024-25 campaign with the Hershey Bears, he logged 67 games and recorded 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists), ranking third among Bears defensemen in both points and shots (86), and tying for third in assists. That kind of production from the back end is something the Rangers could certainly use, especially with the physical edge he brings.
His NHL experience is still limited - 30 games between the Capitals and Sharks - but he’s shown flashes of the two-way game that made him a second-round pick (55th overall) by Washington in 2021. He also made his playoff debut with the Capitals during the 2023-24 postseason, gaining valuable experience on a big stage.
Where Iorio has really made his mark so far is in the AHL. Across four seasons split between the Hershey Bears and San Jose Barracuda, he’s tallied 63 points (11 goals, 52 assists) in 196 regular season games.
But perhaps more importantly, he was a key part of Hershey’s back-to-back Calder Cup championship runs in 2023 and 2024. In 31 career playoff games with the Bears, Iorio added seven points and brought a steady presence to the defensive unit - no small feat in the grind of postseason hockey.
Before turning pro, Iorio spent four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, where he developed into a reliable two-way defenseman. Over 191 games in juniors, he racked up 82 points (21 goals, 61 assists), and during the 2021-22 season, he finished fifth on the team in both assists (33) and points (44) - impressive numbers for a blueliner.
For the Rangers, this is a low-risk, potentially high-reward move. Iorio is still young, has playoff experience at multiple levels, and brings a blend of size, mobility, and offensive upside.
With his AHL success and growing NHL exposure, he’s the kind of player who could thrive in the right system. Now, the question is how the Rangers plan to deploy him - whether he slots in as immediate depth on the NHL roster or continues to develop with Hartford.
Either way, New York just added a big-bodied, championship-tested defender with room to grow. Keep an eye on this one.