The Hartford Wolf Pack’s week was shaped almost as much by the transaction wire as by the games themselves. Before the team even hit the ice, the Rangers shuffled two forwards in opposite directions on Monday, recalling Jaroslav Chmelar and sending Taylor Raddysh down to Hartford.
Chmelar had been productive in his latest run with the Wolf Pack, putting up two goals, two assists, and a +3 plus/minus over seven games. Raddysh, meanwhile, came back to Hartford after appearing in six games with the Rangers and picking up one assist.
The more notable move arrived Wednesday morning, when the Rangers assigned goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to Hartford on a conditioning stint. Korpisalo, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins on July 1, has not yet made his NHL season debut because of a foot infection, and the assignment signaled that he was ready to get back into game action.
That move also made Korpisalo the first Ranger sent to Hartford for conditioning since defenseman Zac Jones, who played in two games for the Wolf Pack during the 2024-25 season.
Fun fact: In my time in Hartford, I've seen three players loaned to the Wolf Pack for conditioning-Korpisalo this season, Jones in 2024-25, and forward Sammy Blais in the 2022-23 season.
On the ice, the Wolf Pack were in the middle of their season-long eight-game road trip, a stretch that took them to Hershey for the first time this season before a weekend trip through upstate New York. It was a shaky opening to the week, but Hartford settled in and started to steady itself as the trip moved along.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Just Got A Telling Wolf Pack Progress Report
The Wolf Pack wrapped up an eight-game road trip with a strong showing in Springfield, using a balanced attack to beat the Thunderbirds in the School Day Game at the MassMutual Center. Carey Terrance, Drew Fortescue, Taylor Raddysh, Glenn Gawdin and Liam Greentree all found the net, a useful sign for a Rangers organization that is always watching for depth scoring and development from its AHL pipeline.
The result left Hartford with a 4-3-1-0 mark on the trip, which is the kind of stretch that can steady a group and keep it moving in the right direction. The matchup with Springfield is not going away for long, either, with the clubs set to see each other again at PeoplesBank Arena on Nov. 14 in the I-91 Rivalry game. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers May Finally Get A Real Fourth Line Test On This Trip
The Rangers are getting another look at a depth option they have been waiting to evaluate, with Glenn Gawdin joining the club for its West Coast trip after producing 14 points in 16 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. The move gives New York a chance to see whether the 27-year-old can bring some stability to a fourth line that has been difficult to settle all season, especially with injuries and earlier auditions leaving the center spot unsettled.
Gawdins arrival comes at a time when the Rangers are still searching for a workable answer in that role, and this trip should provide a clearer read than the brief looks they have had before. For a team trying to round out its bottom six, the next few games could go a long way toward showing whether this is simply another stopgap or something closer to a real solution. [Read more 🡒]
J.T. Miller Just Put Rangers Fans On Notice About His Slump
J.T. Miller did not try to hide from the conversation after the Rangers 3-1 loss to Edmonton, acknowledging that his scoring has not come easily this season. The captain has four goals and nine assists through 19 games, and the dip in his finishing has stood out because his shot volume has been quiet in most nights, a notable change from the pace he has usually brought to New Yorks attack.
Millers frustration showed up in the game itself, too, as his night ended with a 10-minute misconduct after a retaliatory slash. For a Rangers team still looking for more consistent offense from its top players, Millers slump is becoming more than a short-term concern, especially with the way his production has trailed off compared with previous seasons. [Read more 🡒]