It’s not often a high-profile free agent that the New York Rangers sign comes in and delivers exactly as advertised. After being burned by the likes of Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden, and, most recently, Brad Richards, the Rangers took another shot at the big name prize when they signed Kevin Shattenkirk to a four-year, $26.6 million contract this past summer. His mission was to bring his well-documented offensive prowess on the blueline to his hometown of New York and bolster the Blueshirts power play.
Now 17 games into the season, Shattenkirk is beginning to look like the player that Rangers management had hoped for. In the midst of a six-game point scoring streak, Shattenkirk is tied with his former teammate Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues for the league lead in scoring among defensemen with 16 points. His production on the power play, to the tune of two goals and six assists—first and third among defensemen, respectively—is a major reason why.
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