Shortly after Mike Sullivan cleared up the confusion around the New York Rangers‘ decision to waive Matthew Robertson, the Blueshirts learned that the young defenseman had cleared waivers.
As a result, the stage was set for them to make a roster move, sending Robertson down to the AHL and bringing a minor-league player to the NHL lineup. It was all to fill the void left by Joseph Veleno’s IR stint early in the 2026-27 season. With more or less drama, Sullivan and company have cleared their first hurdle of the campaign.
“Cole Beaudoin has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Matthew Robertson has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack,” the New York Rangers announced on their public relations account on X, @NYR_PR.
“It’ll be Cole Beaudoin coming up to play 4C tonight and make his NHL debut for the Rangers,” Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported on X.
Cole Beaudoin playing for Canada at 2026 World Juniors.
More about Beaudoin
Selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Utah Mammoth, the 20-year-old centerman from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has yet to make his pro debut in the league. He will now get his first taste of NHL action in a game as vitriol-filled and electric as a battle of New York between the Rangers and Islanders.
As Veleno has been placed on IR with a lower-body injury, Beaudoin will take over as the fourth-line center for Sullivan’s squad. It remains to be seen who will be coming out of the lineup.
When did Beaudoin join the Rangers?
Beaudoin arrived in Manhattan as part of the return package in the Vincent Trocheck trade to Utah. Beaudoin was traded along with Sean Durzi and a 2027 third-round pick.
While speculation surrounded Sullivan before New York announced its centerman call-up to play the Isles, Beaudoin was the obvious candidate. Through his first two games of the AHL season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Beaudoin was the team’s leading scorer with a goal and four assists (five points).
Thanks to that red-hot start, Beaudoin was also tied for second in points among all skaters in the AHL. Now, his true journey begins, and there is no better place to start than Madison Square Garden in a matchup with the Islanders.
Key takeaways
- The New York Rangers assigned defensemen Matthew Robertson to the AHL.
- Center Cole Beaudoin was recalled from Hartford to make his NHL debut.
- Beaudoin came to New York as part of the Vincent Trocheck trade.
