NY Rangers Maintain Defensemen Depth Agreeing to Terms With Vincent Iorio

Vincent Iorio is officially back with the New York Rangers.

Mar 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Vincent Iorio (6) plays the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers fortified their defensemen depth recently when they agreed to terms with Scott Morrow on a one-year deal.

It was a two-way contract, with Morrow set to earn $850,000 if he is with the NHL team and $125,000 if he is in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He provides the team with some intriguing depth, and he isn’t alone in that facet.

Continuing to round out the organizational depth, the Rangers have also agreed to a one-year deal with another defenseman, restricted free agent Vincent Iorio. While no official numbers have been released by the team for salary, Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic revealed on X that it will be for the league minimum.

Just like Morrow, if Iorio is with the NHL club, he will earn $850,000, and if he is in the AHL, it will be $125,000. It is a nice salary increase for the young defenseman, even if he is with Hartford, as he had a salary of $80,000 the last two seasons with his entry-level deal sliding, meaning there was no signing bonus owed.

Rangers agree to deal with Vincent Iorio

Jan 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Iorio (22) moves the puck against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York originally claimed Iorio from the San Jose Sharks when he was placed on waivers this past January. Looking to add more youth to the organization, he was someone the team thought worth giving a shot to.

Iorio ended up appearing in six games with the Rangers, averaging 13:05 minutes of ice time per game. New York was the third franchise he was a part of during the 2025-26 campaign, as he began the year with the Washington Capitals before being waived and claimed by the Sharks.

Rangers agree with Vincent Iorio #NYR pic.twitter.com/OyXWjrWwuZ

— Nick Ziegler (@NickZiegler20) August 21, 2026

A second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, No. 55 overall, he does have a strong pedigree and is someone worth putting some development time into. Before turning pro in 2022, he was the No. 4 ranked prospect in the Capitals’ pipeline.

Iorio has been able to find a ton of success in the AHL, helping the Hershey Bears win back-to-back Calder Cup titles and establishing himself as a key cog in the defensemen rotation.

Alas, that kind of success has not yet translated to the NHL level. It was difficult to find playing time in Washington and San Jose, and the same issue could arise in New York, where the defensemen depth chart has been revamped.

#NYR have locked up another one of their RFAs, signing defenseman Vincent Iorio to a one-year deal. $850K if he’s in the NHL, $125K in the AHL.

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) August 21, 2026

Five players were selected at the position in the 2026 NHL Draft to restock the pipeline. Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov are locked into long-term deals. Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi were both acquired in trades and look to be the No. 2 pairing.

Braden Schneider, Matthew Robertson, Drew Fortescue and Alberts Smits are all going to be in the mix for playing time as well, along with Morrow. That is a lot of competition Iorio is facing to crack the lineup.