Matt Bartkowski signs a professional tryout offer.

This is somewhat unexpected.

According to a report from Cap Friendly, the New York Rangers have brought in veteran National Hockey League defenseman Matt Bartkowski on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

The surprise doesn't come from the fact that the Rangers are adding a veteran defenseman on a PTO, there had been rumors that the Rangers were looking for just that dating back as recently as just last week, however I doubt very much that Bartkowski was on anyone's radar as one of the potential candidates for that spot.

That's because Bartkowski has largely been out of action as far as the NHL is concerned for quite some time, having appeared in a total of just 3 regular season games since the start of the 2018 - 2019 season. Instead the 34 year old veteran has been plying his craft in the American Hockey League in recent years, primarily as a member of the Iowa Wild, with his most recent season spent as a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It is perhaps Bartkowski's most recent season in the AHL that put him on the Rangers' radar this summer. Bartkowski appeared in 72 games this past season, his most since the 2018 - 2019 campaign, and recorded 4 goals while adding 12 assists for a total of 16 points.

It is important to note that a PTO is by no means a guarantee of a contract offer, and if the Rangers feel Bartkowski is not a good fit during training camp, they will be free to release him at their convenience. That being said if Bartkowski does sign on with the Rangers this season, he will likely still be playing a decent amount of his games in the AHL barring a major overperformance in training camp.