Nick Bonino was placed on waivers by the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Bonino, who did not practice Thursday, signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Rangers on July 1, 2023. He has five points (one goal, four assists) in 45 games this season.
"He met with (general manager) Chris Drury this morning, it was a decision that was made," New York coach Peter Laviolette said. "Nick is a great person and a great teammate. Just an organizational decision."
Bonino was a healthy scratch in a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, but played the final two games of their four-game road trip that ended with a 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Laviolette wouldn't comment on what the Rangers or Bonino's plans would be should he clear waivers Friday.
"I don't know what Nick's intentions are, so it would be wrong for me to comment on that," Laviolette said. "I've worked with Nick for quite a few years going back to Nashville (from 2017-20 when Laviolette was Predators coach and Bonino was on the team) and I just can't speak enough about him as a person. Just a good guy, a good teammate. Tough day with regard to that."
Selected by the Sharks in the sixth round (No. 173) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Bonino has 358 points (159 goals, 199 assists) in 868 regular-season games with the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Predators, Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks, and 48 points (19 goals, 29 assists) in 105 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He won the Cup with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
The Rangers recalled forward Jake Leschyshyn from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Center Filip Chytil was on the ice for practice Thursday, the first time he has skated with the team since sustaining an upper-body injury against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 2.
Chytil returned to New York from Czechia earlier in the week. He had gone home in late December to continue his rehab and training with the Rangers calling it a reset for Chytil.
"Day One, so he started the process of working up to speed," Laviolette said. "It was good to have him out there. There is no time frame. That was Day One."
Chytil had six assists in 10 games before sustaining his injury. He will miss his 38th straight game when the Rangers host the Vegas Golden Knights at Madison Square Garden on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN).
