Rangers Announce Six Free Agent Signings
The 6-2, 190-pounder ranked third among Devils forwards in average shorthanded ice time in 2019-20 (2:06) while helping New Jersey rank seventh in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency during the season (82.4%), and he was only on the ice for 11 power play goals against in 102:51 of shorthanded ice time (6.42 power play goals against per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time). Rooney tied for second on New Jersey in shorthanded goals (two) and tied for third on the team in shorthanded points (three) this past season. He registered 64 hits in 49 games in 2019-20, and he ranked fifth on the Devils (min. 10 games played) in hits per 60 minutes of ice time (6.68). Rooney ranked third on the Devils in penalties drawn per 60 minutes of ice time (min. 10 games played - 1.32) and net penalties per 60 minutes of ice time (0.52) this past season (he drew 12 penalties and took seven penalties in 2019-20).
Rooney has skated in 95 career NHL games over parts of four seasons (2016-17 - 2019-20), all with New Jersey, registering 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points, along with a plus-one rating and 39 penalty minutes. He established career-highs in goals (six) and points (10) in 41 games with the Devils in 2018-19.
The Canton, Massachusetts native was originally signed by the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL) to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) on March 29, 2016 following his collegiate career at Providence College. Rooney signed his first NHL contract with New Jersey on February 27, 2017.
Bitetto, 30, skated in 51 games with the Winnipeg Jets this past season, registering eight assists, a plus-three rating, and 32 penalty minutes. He established career-highs in several categories in 2019-20, including games played, assists, points, plus/minus rating, and average ice time (15:10). Bitetto ranked second on Winnipeg in hits this past season (145), and he led the Jets in hits per game (2.84). He ranked 23rd in the NHL, as well as fifth among NHL defensemen, (min. 30 games played) in hits per game in 2019-20. In addition, Bitetto ranked fourth on the Jets (and ranked second among Jets defensemen) in average shorthanded ice time this past season (2:11).
The 6-1, 210-pounder has skated in 183 career NHL games over parts of six seasons (2014-15 - 2019-20) with Nashville, Minnesota, and Winnipeg, registering two goals and 25 assists for 27 points, along with 122 penalty minutes. Bitetto also skated in each of Nashville's 14 games during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has recorded 379 hits in his 183 career NHL games. Bitetto has averaged 9.48 hits per 60 minutes of ice time in his NHL career; since the start of the 2014-15 season, he ranks 10th among NHL defensemen (min. 100 games played) in hits per 60 minutes of ice time.
The Island Park, New York native was originally selected by Nashville in the sixth round, 168th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Keith Kinkaid (Goaltender)
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Kinkaid, 31, has appeared in 157 career NHL games over parts of seven seasons (2012-13; 2014-15 - 2019-20) with New Jersey and Montreal, posting a 65-56-20 record, along with a 2.95 GAA, a .905 SV%, and 7 SO. He appeared in 41 games and made 38 starts in each of his last two full seasons in the NHL (2017-18 and 2018-19), establishing career-highs in both categories. Kinkaid established a career-high in wins with 26 in 2017-18, helping the Devils advance to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he posted a 2.77 GAA and a .913 SV% during the season.
The 6-3, 186-pounder split this past season between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) while in the Montreal Canadiens organization. Kinkaid appeared in 17 AHL games with the Laval Rocket and Charlotte Checkers in 2019-20, posting a 3.15 GAA and a .888 SV%. Kinkaid also appeared in six NHL games with Montreal during the past season.
Internationally, the Farmingville, New York native has represented the United States in several tournaments. Kinkaid helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championship and was named one of the Top Three Players on his Team in the tournament, as he posted a 7-2-0 record, along with a 2.29 GAA, a .912 SV%, and 2 SO. In addition, Kinkaid represented the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
Kinkaid was originally signed by New Jersey as an undrafted free agent on April 18, 2011.
Blackwell, 27, split this past season between the Nashville Predators in the NHL and the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL). He skated in 27 NHL games with the Predators in 2019-20, registering three goals and seven assists for 10 points, along with a plus-seven rating and 10 penalty minutes. Blackwell, who recorded all of his 10 points this past season at 5-on-5, ranked fifth on Nashville in points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 (2.07) and ranked third in assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 (1.45) during the season. He also ranked sixth on the Predators in plus/minus rating this past season, and he was on the ice for only 10 even strength goals against in 293:22 of even strength ice time in 2019-20.
The 5-9, 190-pounder also skated in 26 AHL games with Milwaukee this past season, registering six goals and 17 assists for 23 points, along with a plus-14 rating and 21 penalty minutes. Blackwell ranked third on the Admirals in points per game in 2019-20 (0.88) and posted a nine-game point streak during the season.
Blackwell has skated in 33 career NHL games over parts of two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20), both with Nashville, registering three goals and seven assists for 10 points, along with a plus-six rating and 12 penalty minutes. He has also skated in 187 career AHL games over parts of four seasons (2016-17 - 2019-20), recording 41 goals and 64 assists for 105 points, along with a plus-10 rating and 90 penalty minutes. Blackwell also helped his team advance to the Calder Cup Playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2016-17 - 2018-19 (the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs were cancelled), and he has tallied seven points (five goals, two assists) in 23 career Calder Cup Playoff games.
The Lawrence, Massachusetts native was originally selected by San Jose in the seventh round, 194th overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Anthony Greco (Forward)
Greco, 27, split this past season between the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Syracuse Crunch, and the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL), registering 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points, along with 14 penalty minutes. He tallied 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 37 games with Springfield, and he registered 118 shots on goal in those 37 games (3.19 shots on goal per game). Greco also notched four points (one goal, three assists) in his seven games with San Jose and posted a three-game assist/point streak over the final three games of the season.
The 5-10, 174-pounder has skated in 271 career regular season AHL games over four seasons (2016-17 - 2019-20), registering 86 goals and 76 assists for 162 points, along with 106 penalty minutes. Greco established AHL career-highs in goals (30), assists (29), and points (59) with Springfield in 2018-19, and he also tallied 29 goals in 75 games with Springfield in 2017-18. He was one of only three AHL players who registered at least 29 goals in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, and his 59 goals over the two seasons were the third-most in the AHL. Greco led the AHL in shots on goal in both 2017-18 and 2018-19 (252 shots on goal in 2017-18; 267 shots on goal in 2018-19), and he also led the AHL in shorthanded goals in 2017-18 (six). He has skated in one career Calder Cup Playoff game, making his AHL debut with Bridgeport during the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Queens, New York native has also skated in one career NHL game, making his NHL debut on December 13, 2018 as a member of the Florida Panthers. Greco is the only player in NHL history whose listed birthplace is Queens, New York. He signed his first NHL contract with the Panthers on November 20, 2017.
Jonny Brodzinski (Forward)
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Brodzinski, 27, skated in 44 games with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) this past season, registering 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points, along with 26 penalty minutes. He tied for third on the team in goals, tied for fourth on the team in assists and points, and ranked second on the team in shots on goal (136) in 2019-20. Brodzinski also skated in three NHL games with the San Jose Sharks this past season, recording one assist.
The 6-1, 215-pounder has skated in 200 career AHL games over parts of five seasons (2015-16 - 2019-20), registering 70 goals and 68 assists for 138 points, along with a plus-19 rating and 74 penalty minutes. Brodzinski established AHL career-highs in goals (27), assists (22), points (49), and shots on goal (184) with the Ontario Reign in 2016-17, and he was selected to play in the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic. He has helped his team advance to the Calder Cup Playoffs three times, and he has registered 10 points (five goals, five assists) and a plus-five rating in 13 career Calder Cup Playoff games. Brodzinski has also skated in 57 career NHL games over parts of four seasons (2016-17 - 2019-20) with Los Angeles and San Jose, recording six goals and six assists for 12 points, along with a plus-six rating and 10 penalty minutes.
The Ham Lake, Minnesota native was originally selected by Los Angeles in the fifth round, 148th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
