Why Rangers could turn to Urho Vaakanainen as under radar lineup regular

When considering the makeup of the New York Rangers defense corps this coming season, Urho Vaakanainen is not the first name that comes to mind. Yet there’s a very good chance that Vaakanainen could fly under the radar and land a regular role in the top six.

Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov will soak up most of the attention — and minutes — on the blue line once training camp begins. Braden Schneider, coming off labrum surgery, and rookie newcomer Scott Morrow will also be watched closely. And Will Borgen has a lineup spot secured, even if he doesn’t know who his partner is just yet.

Even Carson Soucy will draw eyeballs since he’s a veteran trying to re-establish his game and justify a $3.25 million salary cap hit.

That leaves Vaakanainen the opportunity to quietly go about his business earning the trust of the new Rangers coaching staff headed by Mike Sullivan. You get the impression that the soft-spoken 26-year-old prefers it that way. And that plan certainly worked out for him last season, after the Rangers acquired Vaakanainen from the Anaheim Ducks in the Jacob Trouba trade in early December.

Despite an ever-changing cast on the Rangers blue line, Vaakanainen secured a regular spot in the lineup under then-coach Peter Laviolette. Vaakanainen played 46 games after the trade, missed two because of injury, and was a healthy scratch in four others.

It was an effective stretch for Vaakanainen, who was overlooked by many after the Trouba trade. He recorded an NHL career-high 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) and was plus-8 for a defensively-challenged Rangers team.

That's First Nation Urho Vaakanainen #NYR https://t.co/SqUGsmC6cz pic.twitter.com/CTEjZpS4nv

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) February 3, 2025

Vaakanainen averaged 16:43 TOI, primarily on the third pair, with some top four minutes mixed in. The Rangers extended him with a two-year, $3.1 million contract in March.

His underlying metrics were a bit mixed. The Rangers outscored opponents 32-27 with Vaakanainen on the ice 5v5. But his expected goals share was 43.68 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, and the Rangers were out-chanced 343-271 with him playing 5v5.

Part of that is related to the fact that Vaakanainen started only 28.23 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. But those underlying numbers can’t be completely dismissed either.

All in all, though, Vaakanainen was a pleasant surprise in what was an overall down season for the Rangers in 2024-25.

Urho Vaakanainen faces competition to earn regular spot in Rangers lineup

It’s not like Vaakanainen’s success completely came out of nowhere. The native of Finland was a first-round pick (No. 18 overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins. So, the pedigree as a defensive defenseman was always there.

But a string of injuries slowed Vaakanainen’s progress. He had a concussion his first pro season and several other injuries thereafter, including hip surgery. Only four other players selected in the first round in 2017 have played fewer games in the NHL than Vaakanainen (187). One of them is Lias Andersson (110 games), selected No. 7 overall by the Rangers.

After all those stops and starts, Vaakanainen finally earned a regular spot in the Ducks lineup, when he played 68 games in 2023-24.

Urho Vaakanainen is now getting credit for this goal. It’s his first with the Rangers. pic.twitter.com/N84k4Fm3KE

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) February 9, 2025

As such, Vaakanainen has all the earmarks of being a late bloomer. He’ll turn 27 on New Year’s Day, and the Rangers hope he is coming into his own. Under contract at an affordable annual rate ($1.55 million) for two more seasons before he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027, Vaakanainen is an absolute bargain if he slots into the starting six on Broadway.

When training camp opens next month, Vaakanainen’s main competition should come from Soucy. However, there are many variables at play.

Assuming Gavrikov and Fox form the top pairing, the Rangers have several options with the bottom four. Soucy could help form a shutdown second pair with Borgen, especially since they have a history as partners with the Seattle Kraken. That’d likely leave Vaakainen on the third pair with Schneider.

If Vaakanainen outplays Soucy in the preseason, those two could switch spots. But if Morrow proves ready for full-time duty on the right side of the third pair, Sullivan could move Schneider to his off (left) side on the second pair. That would leave Vaakanainen and Soucy in a battle for the final spot in the starting six, alongside Morrow.

A wild card here is Matthew Robertson. The 2019 second-round pick could very well be a late bloomer at age 24 and get a decent look in camp. But if he earns a spot on the roster, it’d likely be at the expense of Soucy, not any other defenseman.

But keep an eye on Vaakanainen. This just might be his time on Broadway.