New York Rangers sign Patrik Nemeth to a 3-year contract

The New York Rangers are signing Patrik Nemeth to a 3-year, $7.5M deal with a $2.5M AAV.

#NYR sign Patrik Nemeth to a three-year deal at a 2.5M cap hit.

— Brennan Klak (@nhlupdate) July 28, 2021

Nemeth started to emerge as a solid two-way threat on the Dallas Stars defense while paired with Jordie Benn during a five-game stretch in February 2016.

With Benn playing more of the stay-at-home role, Nemeth took a more aggressive approach and scored five assists to help the Stars win four of five games.

Nemeth’s career has been interrupted by a series of injuries. The most severe was a lacerated arm that cost him more than fourth months during the 2014-15 season, one when Nemeth earned a spot on the Stars roster right out of training camp.

A second-round pick (No. 41) of the Stars in the 2010 NHL Draft, Nemeth made his NHL debut in a 5-0 victory against the Washington Capitals on April 1, 2014 and played eight games down the stretch. He also played five Stanley Cup Playoff games, all in the first round against the Anaheim Ducks, but his biggest postseason moment came after he was returned to Texas for the American Hockey League playoffs.

Appearing in 18 playoff games, Nemeth scored the Calder Cup-winning goal in overtime of Game 5 of the finals against St. John’s to finish the Calder Cup playoffs with five points (one goal, four assists) and plus-5.

It wasn’t the first time Nemeth stood out when it mattered most. Playing for Sweden at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, he scored five assists and was plus-7 in six games to help his country finish first. Two years earlier, Nemeth helped Sweden finish second at the Under-18 World Championship when he had two assists during a six-game tournament run.

Nemeth signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, 2019 after two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.