Rangers sign Matt Lombardi

The New York Rangers have signed journeyman forward Matthew Lombardi to a two-year contract, as first reported by John Hoven of mayorsmanor.com. 

For several years Lombardi was a reliable third-line center, the type of player who could contribute 15 goals, use his speed to take advantage of third-pairing defenders and win a tonne of faceoffs. That was a few years ago though.

In the past five years, Lombardi has managed to play just 92 NHL games with four different NHL teams, contributing 12 total points and 14 assists in those contests. Last summer he was unable to secure NHL employment, opting to spend the season with Geneve-Servette HC of the top Swiss men's professional league (NLA). In 46 games in the NLA last season, Lombardi managed 20 goals and 50 total points. 

VICE Sports' Patrick Kearns passes along an unconfirmed report that the deal is worth $1.6 million in total. 

The Rangers were all but gutted in free agency this summer, don't have much cap-space, and still have several big name restricted free agents to sign, including Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello. This is the sort of gamble that a club like the Rangers - a team that made the Stanley Cup Finals in large part because of an enviable level of forward depth - is going to need to make to fatten up their forward lines. 

[H/T Pro Hockey Talk]