Defenseman Vincent Iorio has zero goals and three assists in 21 games with the San Jose Sharks this season. Luke Hales / Getty Images
Jan. 31, 2026Updated 3:29 pm EST
The New York Rangers claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks, the team announced Saturday.
The 23-year-old Iorio is a 6-foot-4 right-shot defenseman who has 30 games of NHL experience, plus one more in the playoffs. He has zero goals and three assists in 21 games with the Sharks this season.
The Iorio waiver claim speaks to the Rangers’ situation. New York is currently last in the Eastern Conference, and team president and general manager Chris Drury recently released a letter to fans saying the team is embarking on a retool. Given that the team is focusing more on the future of its roster than the present, it makes sense to take chances on players, especially ones that come at no cost, like Iorio. Successful teams sometimes find diamonds in the rough through waivers, like Florida with Gustav Forsling in 2021. An outcome even close to that good is highly unlikely, but a waiver claim is a low-risk move for a team at the bottom of the standings. New York could try to pounce on the process again as the season progresses.
Washington drafted Iorio in the second round in 2021, so he could potentially have some upside. His single career playoff game came with the Capitals; he dressed for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Rangers in 2024. The Sharks claimed him off waivers from Washington in October 2025.
Iorio is under contract with a $814,167 cap hit through the end of the season. He will then be a restricted free agent. He played with two of his now-teammates before turning pro: He and Braden Schneider were together on the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League, and he was teammates with Scott Morrow at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a Minnesota prep school known for its hockey program.
If Iorio immediately enters the lineup, Morrow would be the most likely to come out. He’s been on the third pair on the right side. The Rangers could also shift someone to their off side if they want both Morrow and Iorio in the lineup, then scratch Urho Vaakanainen, who has been in and out of the lineup this season.
Iorio also gives the Rangers some right-hand insurance if they trade Schneider, who is No. 27 on Chris Johnston’s trade board.
The Rangers created a roster spot for Iorio by sending Brett Berard back to AHL Hartford.