Brandon Pirri was brought onto Broadway the way most bargain bin players are: Late in the game and for pennies on the dollar.
These players are available for cheap every year, and smarter teams take advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, signed Daniel Winnik, traded him that trade deadline for picks and then signed him again the next year.
The Rangers are actually no stranger to this strategy. Benoit Pouliot? A late-season addition for pennies on the dollar. Lee Stempniak and Viktor Stalberg? Same thing. How the Rangers have handled these players is another matter, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about.