When the New York Rangers acquired Kevin Klein from Nashville in January of 2014, the team knew they got a solid stay-at-home defenseman. However, in his first two full seasons with the team, Klein scored nine goals each season, giving the Rangers an unexpected boost of offense from the blue line.
This season was a different story, as Klein managed just three goals all year, and was a bigger liability in his own end.
At 32 years old, this problem is unlikely to go away. Once a mainstay in coach Alain Vigneault’s lineup, Klein was stapled to the bench throughout the playoffs.