With center Noah Laba expected to return to the lineup tonight, the Rangers have sent some forward depth back to the minors. The team announced (Twitter link) that center Justin Dowling has been assigned back to AHL Hartford. They now have one open roster spot.
The 35-year-old was brought up at the beginning of the month when Laba and others were injured and got into two games with New York during this stint. He was held off the scoresheet while recording one shot on goal in a total of just over 14 minutes of playing time.
It’s the third straight season in which Dowling has seen NHL action; he played in a career-best 52 with New Jersey last season. That was enough to land him a two-year deal with the Rangers this summer with 2025-26 seeing him earn a one-way salary before reverting to a two-way pact next season.
Dowling has spent the bulk of the campaign with the Wolf Pack where he has fared well offensively, notching five goals and 11 assists in 24 games. After being a limited role player with the Rangers, he’ll return to being a key top-six forward in Hartford with the hopes of playing his way into another recall in the coming months.