Jake Leschyshyn Claimed off Waivers by New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have claimed now former Vegas Golden Knights forward Jake Leschyshyn off waivers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Leschyshyn, 23, was a 2017 second-round pick by the Golden Knights and played a total of 63 games with the VGK. He tallied two goals and four assists in six points in his time with the VGK. Leschyshyn will join former VGK head coach Gerard Gallant in New York. 

"Jake has been a Golden Knight, right? We kept him up this year because we thought he'd be a good depth player for us, and that's exactly what he was. You take that risk when you send a player down. We knew that there was a chance of that. Sometimes you are able to preserve your assets, and sometimes you're not," said Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy.

The Rangers are currently third in the Metropolitan Division with 53 points and a 23-12-7 record. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"All I can say is that I appreciate everything he did, Jake. When he was asked for him in the lineup, he gave maximum effort. I wish him all the best in New York, he is a fantastic kid, and his work ethic is second to none," added Cassidy.

The Golden Knights will play the Rangers on Jan. 27th in New York at Madison Square Garden.