The New York Rangers, parent club of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, announced today that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent forward Chris Mueller, goaltender Cedrick Desjardins and defensemen Matt Hunwick and Steven Kampfer.
Mueller, 28, split this past season between the Dallas Stars and the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League, winning a Calder Cup championship. In 60 games with Texas, the 5-foot-11, 210-pounder registered 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points, along with a plus-9 rating. Mueller established an AHL career-high in assists, and ranked fourth on Texas in goals and points during the season. He also tallied six goals and five assists for 11 points in 19 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Mueller also appeared in nine NHL games with Dallas in 2013-14.
Mueller has skated in 383 career AHL games with Texas, Milwaukee, Lake Erie and Grand Rapids, registering 117 goals and 129 assists for 246 points along with a plus-21 rating. In 2011-12, he established AHL career highs in games played (73), goals (32), points (60) and shots on goal (196) with Milwaukee, and represented the Admirals at the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic. Mueller has also registered 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 44 career AHL playoff games.
In the NHL, Mueller has skated in 46 games with Nashville and Dallas, registering two goals and six assists for eight points. He made his NHL playoff debut with Dallas in 2014, appearing in four games.
The West Seneca, N.Y., native was originally signed by Nashville as an undrafted free agent on Dec. 27, 2010.
Desjardins, 28, spent this past season with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, appearing in 35 games and posting a 9-18-4 record along with a 2.81 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage and two shutouts. He also made one appearance with the Tampa Bay Lightning, making 11 saves in relief on Feb. 6 vs. Toronto.
The 6-foot, 192-pound netminder has appeared in six career NHL games with Tampa Bay, posting a 2-4-0 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Desjardins has also posted a 104-80-18 record in 219 career AHL games with Hamilton, Norfolk and Syracuse, with a 2.45 GAA, a .914 save percentage and 21 shutouts. Desjardins played in the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic and was a Second Team AHL All-Star in 2009-10.
The Edmundston, N.B., native was originally signed by Montreal as an undrafted free agent on July 3, 2008.
Hunwick, 29, skated in 52 games this past season with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League, registering 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points. He also appeared in one game with the Colorado Avalanche this past season.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder has skated in 292 career NHL games with Boston and Colorado, registering 16 goals and 51 assists for 67 points, along with 116 penalty minutes. He has also skated in 110 career AHL games, registering 12 goals and 45 assists for 57 points with Providence and Lake Erie.
The Warren, Mich., native was originally selected by Boston in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Kampfer, 25, skated in 69 games this past season with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, registering six goals and 20 assists for 26 points, along with 48 penalty minutes. The 5-foot-11, 197-pounder has skated in 61 career NHL games with Boston and Minnesota, registering seven goals and eight assists for 15 points, and has appeared in 176 career AHL games, registering 16 goals and 58 assists for 74 points with Providence, Houston and Iowa.
The Ann Arbor, Mich., native was originally selected by Anaheim in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
