Rangers sign Brett Howden ahead of expansion draft deadline

The Rangers officially began their offseason Friday morning by re-signing restricted free agent Brett Howden, a strategic move that broadens their options for the upcoming Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

With roughly a week until the deadline for each NHL team to submit its final protection list for the expansion draft — which is set for July 21 — the Rangers signed Howden to a one-year contract worth $885,000, The Post has learned. The move gives the organization another option to fulfill the expansion requirement of exposing two forwards who are under contract in 2021-22. Prior to signing Howden on Friday, the only logical choices the Rangers had were Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell. The Rangers are expected to protect Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Pavel Buchnevich, Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil.