New Jersey Devils Players That Flamed Out With New York Rangers
By Nick Villano
Pat Verbeek
Alright, admittedly I’m cheating with this one. Verbeek spent a stint with the Hartford Whalers between his time with the Devils and Rangers, but he was the first really good player in this franchise’s history.
Verbeek spent a few games in the team’s inaugural season in New Jersey, then became a force for the red and green Devils in the 80s. He scored a career high 46 goals in the 1987-88 season with New Jersey.
After spending six seasons with the Whalers, he went back to the New York area, signing with the Rangers in 1994.
He faced an injury-riddled season in the first year, playing only 19 games. However, he was very good in the playoffs, scoring a point per game in the 10 games he was active.
He only signed for $2.3 million for two seasons, but when Mario Lemieux was making about double that it shows what that salary means. He did play well in his second season, but was sent home by the Devils in the playoffs.
Verbeek is probably the worst example on this list, but trust me it gets much better.