Defenseman Paul Ranger hasn’t seen NHL ice since the 2009-10 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning but now he’s back after reportedly signing a deal with the AHL Toronto Marlies.
As Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times points out, Ranger left the Lightning in 2009 with a reported personal issue to attend to and never came back. Ranger became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after two seasons of still being under the Lightning’s control.
At his best in the 2007-08 season, Ranger was a solid two-way blue liner scoring 10 goals and adding 21 assists. Shoulder problems hampered him the next two seasons, however, and his leave of absence from Tampa helped remove him from memory. How he does after two seasons away from hockey will be curious to see.