Tye Kartye claimed by New York Rangers, 3-5-8 season and cost-controlled through 2027

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Daniel Lucente
February 27, 2026 (2:13 PM)

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Photo credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Elliotte Friedman reports Mathieu Joseph cleared waivers, and in the same window the Rangers grabbed Tye Kartye, a move Penguins fans should clock right away.

Kartye is 24, undrafted, and he is on a tidy $1.25 million cap hit through 2026-27.

This is the kind of low-risk depth add that quietly swings a Metro race in March.

The Rangers didn't go shopping for a star, they went hunting for a role.

Kartye has 3-5-8 in 40 games this season, and his minutes say "bottom-six utility" more than "press box extra."

He also brings real PK usage, over a minute a night, which matters when your lineup gets squeezed by injuries and back-to-backs.

Here's the report Penguins fans are reacting to.

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And here's Friedman's note on Joseph clearing, which helps frame how picky the league is right now.

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You can almost hear Pittsburgh fans groaning, because this is exactly the kind of player you hate seeing land in your division.

Kartye plays fast, finishes checks, and doesn't need the man advantage to be useful.

If he sticks, he's a third-line winger who can moonlight on the penalty kill and keep their forecheck alive when the top-six is gassed.

Joseph clearing, at $2.95 million in a contract year, shows teams aren't claiming middle-tier money unless the fit is perfect.

Kartye's contract is the opposite, cheap now, controllable later, and easy to bury if it doesn't work.

For the Penguins, the takeaway is simple: the Rangers just got more annoying to play against, for basically nothing.

Previously on HockeyUnplugged

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FEVRIER 27\|74 ANSWERS Tye Kartye claimed by New York Rangers, 3-5-8 season and cost-controlled through 2027 Should the Pittsburgh Penguins have taken a waiver swing on Tye Kartye?
Yes	27	36.5 %
No	47	63.5 %
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