More on Exelby: "I think (Torts) likes players like me"

You may recall that a number of teams, including the Rangers, scouted Garnet Exelby last February. That interest apparently continued this summer.

“Long story short, I had somewhat of a tumultuous season in Toronto last year and it kind of put me in a tough spot this year, so I’ve sort of been in communication with the Rangers this summer and was fortunate to get invited to training camp. So I come with the mindset to push someone out of the way and make a spot for myself. I hear the fitness testing is pretty intense, which is as it should be. I was skating with some of the Avalanche guys and some of the DU (Denver University) guys in the last week.”

In Toronto, Exelby said, “at any given time we had at least 8 NHL defensemen. It’s sort of tough, you’d get a couple games and then might sit for a week. Every shift feels like your first shift of the game and then every game feels like your first game of the season when you get caught up in a situation like that. But I really learned a lot how to deal with that situation last year, because it really was the first time I’ve been put in that position. (In Atlanta, he played more than 50 games each season). I think I was scratched more times in the first few weeks in Toronto than the six years (five full seasons) I was in Atlanta.”

Possibly playing for coach John Tortorella is also appealing.

“I played against Tortorella (when he coached the Lightning) in the years I was in Atlanta. I like the way he coaches, and I think he likes players like me, so I’m hoping to come and impress him…Ideally, I’d like to come to training camp with a contract, but because of last year, they want to see me first and see me play and that’s fair.”

There’s already a nine-man group for six or seven D spots here as well (Staal, Del Zotto, Girardi, Rozsival, Redden, Gilroy, Eminger, McDonagh, Valentenko).

Exelby, 29, who made $1.3 million last season, said playing overseas was a last option. “I’m not sure the style of play that I bring would go well over there…You’ve got to go to training camp somewhere----whether or not it goes well for me here----to get picked up somewhere….say somebody goes down on another team. Otherwise, you’re going to be two or three weeks behind when you figure out where you are.”