The New York Rangers' free-agent shopping list just got a little shorter.

Connor Dewar, the gritty two-way forward who carved out a breakout season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has re-signed with the club, taking his name off the market before the July 1 frenzy even begins. While Dewar isn't exactly the Connor that Rangers fans were dreaming about—that would be Connor McDavid, who inked his own extension back in October—he was a realistic depth option who could have brought some much-needed sandpaper to Broadway.

Let's be clear: McDavid and Dewar are not in the same stratosphere. McDavid just wrapped up his sixth Art Ross Trophy with a staggering 136 points and is up for his fourth Hart Trophy. The Rangers would have loved to make a pitch, but McDavid's two-year, $25 million extension with Edmonton ended that fantasy before it could even begin. Still, if the Oilers' superstar ever grows tired of Edmonton's recent playoff heartbreaks, you can bet Chris Drury will be first in line, elbows sharpened.

Dewar, on the other hand, was a far more attainable target. The 26-year-old journeyman enjoyed a career year in Pittsburgh, posting 14 goals, 16 assists, and 30 points while leading all Penguins forwards with 144 hits. He was also a penalty-killing workhorse, logging the most short-handed ice time on a unit that ranked sixth in the NHL (81.4 percent).

In the playoffs, Dewar showed his mettle, scoring two goals in Pittsburgh's first-round exit to the Philadelphia Flyers. After falling behind 3-0 in the series, he iced a Game 4 victory with an empty-netter and later earned Third Star honors with a goal in a 3-2 road win.

For the Rangers, losing out on Dewar isn't a devastating blow, but it does remove a versatile, hard-nosed forward who could have added depth and grit to the bottom six. With free agency approaching, New York will need to look elsewhere for that kind of two-way presence.