NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers have signed free agent forwards Michael Grabner and Nathan Gerbe and defensemen Adam Clendening and Michael Paliotta.General manager Jeff Gorton announced the signings Friday as the Rangers used the opening day of free agency to improve their team speed and penalty killing and to add a little depth on defense.Grabner got a two-year contract worth $1.6 million annually while Gerbe got a one-year deal for $600,000. Clendening got a one-year, two-way contract that will pay him either $600,000 if he plays in the NHL or $300,000 in the AHL.Contract terms for Paliotta, who played last season in the AHL, were not available.Grabner played in a career-high 80 games with Toronto this past season, registering nine goals and nine assists. He ranked second among NHL forwards in short-handed ice time with 248 minutes, 29 seconds.The 28-year-old Austrian has skated in 397 career NHL games over parts of seven seasons with Vancouver, the Islanders and Toronto, registering 104 goals and 69 assists for 173 points. He is tied for fourth in the NHL in short-handed goals since the start of the 2010-11 with 12. Grabner has recorded at least 20 goals in a season twice in his career.Gerbe had three goals and four assists in 47 games with Carolina this past season. He has skated in 394 career NHL games over parts of eight seasons with Buffalo and Carolina, registering 58 goals and 80 assists. Gerbe has been on the ice for only 20 power play goals while logging 247:03 of short-handed ice time throughout his career.The Rangers finished 26th in the NHL on the penalty kill with a 78.2 percent rating.Clendening skated in 29 NHL games with Pittsburgh and Edmonton this past season with one goal and six assists. The 23-year-old has skated in 50 career NHL games over parts of two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16) with Chicago, Vancouver, Pittsburgh, and Edmonton, registering two goals and nine assists.Paliotta, 23, skated in 68 games with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League this past season, getting eight goals and 15 assists. He was drafted in the third round in 2011 and has played in two NHL games.Caron Butler Jersey . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Mateen Cleaves Jersey .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. https://www.pistonsrookiesshop.com/Ben-Wallace-City-Edition-Jersey/ . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Bill Laimbeer Jersey . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Zaza Pachulia Jersey . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament.The MLB postseason is down to two teams. Its two we arent used to seeing at this stage.And so we ask:The Chicago Cubs havent won the World Series since 1908, and this is their first appearance since 1945. By comparison, the Cleveland Indians are downright used to winning, but only by comparison: This is their first World Series appearance sincee 1997, and they havent won it all since 1948.ddddddddddddCleveland hosts Games 1 and 2 before the series shifts to Chicago for (possibly) three straight games. If Games 6 and 7 are necessary, they will be in Ohio. ' ' '