Free Agency Deep Dive: Tyler Motte
The grind never stops
For the past two seasons, Tyler Motte’s arrival near the trade deadline revived the Rangers’ fourth line. His astonishing work rate at both ends of the ice elevated the group from a liability to a dependable energy unit.
Injury concerns (he hasn’t suited up for 50+ games since 2018-19) have likely hurt the 28-year-old UFA’s bargaining power, but he embodies tough-as-nails, team-first hockey. Any squad would be wise to pick him up on a short-term deal while he’s still available.
Here’s why.
Puck Pursuit
Though Motte can play all three forward positions, he’s best deployed as a winger—more specifically a fourth-line winger who logs ~12 minutes of ice time per game. Under that deployment, he can fully leverage his motor, committing to a hellacious forecheck that rattles even the steadiest defensemen.
Much like that one kid in gym class who tried way too hard for no reason, his activity level overwhelms opponents on a regular basis. It’s almost as though they’re not ready for him to sell out on every shift.
Look at how disruptive he is near the puck:
Motte doesn’t pace himself in 50/50 propositions. He treats each battle as the war itself, and opponents are shellshocked by his grit and relentlessness.
When he doesn’t arrive in time to contest the puck right away, he puts himself in great position to regain it by taking smart pursuit angles. He understands where his help is, so he guides players straight into it or suffocates any hopes of a cutback/reverse along the wall.
Even out in space, there’s no escape. You’d think a 5’10” yeoman would struggle in this setting, but he boasts a curiously long wingspan. Combine that with his speed and determination, and you’ve got a forechecker who can close gaps in a hurry and dislodge pucks he has no business reaching.
That quality, in particular, often turns routine sequences into chances out of thin air. Consider this clip:
Jeff Carter (PIT 77) doesn’t anticipate such rabid pressure in the neutral zone. As a result, Motte deflects the run-of-the-mill pass, reads Pierre-Olivier Joseph’s (PIT 73) mishandle and enjoys a clear path to the net. He converts a Penguins possession into a Rangers goal in a matter of seconds.
While he’s far from the only bottom-sixer to work his ass off, how many of his peers can translate their elbow grease into glorious opportunities?
After coming over from the Senators last season, Motte’s 5-on-5 averages among Rangers forwards were spectacular:
2nd in hits
1st in high-danger chances
1st in expected goals
2nd in goals
3rd in points (10 points in 24 games overall)
Again, this is a fourth-line forward. In fact, you might be wondering why that is. Why coaches don’t grant him middle-six minutes. Well, his scoring touch over the past five years has been inconsistent if not downright maddening:
Motte’s next club can expect the chances to keep pouring in. The goals? I wouldn’t bank on them.
His true value lies in the ability to drag teammates into the fight through his forechecking acumen and sheer force of will. He’s built to grind his blue-collar competition to a pulp.
Defense
As maniacal as his thirst for the puck may be in the offensive zone, Motte is less of a takeaway artist and more of a bulwark in his end.
He’s an outstanding shot-blocker (2nd among Rangers forwards) who prioritizes lane integrity over aggressiveness. That patient, inside-out brand of defense coerces opponents into either attempting low-percentage bids, firing off target or resetting elsewhere.
His mere presence dampens any threat from distance:
Beyond his puck-eating exploits, Motte’s ranginess is equally irritating in the defensive zone. He’s stellar on the backcheck and in coverage, where he uses every last inch of his stick to breathe down the puck-carrier’s neck. Moreover, there’s a surprising weight behind his blade when it connects. If he and an opponent are swinging at the puck, the odds are in his favor.
Don’t let the hustle fool you, though. Motte is a savvy defender who does well to recognize when his twig or body will give him the edge in a one-on-one showdown. He also demonstrates a real knack for cordoning off the good ice, identifying and shutting passing windows in one fell swoop.
Watch him handle this 6-on-5 situation vs. Brent Burns (CAR 8) at the point:
Reminder: The 6’5”, 230-pound giant is one of the finest offensive blueliners in the league. No biggie. Motte crouch-shuffles to snuff out the shooting lane, denies the backhand outlet with his trailing stick and then springs forward to sweep the puck away from his significantly larger foe.
Whereas some bottom-sixers drive the action, he excels at the point of attack. He waits for a proper duel to materialize and then just…wins. The numbers don’t lie:
Following his move from Ottawa, no Rangers forward conceded fewer high-danger attempts (HDCA/60) or goals (HDGA/60). The slot was off limits.
When you add his offensive puck pressure to his defensive solidity, you get a player who makes life much easier for his teammates and much, much more difficult for opponents. No one wants to clash with a Tasmanian devil.
That sounds like the foundation for a top-flight energy trio.
Motte does indeed lack a sense of self-preservation, but when he’s out there, that same fire and eagerness to stick his nose in the guts of the game set the tone for the bottom six. 8, 10, 12 minutes. It doesn’t matter. He’ll make them count.
He’s quite simply the single most noticeable and effective fourth-liner in hockey.
The king of the grinders.