Projected lineup: How Rangers will deploy trade additions Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg
TARRYTOWN - Jack Roslovic didn't know what the future might hold when he took the ice at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 25, but he admitted the thought of playing for the home team one day soon crossed his mind.
"There's always the inevitable fact when you're a pending UFA that you get moved as a rental," he said from his new locker at the MSG Training Center on Saturday morning.
A member of the Columbus Blue Jackets at the time, the 27-year-old forward poured in two points that night, including the game-winning goal, to capture the attention of Rangers' executives and coaches.
He was surely on their trade-deadline radar before then, but putting on a show at MSG couldn't have hurt his chances.
Less than two weeks later, he's officially gone from the Blue Jackets to the Blueshirts.
"I've always liked the way he played the game," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "He brings speed when the puck's on his stick. I think he's got a good shot. He's a guy that's consistently the last three or four years put up on an average 45, 47 points. He just comes in and gives us another piece to add to the forward group."
Laviolette did not confirm exactly where Roslovic will play for his Rangers' debut in Saturday's 7:30 p.m. game against the visiting St. Louis Blues, but you can place a healthy wager that he'll get a look in the top-line right-wing spot sooner than later.
"I do think that there's potential for that to work," Laviolette said of trying Roslovic next to Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pounder doesn't bring the track record of more prominent forwards who were traded prior to Friday's 3 p.m. deadline, but New York is hoping it landed a hidden gem for a discounted price of a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick.
He'll instantly improve the Rangers' team speed and help attack in transition, with an internal belief that his skill and offensive instincts could flourish in a winning situation where he doesn't have to be the play driver. They're getting him at a time when he's highly motivated to push for his next contract and coming off a stretch of 13 points in his last 12 games.
"It's a great sample," Roslovic said of his recent hot streak. "Being able to stay consistent and bring that pace of play to this team here is going to be something that I cherish."
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One of the main reasons right wing was a top deadline priority is the need to unlock the scoring potential of Kreider and Zibanejad. That duo has combined for just one five-on-five point in their last eight games, while Zibanejad has gone 30 straight without a 5v5 goal.
It's unfair to expect Roslovic to turn that around on his own, but he undoubtedly senses the opportunity in front of him.
"I’m aware," he said of the RW void. "My game is speed and playmaking and shooting. Bringing that bump of energy is important, so wherever they slot me, I’m here to continue my good play and do my job."
Laviolette believes taking some of the defensive burden off Zibanejad's plate will also help. That's where another deadline addition, center Alex Wennberg, comes in.
It feels like it's been a long time since the the 29-year-old was acquired from the Seattle Kraken − a whole three days ago − but he, too, is set to make his Rangers' debut Saturday. He'll do so as the third-line center for a unit that will be charged with checking some of the Blues' top forwards, freeing up Kreider and Zibanejad for more offensive-zone starts.
"I do think it's important have a line that you really count on to fill that role," Laviolette said. "As we move through and try and put the lines together in the last 20 games here, that's something definitely keep an eye on."
The third and final new addition to New York's roster won't play Saturday, but should get his turn at some point this week.
Chad Ruhwedel, a 33-year-old defenseman acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick, will help fill the temporary void left by captain Jacob Trouba, who's expected to miss two-to-three weeks with a lower-body injury.
"That's tough," Laviolette said of Trouba. "He's the leader of this team. He brings a certain style of play that we’ll miss. He’s physical, he plays great defense for us, he carries a lot of the tough minutes and the heavy workload. Other guys are going to have to step up."
The coach noted that Braden Schneider will move up in the lineup to play in Trouba's usual spot next to K'Andre Miller. It looks like Zac Jones will back fill on the bottom pair with Erik Gustafsson, but don't be surprised to see Ruhwedel there soon.
A right-handed shooter who said he's comfortable shifting to the left side, if needed, Ruhwedel referred to himself as "steady defensively," with the analytics backing up that claim. The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder plays bigger than his size and gives the Rangers' their best blue-line depth in recent memory.
He admitted it was a shock to the system to get traded after eight seasons with the Penguins, but said he wasn't totally blindsided by it. His wife and two children will hang back in Pittsburgh until the Rangers play there next Saturday, while Ruhwedel rolls up his sleeves and gets to work in his new surroundings.
"Once hockey starts, it's time to play," he said. "It's time to go out there and win. I definitely cherish those memories and friendships for a long time in Pittsburgh. We’re actually going back in a few games, which will be really weird. But coming here, it's time to get to work. That's the first mindset."
NY Rangers (40-18-4) projected lineup: Game 63 vs. St. Louis Blues (32-28-3)
When: Saturday, Mar. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: MSG Network/98.7 FM
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Jack Roslovic (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Alex Wennberg (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Matt Rempe (RW)
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Second pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Zac Jones (R)
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Injured: D Jacob Trouba (lower body)
Long-term injured reserve: F Filip Chytil (upper body) and F Blake Wheeler (lower body)
Healthy scratch: F Jonny Brodzinski and D Chad Ruhwedel
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Projected lineup: Where Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg fit for Rangers
