Rangers trading for Alex Wennberg
The Rangers are trading for Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg.
In exchange, the Rangers are sending a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2025. Seattle will be retaining 50 percent of Wennberg's salary.
New York has reportedly been looking to add multiple centers after youngster Filip Chytil suffered a season-ending setback on his way back from an upper-body injury in late January.
Wennberg became one of the top remaining centers available after he failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal with the Kraken, and the Blueshirts were viewed as one of the finalists.
Now that he’s officially been acquired, the 29-year-old figures to slot in alongside Jimmy Vesey and star rookie Will Cuylle on the third line for the Metropolitan Division leaders.
While Wennberg isn’t exactly a top-scoring threat, he plays a solid two-way game and should make New York’s lineup deeper down the stretch.
The former first-round pick has seen some time on both special team units and he’s contributed nine goals and 16 assists while also leading Seattle forwards with 65 blocked shots on the season.
Wennberg’s three-year, $13.5 million deal he signed with the expansion club in 2021 is set to expire this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent.
