The Metropolitan Division had a chance to be one of the most fearsome divisions in hockey at the outset of this season, with every team (bar the Flyers, funnily enough), tipped to compete for a playoff spot before the season started.
That has not been the reality, however; the Devils, Penguins, Capitals, and Blue Jackets have all underachieved, the main reason why the Flyers have been able to sneak into the third division spot, while the Rangers and Hurricanes still look like the class of the division in the top two spots.
So there was a lot of work to be done around the division, a lot of teams trying to salvage something from a season gone wrong, and some teams at the top who are trying to load up for a run at the Stanley Cup. Let’s see how they got on.
New York Rangers
IN: F Alex Wennberg (50% retained), F Jack Roslovic (50% retained), F Nic Petan, D Chad Ruhwedel.
OUT: 4th-Round Pick in 2027, 2nd-Round Pick in 2024, Conditional 4th-Round Pick in 2025, F Turner Elson.
The Rangers have been pretty comfortable atop the Metro for virtually the entire year, and they really aren’t in a position where they need to worry about their playoff chances. So, they used the deadline to beef up their depth. Alex Wennberg arrives from Seattle to provide some more experience in New York’s middle-six, and Chad Ruhwedel is plucked from the Penguins fire sale to provide another seasoned body on the back end in case of injury. Wennberg is the clear marquee acquisition of the two, and while his numbers don’t jump off the page, he did chip in with 7 points in 14 games during Seattle’s playoff run last season. He can also play some penalty kill minutes if the Rangers decide to use him there, but he his effectiveness there has waned over the past couple years.
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