New York Rangers acquire Chad Ruhwedel from Pittsburgh Penguins

The New York Rangers have acquired veteran depth defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, the clubs announced Friday afternoon.

Ruhwedel, 33, has one goal and four points while averaging 12:32 of ice time in 47 games with the Penguins this year. He’s under contract the end of the season at an $800,000 NHL cap hit.

The Penguins are on track to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season. They previously traded pending UFA winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday evening.

Ruhwedel had been with the Penguins since the 2016–17 season, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2017. He appeared in 326 games over parts of eight seasons with the Penguins, collecting 13 goals and 47 points.

The Penguins have acquired a 2027 fourth-round draft pick from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. pic.twitter.com/5PLREYL2CI

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 8, 2024

An undrafted defenseman out of the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, Ruhwedel spent three seasons at UMass-Lowell before signing with the Buffalo Sabres in 2013 as a college free agent.

Ruhwedel spent most of his tenure in the Sabres organization with the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans. The 5’11” right-handed defender appeared in just 33 NHL games over parts of four seasons with the Sabres, collecting two assists.

Since joining the Penguins in 2016, Ruhwedel has played almost exclusively in the NHL. The San Diego, California product topped out with four goals and 13 points in 78 games with the Penguins in the 2021–22 season.

Through 359 career games over parts of 12 NHL seasons with the Sabres and Penguins, Ruhwedel has racked up 13 goals and 49 points. He’s been held scoreless in 25 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

Ruhwedel is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. He’ll battle for ice time as part of a Rangers defensive group that also includes Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren, Braden Schneider, and Erik Gustafsson.

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Follow all the deals leading up to the March 8 deadline with Daily Faceoff’s 2024 NHL Trade Tracker.