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Chad Ruhwedel

Minor Transactions: 3/7/25

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Similarly to the NHL, AHL playoff rosters are also due today before the trade deadline. Any player currently rostered in the AHL is eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, regardless of a future call-up. Today’s list will continue to grow until the 3 p.m. deadline.

  • According to a team announcement, the Dallas Stars have reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Although the reassignment came with a formal announcement from the team, it should only serve as a paper transaction for Bichsel to ensure he’s eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. The rookie defenseman has scored two goals and three assists in 20 games for the Stars this season, averaging 14:54 of ice time per night. He’s made his presence known by averaging over four hits a game, but he’s been on the wrong end of some highlight videos early in his NHL career. Dallas confirmed it as a paper transaction later, recalling Bichsel quickly after the deadline.
  • As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
  • The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
  • According to Andy Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the San Jose Sharks are expected to reassign defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Thompson to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As a minor contextual update, Max Miller of The Hockey News believes Thompson’s reassignment is a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL postseason. Despite low scoring output, Thompson has been an effective defenseman for the Sharks this season, averaging a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength, the best on the team among defensemen with more than 20 games played.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they’ve reassigned forward Joseph Labate to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. As one of the most feel-good stories of the 2024-25 campaign, Labate took the ice in the NHL for the first time in eight years this season. The 31-year-old winger had spent the last several years bouncing around on AHL contracts with a one-year pitstop in the KHL. He scored six goals and 13 points in 33 games with AHL Cleveland before being elevated to an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets.
  • After announcing that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, the St. Louis Blues were expected to make a recall on defense. The team announced that recall this morning, sharing that they’ve brought up Matthew Kessel from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Phoenix, AZ native has already spent time as a seventh defenseman for the Blues this season, tallying three assists in 27 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time per game.
  • Strictly as a paper move, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Both players will remain in the Blackhawks’ lineup for the rest of the season before they are returned to AHL Rockford at the end of the season, should they qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Dach has scored two goals and six points in 18 games with Chicago, while Del Mastro has registered two goals and three points in 12 contests.
  • As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Carter Mazur on injured reserve one day after his debut. Mazur suffered a dislocated elbow approximately one minute into his NHL career, and he’s likely done for the regular season. In a corresponding transaction, the Red Wings have recalled forward Dominik Shine from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shine is only a couple of weeks removed from signing the first NHL contract of his career, tallying one assist in four games for Detroit in late January.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they’ve reassigned forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for eligibility in the Calder Cup playoffs. Beck has been an extremely effective forward for the Rocket this year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games. Meanwhile, Dobes has made a name for himself in Montreal, managing a 6-2-1 record in 10 games with a .909 SV% and 2.63 GAA, including one shutout.
  • The Los Angeles Kings aren’t entirely sold on Brandt Clarke’s future with the team. A report from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN this morning indicated the Kings were shopping Clarke on the trade market, and they’ve now reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, along with Samuel Helenius (Twitter Link). Both players should be back on the NHL roster tomorrow, with the move signifying they’ll be eligible for the AHL postseason. Still, it’s a notable development as it indicates Los Angeles may want Clarke in the AHL for the Reign’s postseason run rather than their own.
  • According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Stillman filled in for Dmitry Orlov in last night’s contest but didn’t make it through the full game due to getting his face cut by a skate. He finished last night’s contest against the Boston Bruins with zero points after skating in 18 seconds of the game’s action.
  • In addition to Schuldt and Thompson, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shares that the Sharks have reassigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and forward Collin Graf to AHL San Jose. They’re both expected back on the Sharks’ roster later today or tomorrow, but the roster move will make them eligible for the AHL postseason. Mukhamadullin and Graf have both spent much of the year with the Barracuda. In short order, Pashelka reports the Sharks have recalled both players back to the NHL roster.
  • Due to another injury to netminder John Gibson on Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks were expected to recall another goaltender. Anaheim announced they’ve recalled Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, to fill the void left by Gibson. It’s Husso’s first call-up with the Ducks since being acquired from the Red Wings on February 24th. He posted a 1-5-2 record in nine games in Detroit this season with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA.
  • For the fifth time this year, the New York Rangers have assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel has primarily played for AHL Hartford this season in his first extended stay in the AHL since 2016-17. The veteran defenseman has recorded three goals and 12 points in 36 contests with a +8 rating.
  • After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
  • In a major boost to their playoff chances, the AHL’s Providence Bruins will have several players available for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports the Boston Bruins have papered down Marat Khusnutdinov, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, Riley Tufte, and Matthew Poitras to the AHL for their postseason eligibility. All six players are expected back on the Bruins roster by this evening or tomorrow morning.
  • As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have papered down forward Jiří Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Kulich has been an impressive player for AHL Rochester over the last few seasons and should continue to be in the postseason. He’s scored 53 goals and 94 points in 123 games on the Americans’ roster.  Later in the day, the Americans announced that forwards Isak Rosen and Joshua Dunne were recalled on an emergency basis so they won’t count toward the post-deadline limit.
  • According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have returned defenseman Cam Dineen to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, from his emergency recall. Unlike many of the roster moves on today’s list, Dineen has a solid chance of playing the remainder of the year with AHL Bakersfield. The 26-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 29 points in 45 games for the Condors this season while only registering one game with the Oilers.
  • In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on the mix of teams ensuring their top prospects are eligible for the AHL playoffs. They have assigned defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and goaltender Arturs Silovs to the AHL. Lekkerimaki has three points in 12 NHL games this season, while Mancini didn’t manage any scoring in his sole appearance with the Canucks so far. Silovs has operated as the team’s third-string goalie and has a 1-6-1 record and .858 save percentage on the year.  All three players were subsequently recalled soon after the deadline.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis.  The 25-year-old has played in 19 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist while averaging 16:22 of playing time per game.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Minor Transactions: 3/6/25

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With less than 24 hours remaining until the trade deadline, a few teams are making minor roster moves for several reasons. Whether to accrue a few cap dollars before tomorrow’s deadline or to ensure certain players are eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs, there will be plenty of movement between the NHL and AHL before tomorrow afternoon.

  • According to the AHL transactions page, the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Andreas Athanasiou to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Despite a disappointing season, the IceHogs are competing for a playoff spot in the AHL’s Central Division and would qualify if the season ended today. Athanasiou has been a large part of that hunt. Since clearing waivers and being reassigned in early November, Athanasiou has scored eight goals and 16 points in 16 games with AHL Rockford. Should they qualify by season’s end, he’ll be an important part of their playoff success.
  • In a move similar to the Blackhawks, the Calgary Flames announced that they have reassigned defenseman Ilya Solovyov to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. The Mogilev, Belarus native has again spent much of the time in the AHL this season, scoring six goals and 21 points in 43 contests. His point production is good for fourth on the team among defensemen, and his +16 rating is the second-best. 
  • The San Jose Sharks are expected to make a minor roster move, although it won’t involve their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. According to Curtis Pashelka of the East Bay Times, the Sharks are expected to activate Nikolai Kovalenko from the injured reserve ahead of tonight’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. It’ll be the second time Kovalenko has played his former team since being traded in early December. He’s been limited to 17 games in San Jose due to a pair of injuries but has scored one goal and eight points when healthy.
  • According to a team announcement, the New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Matthew Robertson to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The team has also recalled Chad Ruhwedel in a corresponding roster move. Despite being recalled a few times this season, Robertson has yet to debut in the NHL. It’s prudent for the Rangers organization to make Robertson eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs if he has no avenue to time in the NHL. The former 49th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has scored one goal and 18 points in 47 AHL contests this season. Ruhwedel will reprise a familiar role as the team’s seventh defenseman. He has tallied one assist in five games for the Rangers this season, averaging 14:06 of ice time.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers are expecting to assign goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to the minor leagues before the AHL roster deadline on Friday per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The move was first reported by Anthony SanFilippo of Philadelphia-based sports site On Pattison, who adds that the move isn’t a paper transaction. Kolosov has split time between the major and minor rosters this season, with a 4-8-1 record and .870 save percentage in 15 NHL games and a 2-4-1 record and .874 Sv% in seven AHL games. He was the starter for the KHL’s Dynamo Minsk last seaosn, where he set a much more acheived 22-21-3 record and .907 save percentage in 47 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Rangers Activate K’Andre Miller, Assign Chad Ruhwedel To AHL

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The Rangers will welcome back a key blueliner on Saturday as Mollie Walker of the New York Post relays (Twitter link) that defenseman K’Andre Miller has been activated off injured reserve.  In a corresponding move, the team announced (Twitter link) that blueliner Chad Ruhwedel has been returned to AHL Hartford.

Miller has missed a little more than two weeks with an upper-body injury but was believed to be nearing a return before the holiday break so it comes as little surprise that he has been activated now.  It has been a rough year for the 24-year-old as he has not been able to get back to the form he had over the past two seasons.  After putting up 43 points in 2022-23 and 30 last season, Miller has been limited to just two goals and four assists in 28 games so far this year despite still logging over 21 minutes a night.

The timing of his struggles certainly isn’t ideal from Miller’s perspective.  He’s in the final season of his two-year bridge deal and will be a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights.  At that time, he’ll be owed a $4.646MM qualifying offer but while it looked like he’d vastly exceed that a year ago, that’s less likely to be the case now.  Meanwhile, with the team struggling, he’s among the players who have been speculated as potential trade chips as GM Chris Drury looks to reshape his roster.

As for Ruhwedel, he has been shuttled back and forth throughout the last six weeks but NHL playing time has been hard to come by.  The 34-year-old has played in just five games with New York so far, collecting one assist in a little over 14 minutes a night of playing time.  A veteran of 369 career NHL appearances, Ruhwedel will certainly be among the first recall options whenever another defender is banged up.  Ruhwedel also has three assists in 11 appearances with Hartford.

Minor Transactions: 12/13/24

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There have been plenty of minor moves around the hockey world today.  We’ll run down the ones with NHL connections here.

  • The Oilers announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Josh Brown has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield. The 30-year-old inked a three-year, $3MM deal with Edmonton over the summer but wound up clearing waivers and has spent most of the year with the Condors, picking up three assists and 50 penalty minutes in 16 games while playing just three times with Edmonton so far.  With Alec Regula not with the team yet, it’s possible that Brown’s promotion is merely a short-term one.
  • The Rangers have brought up some extra defensive depth in the absence of K’Andre Miller. The team announced (Twitter link) that veteran Chad Ruhwedel has been recalled from AHL Hartford.  Ruhwedel has only played once with New York this season but has recorded three assists in 11 games with the Wolf Pack.  The 34-year-old has 365 career NHL contests under his belt over parts of 13 seasons.
  • The Canucks continue their frequent roster shuffling, announcing (Twitter link) that forwards Aatu Raty, Max Sasson, and defenseman Mark Friedman were assigned to AHL Abbotsford. Sasson has been moved back and forth quite often over the last few weeks while Friedman was papered down earlier this week.  Raty’s last assignment was in mid-November and considering he already has 20 games with Vancouver under his belt, it’s safe to say he’ll be back up quickly as well.
  • Veteran forward Gemel Smith has caught on with another team as he has joined AHL Bridgeport on a PTO, per a team release. The 30-year-old played in seven games with Syracuse earlier in the season, picking up four points.  Smith has 25 career points at the NHL level spanning 91 games over parts of six seasons.

Rangers Reassign Chad Ruhwedel

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The Rangers announced Tuesday that they’ve sent defenseman Chad Ruhwedel down to AHL Hartford. Since he’s been rostered for fewer than 30 days and played less than 10 games since last clearing waivers in October, he doesn’t need them today to return to the minors.

Ruhwedel, 34, hasn’t played for the Blueshirts since his season debut against the Maple Leafs on Oct. 19. He’s either been in the press box or in the minors since then and has served as a healthy scratch on 15 occasions this season.

The San Diego native has two assists in seven games for Hartford in 2024-25, his first AHL action since a conditioning stint with the Penguins back in the 2018-19 campaign. The veteran of 365 NHL games across 13 seasons has only made six NHL appearances for the Rangers since they acquired him from Pittsburgh at last year’s trade deadline and subsequently signed him to a one-way, two-year extension.

Today’s reassignment marks the end of his second recall since clearing waivers nearly six weeks ago. He’s been recalled for two stretches of at least a week recently, serving as a healthy extra with the Rangers shuffling their roster to get out of their 1-6-0 run in their last seven.

Ruhwedel has now been rostered for 18 days since last clearing waivers. If his next recall lasts more than 12 days, he’ll need waivers to return to Hartford at the end of it.

Rangers Recall Chad Ruhwedel, Reassign Matt Rempe

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It’ll be another short stay in the NHL for New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe. The organization announced they’ve reassigned Rempe to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and recalled defenseman Chad Ruhwedel in a corresponding roster move.

The Rangers recalled Rempe only yesterday with veteran forward Chris Kreider out with a minor injury. He skated in 9:26 of New York’s loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues last night and also narrowly avoided supplemental discipline. Four minutes into the third period, Rempe hit St. Louis forward Jake Neighbours with a late hit and was called for roughing on the play. The NHL Department of Player Safety gave the penalty a closer look due to the lateness but did not think it was forceful enough to warrant a suspension or fine.

He’ll now return to a Wolf Pack team where he’s spent much of the season. Rempe has scored two goals and three points in 10 games for AHL Hartford this season while posting a -7 rating.

Ruhwedel will return to the NHL after a seven-game stint with the Wolf Pack to reclaim his role as the Rangers’ seventh defenseman. After acquiring him from the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, the organization re-signed Ruhwedel to a one-year, $775K contract this past summer.

He recently tallied two assists in Hartford for his first AHL points since the 2018-19 season. He barely edged out his total number of games played with New York where he’s collected no points in six contests since joining the team on March 8th, 2024.

Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Ruhwedel And Mancini Assigned To AHL

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The New York Rangers have recalled forward Brett Berard from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League and have assigned defensemen Victor Mancini and Chad Ruhwedel to the AHL.

A former fifth-round pick in 2020, Berard will have an opportunity to make his NHL debut in just his second full season with the Wolf Pack after spending three seasons with Providence College of the NCAA. The 22-year-old had 25 goals and 23 assists in 71 AHL games last season and has produced better offensive numbers this season with seven goals and six assists in 16 AHL games thus far.

Going back to the AHL is Mancini, who himself is a former fifth-round pick (2022) and is in his second season of professional hockey, although he played just seven AHL games last season. The Hancock, Michigan native has dressed in ten NHL games for the Rangers this season and has produced decent offensive numbers with a goal and three assists while averaging 15:25 of ice time per game. Despite the offensive numbers, Mancini has been overwhelmed on the possession front, posting an abysmal 36.3 CF% at even strength.

Also headed to Hartford is veteran Ruhwedel. The former Stanley Cup champion has rarely seen AHL action since becoming an NHL regular in 2017-18. Ruhwedel played out a series of short-term one-way NHL contracts but had to settle for a two-way deal this past summer. This year the 34-year-old has played sparingly, with just one scoreless NHL appearance and seven AHL games.

The demotion of two defensemen to the AHL likely means that Zachary Jones will return to the Rangers lineup sooner rather than later.

Rangers Recall Chad Ruhwedel, Assign Victor Mancini

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The New York Rangers have made a swap on defense, recalling veteran Chad Ruhwedel from, and assigning rookie Victor Mancini to, the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Mancini has served as a healthy scratch for New York’s last four contests, and will now search for hardier ice time in the minor leagues.

Ruhwedel returns to the Rangers lineup after a brief stint in the minor leagues. He played in seven games for Hartford, recording two assists and four penalty minutes but otherwise failing to jump off the page. The stint was the longest Ruhwedel has had in the minor leagues since 2016-17, when he played in 28 games and scored 16 points for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He’s spent the time since serving as a stout seventh defender for the Pittsburgh Penguins and, thanks to a midseason trade last year, the Rangers. That’s been Ruhwedel’s role since he joined the NHL in 2012-13, when he signed with the Buffalo Sabres as an undrafted free agent. He’s gone on to total 365 appearances across 12 seasons, including this year thanks to one scoreless game in New York. Despite the long run in the league, Ruhwedel still sits one point shy of his 50th career NHL point.

While he searches for that, Mancini will look to continue his hot start to the season in the minor leagues. The 22-year-old recorded four points in the first nine NHL games of his career this season, and seemed capable of handling routine minutes on New York’s third pairing. But growing pains and lineup competition forced Mancini out of a spot, leaving him to build on the three assists he recorded in seven AHL games last year. New York originally drafted Mancini in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, following a strong freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He’d go on to total 23 points in 110 games with Nebraska-Omaha, turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 season. This assignment likely isn’t the end of Mancini’s NHL time this year, especially if he can breathe light into a Hartford team off to a menial start this season.

Rangers Reassign Chad Ruhwedel

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Oct. 25: Ruhwedel cleared waivers today, per Friedman. He was assigned to Hartford shortly thereafter, per the team.

Oct. 24: The Rangers have placed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel on waivers for assignment to AHL Hartford, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

If Ruhwedel clears and is assigned to Hartford, it will be his first AHL action since the 2018-19 campaign. The 34-year-old has been on NHL rosters as a bottom-pairing/press box option for the better part of the last nine years, spending most of his professional career with the Penguins. Ruhwedel was initially an undrafted free agent signing out of UMass-Lowell by the Sabres in 2013 but spent most of his time with Buffalo in the minors before signing with the Pens in 2016.

Ruhwedel logged some AHL time with the Penguins, making 33 appearances for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton across a pair of seasons, but was otherwise an NHL fixture. A serviceable, physical right-shot defender, Ruhwedel posted 47 points and 90 PIMs with a -7 rating in 326 games for Pittsburgh, averaging 1.73 hits per game. But with the Pens slipping out of the playoff picture and his contract set to expire last summer, they traded him to the Rangers on deadline day for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The San Diego native mostly sat in the press box down the stretch of the 2023-24 campaign. He logged five appearances for the Blueshirts, posting a -2 rating and 15 hits with one takeaway, averaging 14:08 per game. He didn’t suit up at all in the postseason.

While he was a UFA for nearly two weeks last summer, the Rangers brought Ruhwedel back on a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$400K). He was expected to compete for a roster spot as a No. 7 defenseman, a pathway that became quite clear after Ryan Lindgren began the season on injured reserve. But with Lindgren back in the lineup and rookie Victor Mancini catching the team’s attention in a bottom-pairing role with three points in his last three games, Ruhwedel finds himself on the outside looking in.

Ruhwedel had played once in the Rangers’ six games to start the year, serving as a healthy scratch for the other five. He skated 14:04 against the Maple Leafs on Oct. 19, recording a +2 rating with four blocks and two hits.

Rangers Re-Sign Chad Ruhwedel To Two-Way Deal

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The Rangers have signed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. The right-shot blue liner lands a two-way deal with a $775K cap hit, reports Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. He’ll earn $400K in the minors with a $450K guarantee, PuckPedia adds.

Ruhwedel, 34, had a challenging season in 2023-24. He made 47 appearances for the Penguins, where he’s suited up since signing as a free agent in 2016, scoring once and adding three assists for four points. While he’s never been relied upon for offense, he’s normally had serviceable possession metrics in a fringe bottom-pairing role. That wasn’t the case last season, though, as his 48.0 CF% and 46.9 xGF% were his worst as a Penguin. With Pittsburgh out of the playoff race, the Rangers picked Ruhwedel up at the trade deadline for some added blue-line insurance in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. He played in just five regular season games down the stretch and didn’t see any playoff action for the Blueshirts, though.

But Ruhwedel does have a longer track record of serving as an above-average seventh defender, a form New York could be banking on him returning to. Since making his debut for the Sabres back in 2012-13, Ruhwedel has amassed 13 goals, 36 assists, 49 points and a -9 rating in 364 contests while averaging 15:08 per game. He’s historically managed average possession metrics and is a fine two-way talent to deploy in a third-pairing role, although he doesn’t have any upside on special teams.

The Rangers being able to bring Ruhwedel back on a two-way deal is a tad intriguing, considering he hasn’t seen AHL ice since a five-game stint in 2018-19. For now, he still projects to win a roster spot out of camp as an extra defenseman, although his path to regular minutes is disadvantageous with Adam Fox, Braden Schneider and Jacob Trouba ahead of him on their RD depth chart. He’d have a shot at competing with Zachary Jones for a steady third-pairing role if he were a lefty, but that isn’t the case. They have a vacancy there after Erik Gustafsson departed for the Red Wings in free agency.

With parts of 12 NHL seasons under his belt, Ruhwedel would be an attractive claim candidate if he hits waivers in the fall or during the season.

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