Roslovic and Ruhwedel Ready to ‘Cherish’ Opportunity with Rangers 

Touched down in New York and ready for Broadway. 

Following the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Rangers’ newest acquisitions - forward Jack Roslovic and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel - arrived and are getting acclimated to their new club. While it’s been a whirlwind past few days, the duo is enthused about the opportunity. They, along with Alex Wennberg, have rounded out the Rangers’ roster as the team looks to embark on the regular season stretch run.  

“We filled some spaces that we needed filled,” Rangers Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “With both forwards, they both have played center. Roslovic has played mostly the wing, but knowing his past, he has played center so it’s always good to have center depth inside your lineup. Picking up another defenseman is a real positive as well.”

Roslovic was acquired on Friday from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 27-year-old right shot is known for his versatility, speed, playmaking and quick release. 

“I’ve always liked the way he plays the game,” Laviolette said. “He brings speed, the puck is on his stick, he has a good shot. He’s a guy who consistently over the last three or four years has put up 45-47 points. He comes in and gives us another piece to add to the forward group. I like his speed and the fact that he plays right wing and has played some center - it brings a good balance of what he brings to the table.”

Prior to joining the Rangers, Roslovic was heating up and generating at a point-per-game clip, compiling 13 points through his final 12 games with Columbus. 

“Bringing that pace of play to this team here is going to be something that I’ll cherish and make sure we continue on the same path,” Roslovic said.

For Roslovic, there’s quite a few familiar faces on the Rangers roster. The Columbus native overlapped in Winnipeg with Jacob Trouba (2016-19) and Blake Wheeler (2016-20), and while he was a year older, he had some crossover playing in the U.S. National Development Program with Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox.

“Hockey is a small world,” Roslovic said. “You run into everybody here or there, but I’ve played with some guys in Winnipeg and some guys in junior. It’s nice to be in a familiar dressing room.”

Ruhwedel joins the Rangers after having spent the past eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won the 2017 Stanley Cup. While initially it was a shock to leave the city that had become home for him, his wife and his two children, he was thrilled to be presented with the opportunity to come to New York. 

“[Ranked] first in the division, which is really exciting,” Ruhwedel said of the Rangers. “I’ve played here on the road a few times; it’s an awesome atmosphere. I think being on the flip side will be even better.”

The addition of Ruhwedel provides the Rangers with depth to their defensive core and the intangibles of his veteran presence. With a 5-foot-11, 191-pound frame and ability to play on either side despite being a right shot, Ruhwedel also adds another layer of versatility to the blueline. 

“[I try to play] steady defensively,” Ruhwedel said. “I can be on the penalty kill, block shots, try to work hard and try to be a consistent presence.”

ROSLOVIC AND WENNBERG MAKES RANGERS DEBUT AGAINST ST. LOUIS

Roslovic wasted no time in joining the Rangers lineup as he made his debut on Saturday night. He joined Alex Wennberg, who was acquired on Wednesday fromSeattle, in helping the Blueshirts to an eventual 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. 

Roslovic slotted in the lineup alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, logged 16:21 minutes and fired off two shots. Wennberg centered a line between Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko, where he skated 15:12 minutes and notched his first point as a Ranger as he assisted on Kakko’s late power play tally. 

“It’s always a little bit more challenging jumping into something new,” Laviolette said postgame. “I thought Roslovic did a really good job bringing his speed and having the puck on his stick and creating in the offensive zone. The line looked dangerous to me. I thought Wennberg’s line with Kaapo and Cuylle was really good as well. They were good defensively and generated chances. On the power play, their unit got out there and did some good things with that as well. For them, jumping into a new team, new system, new lineup, new building - it’s exciting, but it’s challenging as well. I thought they played a really good game.”

While it was an eventful stretch for the Rangers’ newest acquisitions, the experience of taking the ice at Madison Square Garden as a Blueshirt didn’t disappoint. 

“It’s a dream come true playing here, even as the away team,” Wennberg said with a smile. “But playing here as [part of] the home team on a Saturday night and to get the win - does it get better than that? No, not at all.”