The Seattle Kraken have traded center Alex Wennberg to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick, with Seattle retaining 50% of Wennberg’s salary.
With 25 points in 60 games this season, Wennberg now has an opportunity for a Stanley Cup run, a prospect that seemed unlikely had he stayed with Seattle.
For Seattle, moving Wennberg makes sense as he’s in the final year of his contract with a $4.5 million AAV cap hit. The Rangers are gaining a center whose numbers have declined from the previous season but can still offer offensive contribution and depth.
Hearing the New York Rangers are closing in on a trade for Kraken center Alex Wennberg.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) March 6, 2024
This trade reflects the kind of move made by serious contenders like the Rangers, focusing on bolstering depth crucial for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Wennberg is expected to center the third line for the Rangers.
The Nils Lundkvist angle here is simply that #NYR are flipping the Dallas pick they received for him in the September 2022 trade and the condition was attached to the selection at that time.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 6, 2024
For the Rangers, acquiring Wennberg is a low-risk, high-reward move. If he performs well in the playoffs, they might consider re-signing him at a more affordable rate during the offseason.
In the best-case scenario for Wennberg in New York, his production could match or exceed his previous season’s output with Seattle, where he tallied 38 points. The Rangers’ overall forward talent might facilitate this resurgence, and Wennberg’s defensive abilities make him a valuable bottom-six center.
Seattle also benefits from this trade by acquiring two draft picks for a pending unrestricted free agent, a preferable outcome compared to losing him for nothing. Overall, both teams seem to have benefited from the trade considering their respective standings and objectives.