O guards signed with the defender Chad Ruhwedel with one-year contract, president and general manager Chris Drury announced Friday.
Ruhwedel’s two-way deal with New York will be worth $775,000 at the NHL level ($400,000 in the AHL, with $450,000 guaranteed).
The Blueshirts acquired the 34-year-old defenseman at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He did not score a point in the five regular season games following the trade, while following up with seven bocks and 15 hits. Ruhwedel was minus-2 with an average of 14:08 on ice.
In 47 games with Pittsburgh, the 12-year NHL veteran recorded four points (one goal, three assists), 37 blocks and 75 hits and was minus-4 while averaging 12:33 on ice.
Although Ruhwedel did not appear for the Rangers during the Stanley Cup playoffs, he played in six playoff games with the Penguins during their 2017 Stanley Cup victory. He is minus-3 in 25 career postseason games, averaging 14 :35 on ice.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pound Ruhwedel broke into the NHL with the Buffalo Sabers during the 2012-13 season. After four seasons in the Buffalo organization, he spent the next seven seasons in Pittsburgh.
In 326 career games, he has 49 points (13 goals and 36 assists) and is minus-9, averaging 15:08 on the ice.
He recorded career highs in 2021-22 in games played (78), goals (4), assists (9), points (13), shots (82), hits (149) and blocks (86).
