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Wild acquire Ryan Reaves from Rangers after forward requested trade
The New York Rangers have traded forward Ryan Reaves to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2025.
Reaves is a 13-year NHL veteran who reportedly sought a change of scenery after being scratched in seven of the Rangers' past eight games while playing just 7:26 in the one contest he did play over that stretch. He did not record a point while averaging 8:27 in 12 games with the Rangers this season.
Ryan Reaves, traded from NYR to MIN today, requested a trade with his agent to GM Chris Drury while the team was in Los Angeles, per a source. The Rangers wanted to accommodate him, so they acted quickly. The Wild are taking on all of what's remaining on his $1.75M cap hit.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) November 23, 2022
"It's not for the fighting. He's a big personality. He's got a lot of energy. He's got swagger. We've been missing that," Wild GM Bill Guerin told The Athletic's Michael Russo after the trade. "The energy he brings is really good. And size. He's gonna help us get our identity back."
Last season, Reaves proved to be a valuable asset in the physicality department for New York, bringing extra protection to star players like Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers acquired Reaves from the Vegas Golden Knights in July 2021, sending a 2022 third-round pick (Nick Moldenhauer) Vegas’ way in return.
Reaves subsequently inked a one-year contract extension to keep him with the Rangers. He is signed through this season at a cap hit of $1.75 million. None of his salary was retained by New York in the transaction. Reaves will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
In 767 career NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Golden Knights and Rangers, Reaves has notched 54 goals and 114 points to go with 992 penalty minutes.
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