Two days after he was held out of the lineup for trade-related reasons, Seattle Kraken forward Alex Wennberg is off to the Big Apple. The New York Rangers are finalizing a deal to acquire the 29-year-old for the stretch run, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

“Hearing the New York Rangers are closing in on a trade for Kraken center Alex Wennberg,” the insider reported on Wednesday afternoon.

Going back to the Kraken is a second and a fourth-round pick, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

Wennberg should be a nice middle-six piece for a Blueshirts team that is likely to be without both Blake Wheeler and Filip Chytil for the 2024 postseason. He figures to anchor the third line, and could be a very effective 3C and penalty killer in the proper role.

This marks the first time the Rangers and Kraken have completed a trade since Seattle joined the league at the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign.

Last trade deadline, New York focused on skill, adding both Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to the roster. But despite the star power, the Rangers were unable to outlast the New Jersey Devils, being upset in seven games in Round 1.

Chris Drury and the front office are signalling a different approach this time around, adding a player who is just as known for his defense as he is for his offense. And with a ton of firepower up front, that's probably exactly what this squad needs.

Rangers needed forward depth, got forward depth

Although the Rangers are one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League, with 11 wins in their last 14 tries, improving the offensive depth was a key need ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline.

And that's exactly what GM Chris Drury did, bringing a former first-round pick (No. 14 overall in the 2013 NHL Draft) to New York. Here's what hockey insider JFresh had to say about the player:

“Alex Wennberg, acquired by NYR, is a two-way playmaking centre. Has been playing big match-up minutes in Seattle but will likely slide in as a decent 3C for the Rangers.”

The Kraken will also be retaining 50 percent of Wennberg's $4.5 million cap hit in the swap.

NY is not in action again until the weekend against the St. Louis Blues, and Alex Wennberg should make his Rangers debut on a Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.