Tarmo Reunanen Traded to Carolina Hurricanes for Maxim Letunov
Today is AHL trade deadline day, and the New York Rangers completed a trade sending Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Tarmo Reunanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Maxim Letunov.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have acquired forward Maxim Letunov from the Hurricanes in exchange for Tarmo Reunanen.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 28, 2022
Full details: https://t.co/2IAC3fTCj0
Letunov has spent the majority of his pro career in the AHL and has compiled a line of 49-57-106 in 199 games. This year was his first as a member of the Chicago Wolves, and thus far he’s scored 13 goals, assisted on 10, and tallied 23 points in 60 games.
The newest member of the Wolf Pack had a successful collegiate career at UConn, and went 35-60-95 in 105 games over three seasons. To date Letunov’s appeared in just three NHL games, and a lone goal to his name. The 6’4”, 181-pound forward turned 26 in February, and was originally selected by the St. Louis Blues 52nd overall during the 2014 draft, and will be a group 6 UFA after this season.
Reunanen, selected 98th overall at the 2016 draft, departs the Rangers as a victim of the numbers game. He was once considered a talented and interesting prospect with some solid upside, and a player who unfortunately was hampered by bad injury luck early on.
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The former Rangers’ rear guard spent the majority of his time in North America with the Wolf Pack, and in 61 games over two seasons posted a line of 6-28-34. A lot changed in the time from when Reunanen was drafted to now, and he was in a position where he’d be unable to carve out a spot for himself at the NHL level in New York.
Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller are here to stay for the foreseeable future, Patrik Nemeth is currently occupying a veteran spot on the third pair and both Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson are prospects who happened to be ahead of Reunanen on the depth chart.
This trade gives Tarmo a chance in another organization to make his mark, and in exchange the Rangers get an expiring contract who they can attempt to re-sign for AHL depth or let walk away for nothing.