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Rangers Trade Matt Puempel to Detroit Red Wings for Ryan Sproul

The New York Rangers have acquired defenseman Ryan Sproul from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Matt Puempel.

Sproul is 24 and stands 6’4” and weighs 205 pounds. He is a right-handed shot who has spent 220 games in the AHL with a stat line of 29 goals and 66 assists and 95 points. This year with the Grand Rapids Griffins he has a goal and three assists for four points.

He has additionally appeared in 28 NHL games with a goal and six assists for seven points.

In September Sproul was ranked No. 8 by Winging It In Motown for the Red Wings top 25 players under the age of 25, and here is what Mike Bremer had to say on Sproul’s outlook at the time.

Sproul still has not recovered from his partial ACL tear and might not be ready to go at the start of the season. This is not good news for either Sproul or the organization as Sproul needed to have a good off-season and come into training camp with all cylinders firing. Instead, he will have to work his way through the lineup from a disadvantaged position just to get a crack on the third defensive pair, and it may take an extended injury to another defenseman for him to see much time.

However, if Sproul can bring the right attitude to his development and hit the ground running when his opportunity arises, he could re-establish himself, which is an exciting prospect. To do that he absolutely has to become more responsible in front of Howard and Mrazek, but Sproul had a particularly bad second season in the AHL and rebounded solidly the next year. He may rubberband once again.

Sproul cleared waivers earlier this season so he can go straight to Hartford, but it remains to be seen if he will stay there. Overall this was a low-cost move for the Rangers to make. New York claimed Puempel on waivers last year, and he tallied nine points in 27 games.

He was re-signed in the off season to make him eligible for selection by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. Puempel’s cap hit was $725,000 and Sproul’s is $625,000 so it is a potential savings of $100,000.

The only thing odd about this move is that the Rangers have brought yet another defender into the system, but this time the Blueshirts added someone who shoots right handed.

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