PITTSBURGH — Chad Ruhwedel is still waiting to make his Rangers debut.
The defenseman, who the Rangers acquired from the Penguins before the deadline in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick, has yet to play with his new team, including in a 7-4 win over the Penguins at his old team on Saturday.
He participated in warm-ups but was a healthy scratch.
The 33-year-old Ruwedel was expected to help fill the void left by Jacob Trouba’s lower-body injury as the second right-handed shooter behind Quandre Miller, but Braden Schneider has largely filled the void as Miller’s partner. , played that role again on Saturday.
Ruwedel spent the previous seven-plus seasons with the Penguins, winning a Stanley Cup with the team.
He received a video tribute during the first period, but it was a bit anti-climactic as he suited up and hugged the crowd from the press box.
Adam Fox went to the ground after blocking a shot by Kris Letang during the second period and appeared uncomfortable when he returned to the bench.
But even though he looked like he was struggling, he fought through it and scored a goal and an assist.
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette didn’t remove anyone from his lineup Saturday after Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Lightning, but he did replace Jimmy Vasey and Will Quill.
Vesey skated on the third line with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko, and Quill skated on the fourth line with Barclay Goodrow and Johnny Brodzinski.
Laviolette could have replaced the suspended Matt Lempe with 6-foot-7, 234-pound Matt Edstrom, whom he recalled from AHL Hartford on Friday.
Brodzinski, who replaced Rempe on Saturday, hasn’t impressed in two games and Edstrom could have been in the lineup, but Edstrom was a healthy scratch.
Brodzinski also had a quiet showing on Saturday.
Edstrom was called up on an emergency basis due to injury, meaning he will not count towards one of the four callups allowed after the trade deadline.
Forwards Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafreniere and Wennberg were furious after Thursday’s game, but all played Saturday.
Chris Kreider played his 800th career game on Saturday, the 10th most in franchise history.
Quandre Miller fed Vincent Trocheck, who set up Panarin’s shot in front of the net to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the first period, and the assist marked Miller’s 100th career point.
