First, the Rangers sent veteran Lee Stempniak to the Jets for fellow winger Carl Klingberg. They then added gritty center James Sheppard via the Sharks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft.
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Both moves fit the profile of minor rearranging as the Rangers gear up for a Stanley Cup run.
Stempniak, 32, is more of a coupe for the Jets than Klingberg is for the Rangers. Winnipeg sought forward depth coming into the weekend, and the 10-year veteran’s nine goals and 18 points in 53 games this season will fill that role on a cheap contract. Meanwhile, Klingberg has spent most of the season in AHL St. John’s.
Sheppard, 26 and a former ninth overall pick, could play in a more prominent role with the Rangers than Stempniak. He’s got five goals and 16 points through 57 games this season and can be a useful penalty killer. Sheppard could join a line with Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast to form a championship-caliber shutdown fourth line.
As part of the trade, the Sharks agreed to pay $100,000 of Sheppard’s $1.3 million contract to allow the Rangers to fit him under the salary cap.
Stempniak, Klingberg and Sheppard are all pending unrestricted free agents.
