After a game on April Fool’s Day this year in which both New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils fans collectively chanted “we both suck,” the two sides of the battle of the Hudson have taken drastic steps to improve. Aside from finishing one and two in the draft lottery to select Jack Hughes and Kappo Kakko, both teams took advantage of cap strapped teams.
The Rangers managed to snag right-handed defenseman Jacob Trouba, who’s wanted out of Winnipeg for the better part of two years, for Neal Pionk‘s restricted free agent rights and the first round pick New York acquired from the Jets this past February in return for Kevin Hayes.