The Rangers pulled a quick and somewhat surprising trade Monday afternoon.
They dealt veteran forward Mike Rupp to Minnesota for forwards Darroll Powe and Nick Palmieri.
Rupp, 33, has played for five different teams — including Phoenix and New Jersey multiple times. He’s spent the last two seasons with the Rangers, but has played only sparingly. He played in 6:15 minutes per game this season and has no points. He saw action in 60 games last season and had just four goals and one assist.
Instead, the Wild acquire Rupp to provide a veteran presence to a young core and the Rangers add two younger players, including one prospect. Powe, 27, played in all 82 games for the Wild last season and had 13 points. He has none this season, though he’s played in every game and seen 11:41 minutes per game.
Palmieri may be the more intriguing name. The 23-year-old is playing for Houston in the AHL and has 10 goals and 11 assists in 40 games. Palmieiri was a third-round pick by the Devils in 2007 before being traded to the Wild last season. He’s played in 87 NHL games over the last three seasons with the Devils and Wild and has 13 goals and 12 assists in his NHL career.
