Amid a brutal stretch of play, the New York Rangers shook up their roster in December with a pair of major trades. The Rangers dealt their captain, defenseman Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6 for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

There’s been a lot of issues with the New York Rangers this season. Sure, head coach Peter Laviolette deserves some fault – but this time the organization should direct the blame at the players first before even thinking about the 60-year-old.

As it stands, the Penguins are in fourth-to-last place in the Eastern Conference and carry a goal differential of minus-36. It's a Penguins season that is on pace to be the worst since Sidney Crosby's rookie year in 2005-06.

Here are three takeaways after the New York Rangers closed their road trip with a 5-3 comeback win against the Utah Hockey Club.

On the day goaltender Tristan Jarry was jettisoned on waivers, with the Pittsburgh Penguins sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference and on track for their lowest full-season point total since Sidney Crosby’s rookie year,

Josh Yohe of The Athletic: Earlier in the season, the New York Rangers offered forward Mika Zibanejad to the Vancouver Canucks for forward J.T. Miller. The Canucks said no. The Rangers are interested in re-acquiring Miller. NHL Rumors: What Will it Take for the Montreal Canadiens Not to Sell?

Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins blew another third-period lead, losing to the Seattle Kraken. The Pittsburgh Penguins had a critical five-game homestand and collected just three points thanks to a 1-3-1 record. They wrapped it up on Tuesday night by losing to the Seattle Kraken 4-2.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are struggling right now. After narrowly missing out on the playoffs last year, they got off to a bit of a rough start and are mostly treading water.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (18-20-8) tanked their recent five-game homestand, winning only once. The resulting fallout was a drop in the standings behind six teams for a playoff spot, and general manager Kyle Dubas waived starting goalie Tristan Jarry.

The Vancouver Canucks reportedly turned down a trade offer from the New York Rangers that would have seen J.T Miller return to the Big Apple with a former Rangers teammate heading back to Vancouver.

The Florida Panthers have never appeared in an outdoor game. This is set to change in 2026 when they host the New York Rangers for the Winter Classic.