The Rangers continue to be active ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline, as they appear to be a finalist to land Jake Guentzel, but don’t forget about the other big move that the Blueshirts completed on Wednesday, acquiring forward Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Wennberg called it “a dream come true” to play for the Rangers, as he grew up idolizing a certain New York netminder.

“The opportunity is great, First of all, it’s a dream come true to play for the Rangers, to me,” Wennberg said. “But then also, in this position pushing for the playoffs. [Playing] with a team like Seattle, we were fighting to get in, and now instead I feel like I can help this team push to the playoffs, and I want to win the Cup as well, so it’s a great opportunity.

He added: “Obviously, it’s one of the biggest teams in the league, for sure. And for me as a Swede growing up, Henrik Lundqvist was a favorite for sure. So obviously you paid extra attention to them growing up.”

It didn’t take long for Wennberg to arrive in New York, as he hopped on the red-eye and was able to skate with his new teammates at Thursday’s practice.

“He’s going to be well-acclimated, having two days of practice and being able to get with video and work on a couple of drills each day out here with regards to the system,” said head coach Peter Laviolette. “I think that helps acclimate him and work him into it. I don’t see any issues or problems for him being ready to go next game.”

Something else that helps Wennberg is that he has a good bit of familiarity with some of his teammates. He played with Artemi Panarin in Columbus, and as he said on Thursday, he has some fellow countrymen with him in New York.

“I have my Swedes here that take care of me,” Wennberg said with a smile, referring to players like Mika Zibanejad and Erik Gustafsson.

A 29-year-old center, Wennberg should fit in nicely as a bottom-six player for the Rangers. In 60 games this season, Wennberg has nine goals and 16 assists, but he’s more known for his play on the other end of the ice, and he hopes his game will translate well in a Rangers uniform.

“I hope I can bring, obviously my skillset is to play both offensively and defensively, so chip in on all sides of the ice, and obviously for me, find my role here,” Wennberg said. “Right away, they’ve welcomed me to this group to just find my spot and my role.”

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