2023 NHL Trade Deadline Playbook: New York Rangers

Credit: © Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

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With less than two months remaining until the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline, we’re bringing you one deadline-focused story each day at Daily Faceoff.

Today we’re going to setup the deadline for the New York Rangers.

2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: 51 Days

NEW YORK RANGERS
Current Record: 23-12-7, 53 points, 3rd in Metropolitan Division
GM: Chris Drury (2nd Year)
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant (2nd Year)
Captain: Jacob Trouba (1st Year)

Last Year: Lost in Eastern Conference Final (4-2) to Tampa Bay Lightning.

Current Lineup: Click Here

Goals For: 3.24 (16th)
Goals Against: 2.71 (8th)
Power Play: 23.1% (15th)
Penalty Kill: 81% (12th)

Key Offseason Additions
C Vincent Trocheck – Signed 7-years, $39.4 million
G Jaroslav Halak – Signed 1-year, $1.5 million
RW Vitali Kravtsov – Returned from Russia

Key Offseason Subtractions
C Ryan Strome – Signed with Anaheim
C Andrew Copp – Signed with Detroit
G Alexandar Georgiev – Traded to Colorado
RD Nils Lundkvist – Traded to Dallas
LW Frank Vatrano – Signed with Anaheim
LW Tyler Motte – Signed with Ottawa

Trainer’s Table
Chris Kreider: Day-to-Day (Jan. 11)
Julien Gauthier: Day-to-Day (Jan. 11)
The Rangers have been remarkably healthy this season. Ten players, including all of their stars, have played the full 42-game complement. C Filip Chytil has missed eight games (Oct. 25-Nov. 6 and Dec. 2-3). Other games missed have mostly been healthy scratches.

2022 Deadline Playbook

It’s often instructive to look back and see what the GM did last year to get a hint as to what might come next.

March 16, 2022
To NY Rangers: Frank Vatrano
To Florida: 2022 4th Round Pick

March 21, 2022
To NY Rangers: Justin Braun
To Philadelphia: 2023 3rd Round Pick

March 21, 2022
To NY Rangers: Andrew Copp, 2023 6th Round Pick
To Winnipeg: Morgan Barron, 2022 1st Round Pick (Brad Lambert), 2022 2nd Round Pick (Elias Salomonsson), 2023 5th Round Pick

March 21, 2022
To NY Rangers: Tyler Motte
To Vancouver: 2023 4th Round Pick

That means the Rangers gave up a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and two 4ths, plus Barron (who is contributing to Winnipeg’s lineup this season) for a 10-week run with four players who all ended up departing as free agents.

How did we get here?

Last year’s version of the Rangers was almost universally viewed as a below-average team in most aspects that was propped up by a Vezina Trophy campaign from Igor Shesterkin. He posted a sparkling .935 save percentage while the Rangers were consistently outshot and outchanced. Yet, it was New York’s youth that set expectations for this season.

New York’s “Kid Line” with Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko was such an integral force during the Rangers’ playoff run that many assumed all three would carry over that growth to this season. Along with continued progress from K’Andre Miller, significant contributions from locked up franchise cornerstones in Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad, and Igor The Equalizer between the pipes, Broadway was dreaming of a Metropolitan Division title with true Stanley Cup contender hopes.

That hasn’t exactly panned out to this point, though it’s gotten better of late. As the Rangers have learned, development in the NHL is not always a straight line. And there was a few weeks stretch earlier this season that reminded all that if Shesterkin struggled, it could all crumble around them.

Deadline Posture: Buyers

Thanks to a 12-2-2 run, the temperature has cooled significantly in Manhattan. But make no mistake: as the Rangers swooned in November and sat on the outside and looked in at a playoff spot, ownership was breathing down the neck of the typically reserved Chris Drury.

How will any potential pressure from the Rangers’ hierarchy impact Drury’s deadline plans as he looks to build on a final four appearance from one year ago?

It’s entirely possible that after taking a couple big swings last year, Drury decides to take a more conservative approach when staring down a daunting road through the Eastern Conference. That typically isn’t in this organization’s modus operandi though. They have the future assets, salary cap space and recent playoff success to go big-game hunting.

Top Objective: Dynamic Top 6 Winger

The slower maturation of Lafreniere and Kakko, plus an pedestrian power play, has propped the door wide open for a dynamic top-six winger to skate into the fold. This player’s addition would serve two purposes: 1) to increase overall offensive production specifically on the power play and 2) push down Lafreniere or Kakko further down the lineup where, with different matchups and more support, they can continue to develop with less pressure to perform.

Secondary Objective: Steady Partner for Braden Schneider

Jacob Trouba has been paired with K’Andre Miller (685:23), while Adam Fox has skated alongside Ryan Lindgren (661:28) for the bulk of the season. That’s left 21-year-old Braden Schneider to fend for himself a bit at times. His most common partner has been Zac Jones (161:28), who is now in the minors, or Libor Hajek (142:03) – which is less than ideal. Finding a reliable partner and steadying influence for Schneider will help settle him and New York’s third pair down.

Potential Targets

Option 1. Timo Meier, San Jose Sharks

Over the last couple weeks, Meier has risen toward the top of the Rangers’ list. His is a near perfect stylistic fit for New York. Imagine the possibilities. As a pure shooter, he could deposit feeds from No. 1 distributor in the league in Artemi Panarin. Or he could skate with the No. 1 net-front scorer in Chris Kreider and No. 16 clutch player in Mika Zibanejad. Plus, add in the fact the Meier would slide seamlessly into New York’s age scheme, and you can see it all come together. For more on Meier, read his in-depth trade deadline player profile.

Option 2. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

New York’s intrigue in Kane has been a poorly kept secret, dating back to last year’s Draft in Montreal. That’s when the whispers began. Reuniting Kane with his old linemate Panarin would be a reason to start spreading the news. Kane’s production has struggled of late, but Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson seemed to hint this current injury has hampered Kane for a bit, which might explain it.

The Rangers are one of a very few contending teams that could take Kane’s cap hit at 50 percent, without the need for a third-party broker. One hiccup might be re-signing Kane long-term. Depending on how much the salary cap increases, there won’t be a lot of extra to go around with Miller, Chytil, Lafreniere needing new deals, along with a backup goaltender.

The other potential hiccup: Does Kane want to move at all? He holds all the cards with a full ‘no-trade’ clause. And what does “Showtime” think of Broadway and the Rangers’ chances to win?

Option 3. Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks

Boeser is an intriguing fit, given that he’ll come a lot cheaper than Kane and also isn’t an expiring contract. He fits New York’s age scheme well, he can put pucks in the back of the net when he gets rolling, and he seems like the prime change-of-scenery candidate at the deadline.

If Drury is gun shy about trading so much last year for players that walked in the summer, Boeser is an option with a relatively low risk profile. Some teams have speculated that the market for Boeser is a second-round pick given his current contract. If he is a prime fit in New York, then his contract is manageable to try and wedge in for next season. If not, he could be flipped in the summer for an asset that recoups a part of that with a lower pick.

Option 4. James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers

Death, taxes and ‘JVR’ scoring 22-25 goals per season. You can almost guarantee it. He missed a part of this season with a fractured finger, but he’s back to scoring at that pace again over a full season. He could easily slide onto a line with Trocheck and Panarin, instantly contribute goals at even-strength and in the net-front on the power play. Plus, he grew up a Ranger fan – which undoubtedly makes New York an attractive option for the pending free agent.

On the back end: Vladislav Gavrikov

Gavrikov will be in high demand at the deadline and his style of play is exactly the type of defender that coach Gerard Gallant would covet. He can munch minutes, break up plays, and withstand pressure on the forecheck.

Trade Chips

What do the Rangers have to give?

Projected $7 million in salary cap space
Extra 2023 1st Round Pick (Dallas) from October’s Nils Lundkvist trade.
LD Zac Jones: 2019 3rd Round Pick (68th overall), 38 NHL GP, currently in AHL Hartford
LW Brennan Othmann: 2021 1st Round Pick (16th overall), World Junior gold medal winner, OHL Peterborough
C Bryce McConnell-Barker: 2022 3rd Round Pick (97th overall), OHL Sault Ste. Marie

While there’s been no shortage of speculation that a healthy scratch for No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere might indicate that he could potentially be moved, there has been no indication that the Rangers would actually consider trading him or any of the other ‘Kid Line’ members. Here’s the thing to remember: Lafreniere has been in the NHL for three seasons now and he’s still just 21. Kakko is 21. Chytil is 23. They’re young and they’re still growing. More to the point: There probably isn’t anyone potentially on the move this deadline that would make the Rangers think long and hard about giving up on them, because they have the assets to land who they’d like without doing so.

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