If the New York Rangers are in the thick of things by March, expect them to be big players at this year’s NHL trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. When asked during a recent mailbag article who the Rangers might be targeting, Staple dropped the names of some pretty marquee players and noted that the team might have the salary-cap space to make more than one move.
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Among the more notable names mentioned was San Jose Sharks’ center Tomas Hertl. He’s among the more interesting pending free agent targets possibly ready to hit the trade market. Still, Staple didn’t stop there. He mentioned the Rangers might target names like Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux, Los Angeles Kings winger Dustin Brown or Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan. Of course, there have been talks by other NHL insiders suggesting the Rangers would be keenly interested in a player like Patrick Kane if the Blackhawks decided to see if Kane would be open to moving as part of a full Blackhawks’ rebuild.
Staple also suggests the Rangers would be willing to give up a lot to acquire what they need to make them contenders this season. He writes:
If there’s something really worth going for and the team is still sitting in a solid position, you’d think the Rangers’ first-rounder could be in play. That pick may end up in the 23-to-28 range, and if the Rangers are picking twice in the 55-to-64 range, they could package those to move up for a player they like close to where they’d be picking with the first-rounder.
Staple also notes that he’s not sure the Rangers would want to surrender either Zachary Jones or Matthew Robertson for a rental, “but that likely depends on who you’re trying to rent.”
Rangers to Go All-In?
Staple was asked directly how GM Chris Drury should approach the deadline and his response was to go all-in. Saying you never know what could happen when you make the postseason, the Rangers don’t need a whole lot more to be a tough out in the playoffs. A veteran defenseman and a winger to help with 5-on-5 scoring would be among their priorities.
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