Rangers Rumored to Be Interested in Phil Kessel

There are few teams who can fit in a player who has a $6.8 million cap hit and has only six goals on the season, but the New York Rangers might be one of them. A team with a ton of cap space and an organization that is watching teams around them improve ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, the Rangers might be enticed to add a player with a strong history of playoff production.

The Rangers have the room to take on Kessel’s contract, especially if the Arizona Coyotes are willing to retain salary, which they logically would. The cost in terms of assets is minimal, but Frank Seravalli also doesn’t project the Rangers to big players in the rental market. If the price is incredibly low, could the Rangers take a swing?

Jason Gregor of the DFO Rundown podcast added that Kessel gets a bad rep sometimes for being laid back but he also notes that players have been very public about how much they like playing with him. How a player fits into a team’s locker room is also important. The risk versus the potential reward might be worth it.

The one thing that could slow a trade is the fact Kessel has a newborn at home and Kessel has a no-trade clause that allows him a chance to choose eight teams that he would be willIng to accept a trade to. Would he want to make the jump from the east coast to the west?

Rangers Shopping Georgiev

Another move to watch potentially coming out of New York is that the Rangers are trying to find a taker for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. There isn’t a lot of interest according to a few reports but Gregor wonders if the Edmonton Oilers will keep an eye on the situation.