New York Rangers Reporter, Larry Brooks Causes Hysteria
We have talked numerous times this offseason on this blog about how the Rangers will be making a lot of roster decisions this offseason including trades and signings, which is very well warranted. The Rangers, despite garnering over 100 points in the regular season for the second straight year, had so many holes in their game, namely on the defensive side of the puck, something that had been their M.O. for the past decade.
Larry Brooks reported in his bombshell article at 9:55 PM Wednesday night that besides Henrik Lundqvist, Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich, nobody on the roster will be safe from trade discussions. Brooks also reported that while the team will listen to offers for him, defenseman Dan Girardi will not be bought out of his contract this offseason. He has not yet been asked to waive his no trade clause, but that could just be because they don’t have a trade offer on the table for him right now.
What does all of this mean right now for the Rangers?
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This off-season is going to be even more crucial than it was thought to be before. As much as a lot of bloggers and Rangers fans alike don’t have positive feelings for Brooks, he is the most plugged in member of the Rangers’ beat to the organization, so his words do carry a bit of weight.
This means that players like captain Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash (who I wrote about here), Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard and the rest of the team are all available for the right price. Brooks also noted that Derek Stepan is available on the trade market as well, and his hometown Minnesota Wild should be expected to make a big push after him.
As I mentioned above, the Rangers aren’t just going to be moving these players for pebbles. Players like Stepan and McDonagh are going to require massive returns of players, prospects and picks. Hell, if Erik Gudbranson cost the Vancouver Canucks 19-year-old Jared McCann, and a 2nd and 4th round pick, the Rangers would need a top NHL prospect and numerous picks for McDonagh. And just a quick aside while we are talking about that Canucks trade, that has to give you hope that the Rangers could get a very solid return for Marc Staal.
At the end of the day, I severely doubt that Stepan, McDonagh, Brassard and Zuccarello are going anywhere. With that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if any other player on the team besides the three untouchables Brooks mentioned were shipped out of Broadway. I believe Dan Girardi, for better or worse, will be on the Rangers roster come opening night of the 2016-2017 season as well.
While Brooks didn’t say this in his article, two guys that I personally believe are at the biggest risk to be traded are forwards Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes. Both of them are RFAs this offseason and with the Rangers’ cap crunch, it may be tough to improve the team and keep them both. I would imagine if the Rangers did end up moving one or both of them, they would end up getting solid prospects and picks back. I don’t think it is inconceivable to think that the Rangers could probably go out and get a first round pick this year for Hayes and have Buchnevich take his roster spot next season.
Brooks also mentioned in his post a few other things. Firstly, the Rangers and Keith Yandle’s agent have had some dialogue so far this offseason, but there is no extension imminent right now, and Brooks reported that it is still more likely than not that Yandle leaves via free agency then gets re-signed, which I think the Rangers can’t let happen, unless they get a good offensive defenseman in a trade.
The Rangers, according to Brooks, will also try to sign winger Jimmy Vesey of Harvard. He is a former draft pick of the Predators (66th overall in the 2012 draft), and will become a free agent on August 15 when his draft rights expire. Brooks reports that the Rangers don’t appear to be a front runner, but they could very well make a push.
Bottom Line
Of course I don’t know what the Rangers are going to do this offseason, and neither does anybody else. The one thing that is for sure is that the GM Jeff Gorton will be very busy all summer long, and if anything else, this should be a really entertaining offseason for the Rangers fans.
Changes will be made, stay tuned.