New York Rangers Rumor Mill: What's Most Likely to Happen?

The New York Rangers, regardless of how they finish in a season are always subject to many trade rumors throughout the offseason.

The fact that they have been out this long coupled with the way they went out has led to more rumors then we can count! Naturally, due to all of those rumors out there, some carry more weight than others, and some could be just ignored outright.

What I did was go through the 10 biggest New York Rangers offseason rumors and ranked them according to how strongly I feel about each of their probability to happen and/or legitimacy by insider.

1. Hank Is Safe

The one thing that I would definitely think is 100 percent accurate is the notion that the Rangers, under any circumstances, will not deal their veteran goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. These reports from all of the top NHL insiders out their (literally all of them at one point in time or another) have also said that prospects Pavel Buchnevich and Brady Skeji are untouchable as well.

2. Nash is Being Shopped

Everyone from Elliote Friedman to Larry Brooks has been talking about the Rangers gauging interest in winger Rick Nash from around the league. Nash’s no movement clause will expire after the Stanley Cup Final (so in about a week and a half at most) and it will become a limited no trade clause where he can make a list of 12 teams he’d be willing to be dealt to. Even with his cap hit of $7.8 million, the fact that the 2 time 40 goal scorer has two years still remaining on his deal can make him an attractive option for teams.

3. Dan Girardi will not be bought out

Larry Brooks, in his ground breaking article a few weeks ago, said that the Rangers would not buy out Dan Girardi this offseason. That doesn’t mean they won’t try to deal him though. If the Rangers were to buyout Girardi, he would be on their cap due to penalties till 2023-2024. Considering that, it would be incredibly stupid for the Rangers to buy him out. If Chris Pronger’s contract could be traded when he hadn’t even played for a few years, somebody trying to reach the cap floor will take on Girardi’s. When and if that will happen? I don’t know. But I think it is fair to say if the Rangers can’t trade him, he is staying put.

Related Story: New York Rangers Have Few Untouchables This Off-Season

4. No Rebuild is coming

Bob McKenzie also reported that the Rangers will attempt to “retool” and “shuffle the deck” instead of trying to “rebuild”. I think that is the right decision. Look at the San Jose Sharks for instance, a team that has struggled for the past 1 or 2 years who decided to just retool the bottom 6 depth at forward and make a couple other roster decisions while keeping the core together. They are in the finals and only 3 games– as this is being written– away from hoisting the Cup! If the Rangers managent shifts its mindset to thinking the core is Stepan, McDonagh, Brassard, Yandle (if re-signed), Hayes, Kreider instead of one featuring Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, I think the core of this team could win. It all depends on their definition of it.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Eric Staal and Dominic Moore will leave via Unrestricted Free Agency

If there is one thing that everyone in the Rangers universe can agree on, it is the team wanting to get younger. What is one way to do that? Let the 31 year Eric Staal and the 35-year-old Dominic Moore leave. The Rangers may be able to move Eric Staal’s FA rights to another team for a late round pick due to his name and the demand around the league for top 6 centers. Staal hinted to his departure in the exit interviews by using words like “they” and “them”. Moore would be a much easier guy to bring back, but due to how weak the 4th line was last year, Moore might be a scapegoat for Tanner Glass, who hopefully could be shipped out of New York as well.

6. The Rangers will bring in another Russian to ease the transition of Pavel Buchnevich

The former third round pick Buchnevich will be coming over to play hockey in North America for the first time this upcoming season. The transition will not be an easy one, especially with the language barrier. At this point, the only Ranger on the roster who speaks fluent Russian is Chris Kreider, so the team may try to bring in a fellow countryman as well. Whether that Russian is a former NHL player or an older KHL exclusive player, nobody knows. One thing I can almost guarantee you is it won’t be former Predators forward Alexander Radulav, who is reportedly looking for $7.5 million a season.

7. Keith Yandle will not be back

Even during the season, there had been rumors about defenseman Keith Yandle being on the move either via trade or during free agency. Brooks has reported that while the Rangers and Yandle’s agent have talked, no deal is imminent and that Yandle is more likely to hit free agency and leave then to re-sign with the Rangers, but there is still hope. Yandle has expressed how much he loves it here and how he wants to come back. Hopefully he takes a pay cut to make that happen, because that may be the only way that has any chance of happening.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

8. A Young Center May Be Moved

In this league, centers, namely young centers, are all high in demand and high in value. If the Rangers really want to shake things up and recoup picks, trading a guy like Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard or Kevin Hayes would be a major step. Both Larry Brooks and Bob McKenzie have said that GM Jeff Gorton’s phone has been ringing about Stepan and Brassard, and Larry Brooks went as far to say that the Minnesota Wild are very interested in bringing in Stepan. In the case of Stepan and Brassard, I think it is in the team’s best interest to hold on to the two of them in almost all scenarios, but if the team does think they could improve by a deal, I think they are going to take it, as they should.

9. Kevin Shattenkirk is coming to the Rangers

New York Daily News Rangers beat writer Pat Leonard has suggested many times since the middle of last season that the Rangers should look to acquire defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk from the St. Louis Blues in a Rick Nash trade. The Rangers will not do this. Shattenkirk has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.25 million dollars. The Rangers aren’t interested in a guy who, according to the big name insiders, has only one year left on his deal and will need to be re-signed for what is expected to be an asking price of $6 million plus.

May 26, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) shakes hands with Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Patric Hornqvist (72) following game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center. Pittsburgh won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Don Wright-USA TODAY Sports /

Next: New York Rangers Summer Boot Camp: GM Edition

10. Rangers are in the hunt for Steven Stamkos

Rumors of the former 60 goal scorer coming to the Rangers via free agency this offseason are extremely outlandish. The Rangers are in a cap crunch, first off. Even if they trade Rick Nash and, for sake of argument, take no money back in the deal, they would be best served to use that money to get their RFA’s and Keith Yandle re-signed, while having a little extra money to bring in a scoring third line wing. Stamkos said that he envisions a future with Tampa Bay, and why wouldn’t he? The team has made the Eastern Conference finals for 2 straight years now. Of all the rumors out there so far this offseason, this is the one with the least chance of happening.

Home/Editorials

New York Rangers Rumor Mill: What’s Most Likely to Happen?

By John Williams | Jun 6, 2016