New York Rangers Rumors: 2016 NHL Draft Rumors and Rumblings

With so many rumors floating around the web right now, how can you keep up with them all? Well, at Blue Line Station, we have you covered!

The day that unofficially officially starts the offseason is finally here! A bunch of trades will undoubtedly go down during the 2016 NHL Draft both tonight and tomorrow, some potentially including the New York Rangers. With the exception of Henrik Lundqvist, everybody and their mother on the Rangers’ roster has been surrounded by trade rumors since the season ended. The most prominent names in these rumors are the likes of Rick Nash and Derick Stepan.

Now to get you in the mood for tonight’s festivities, as well as keep you up to date, here are all the latest rumors (from credible sources) surrounding the New York Rangers, and other teams and players that the Rangers may be interested in talking to.

My Take: Kulikov is fairly nice, young enough defender with a modest cap hit of $4.3 million a season. If the Rangers were to find a new home for either Dan Girardi or Marc Staal, Kulikov could be a decent fit. I don’t think, however, the Rangers will try to trade for him due to his cap hit and the fact that he only has 1 year left on his contract.

– Rangers know they need to protect Dan Girardi in the expansion draft next summer because pf the no-move clause throughout his contract.

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My Take: Now that the Rangers know the details of the expansion draft, they SHOULD know they will need to try to trade Girardi. Larry Brooks wrote in his column that the Rangers could still expose Girardi in the draft if he agreed to waive his no-movement clause. I think that is very unlikely, so unless he is traded, expect to continue to see Girardi in a Rangers uniform.

-St. Louis Blue’s GM Doug Armstrong is allowing teams to talk contract extension with Kevin Shattenkirk‘s agent in order to trade him.

My Take: If I am Jeff Gorton, I would put in a call to Armstrong and see what the deal is. My guess is Gorton and Armstrong have already talked trade before this offseason, though. If the team wouldn’t give Keith Yandle the contract he got in Florida with the Panthers, they definitely won’t pay Shattenkirk the expected $7 million it is going to take to get him signed long term.

My Take: I really like Andrew Shaw. The problem with Andrew Shaw is the contract he wants. He is an RFA, so Stan Bowman– or any other GM of a team that he could get traded too–could play hardball with him on the price. Shaw is only 24 and has lots of playoff experience. With some decent offensive skill and overall solid puck possession metrics along with the edge he plays with, he is a very intriguing player. The Rangers would probably have to give up a sizeable amount for him, but I would love it if they could do some due diligence here and check out what Bowman wants.

– Rick Nash has reportedly given the Rangers his list of 12 teams he would accept a trade to through his limited no-movement clause. It is also reported that Nash will not accept a trade to any Canadian teams.

My Take: Finding the right trade partner for Rick Nash is going to be difficult, not only because he chopped off 18 potential suitors, but also because of his $7.8 million cap hit. It is a positive to see the Rangers ask Nash for that list, so it does look like as if they will try to trade him like the reports have said all along. One more team you can cross off that list, whether it be in Nash’s 12 or not is the Blues. According to Larry Brooks, the Blues are not interested in trading for the two-time 40 goal scorer.

My Take: This trade opens up $5 million in cap space for Minnesota, so look for them to make a move at some point either tonight or tomorrow. Vanek scored 18 goals and 41 points last season for the Wild. It appears the 32-year-old’s play has begun to decline in the past few seasons, but he could still be a solid enough player in a depth scoring role. I wouldn’t mind the Rangers giving him a call in free agency for a 3rd line role with the club.

– There have been rumblings that the Sabres are trying to acquire Cam Fowler from the Ducks. There have been rumors that they have offered the 8th pick in the draft.

My Take: I don’t know how realistic the last part of that rumor is, but if the Ducks were really offered that, they would be stupid to turn it down. Fowler is a solid defenseman, but he has never wowed me away to a point where I’d give up assets as valuable as that for him. I know he is young, but I don’t think he is that special. I know the Ducks and the Rangers have been rumored to talk in terms of a Fowler package for Nash. If that above rumor is true, Fowler will definitely not be in a Rangers uniform anytime soon.

-“We’re looking at everything right now,”- Jeff Gorton

My Take: The Rangers have been one of the busiest teams so far this offseason on the trade market. I am sure they have received a million offers, and probably have made a million offers too. Gorton also admitted to last year being a huge disappointment, so at least he knows there is something wrong. Let’s just hope he knows what that something is. Gorton acknowledged wanting to move into tonight’s first round but he also said it isn’t “the be all end all”. Regardless, I would be surprised if the team didn’t make a trade tonight.

Be sure to follow our page on Twitter @BlueLineStation for constant updates throughout the night of all things NHL-Draft-related. You can also follow my personal Twitter account @JaW1224 for my personal take on Rangers trades and moves for the night.

Tonight could be a bumpy ride; buckle up Rangers fans.