New York Rangers: Deal Brewing with the Los Angeles Kings?

In the short weeks leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, scouts from the Rangers watched both the Los Angeles Kings and their AHL team. No reports have come out regarding an offer or any specific players.

As reported by John Hoven and Dennis Bernstein, the Rangers had scouts watching both the Los Angeles Kings and their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, again.

The frequency with which the Rangers have been watching both the Reign and the Kings have led many to believe the Rangers to be working towards a deal.

The Los Angeles organization as a whole has great defensive depth. However, the forward corps has left some to be desired. The Rangers, on the other hand, boast a deep group up front and need a defenseman.

A couple of different players stand out as potential targets for the Rangers as the deadline quickly approaches.

Alec Martinez

Alec Martinez has been a mainstay on the LA blueline for years now. The 29-year-old blueliner would certainly bring a veteran presence to the Rangers, but I think that’s all he would be good for.

Martinez, while being a defenseman, does not bring anything new to the Rangers. The left-handed defenseman is just that, left-handed. The Rangers have a much greater need for a right-handed defenseman so that Skjei and or Holden can go back to their natural position.

Martinez also wouldn’t be a rental acquisition. His contract would be both a hefty and a long one for the Rangers to take on right now. Martinez is signed at $4 million against the cap until 2021-2022 offseason. As he’s already 29, his contract will take him well outside of his prime years.

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Zach Trotman

Now, you may be wondering why there is a picture of a Bruins player preceding this section. That’s simply because the 26-year-old last played in the NHL for the Bruins. He is currently honing his craft on a one year contract with the Ontario Reign. As for possible Rangers interest, he checks a couple different boxes.

Trotman is a 6-3, 219 lb. righty. Too much has already been said about the Rangers need for a right-handed defenseman, but not much has been said about the size on the Rangers’ blueline. This is yet another area where the right side is much weaker than the left.

The tallest right-handed defenseman on the Rangers roster is 6-1, whereas there are two 6-4 players on the left. Trotman could end up helping the physicality of the Rangers defense.

Trotman has prior NHL experience. When looking into AHL players, previous experience is important. Over the past three seasons, Trotman played in 67 games with the Boston Bruins, posting 3 goals and 9 assists over that time span.

Most of all, Trotman would undoubtedly be a rental player. He is only signed for the rest of this season at a very low cap hit. He is an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Next: Rangers Top Deadline Targets

How Does This Affect the Rangers’ Deadline Plans?

There have been no reports linking the Rangers to any specific players, so this is all simply speculation. It is true that the Rangers have depth up front and that the Kings have defensive depth. As far as anyone knows, the team is just doing their due diligence.