New York Rangers: Five expansion draft trade targets

May 31, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA: General overall view of the T-Mobile Arena exterior on Las Vegas Blvd. on the Las Vegas strip. The facility will be the home of the NHL expansion franchise Vegas Golden Knights which will begin play during the 2017-18 season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

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Brayden McNabb

Brayden McNabb is a 26 year old left-handed defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings.

McNabb is not heralded for his offense, only putting up two goals and two assists in 49 games last season.

However, his possession metrics are outstanding. Among defenseman that played at least 700 minutes 5 on 5 last season, McNabb posted the highest CF% of 60.25%. (CF% is the ratio of shot attempts for to total shot attempts)

His CF% over the past few seasons portrays him favorably as well. Although he has played for the notoriously possession dominant Kings, his CF% rel has been positive each season he has been in LA. (CF% rel is CF% minus the team’s CF% with the player off the ice).

McNabb would replace Brendan Smith quite nicely if the latter were to be selected by Vegas. He also has a very team friendly cap-hit of $1.7MM for next season.

Given his current status as a 2nd/3rd pairing defenseman, the cost to obtain McNabb would likely not be very high. A few picks or a prospect could likely obtain McNabb for the Rangers.

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