New York Rangers: Five outside the box Derek Stepan replacements

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Dec 13, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Florida Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad (27) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Panthers 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Nick Bjugstad

The Florida Panthers have gone into somewhat of a panic mode after their great season in 2016. They had finished on top of the Atlantic Division, only to miss the playoffs this past season while only putting up 81 points and coming third to last in their division.

Since that debacle, they have traded away quite a few players. There’s no reason at this point why. Bjugstad can’t be on the market, as well.

At 24 years old, he showed promise last season as he put op 14 points in 54 games. Also, a specific advantage to the Rangers is that he’s a right-handed shot, which the team is in dire need of. As of now, the only right-handed centerman on the team is Mika Zibanejad.

In addition, his value right now is rather low. And the Rangers are always looking for the cheapest option to keep their newly opened cap space in tact.

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