New York Rangers trade proposals prior to preseason

Dan Carrozzi: Nick Holden for a Boston Bruins Third Round Pick

The New York Rangers should sell high and trade Nick Holden to the Boston Bruins for a draft pick.

While his play in the playoffs was less than stellar, it is not the primary reason to move him.

Ideally, he would be used in a package to bring in a top center. However, I don’t think he could be the centerpiece in a trade for a Tyler Bozak.

The fact of the matter is that the Rangers have too many defensemen. Even with the departures of Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein, the team has approximately eight NHL defensemen.

At age 30, it is unlikely that Holden will replicate his career year of 11 goals and 34 points. Furthermore, his shooting percentage was high at 13.1%.

The Rangers should not make the same mistake as with the aforementioned Kevin Klein and not capitalize while he still has value.

Holden will be much easier to move than his partner Marc Staal. The latter’s contract and no movement clause make him difficult to move and salary will almost certainly need to be retained.

Next: Free Agents the Rangers must avoid signing

The Rangers should certainly be able to get back more than the 4th round pick they paid for him last off-season.