#1: New York Rangers
The New York Rangers walk away from this trade as the biggest winners.
First and foremost, they acquired a formidable scorer in Rick Nash. He hasn’t performed at the ideal level they wanted, but he has still been a force. He finished seventh in Hart Trophy voting in 2014-2015 with 69 points, for example.
They were also able to shed the contract of a struggling Brandon Dubinsky. His final year in New York really was a disaster and it was best the Rangers got the most out of his value before it got worse.
Possibly the best takeaway from the deal is the third round pick they got in 2013 NHL Draft, which they used to take Pavel Buchnevich. He has been a prize for the Rangers in his first year in North America, showing significant upside for the future.
Not to mention, they gave up a first round pick which looks a lot prettier than what it turned out to be, Kerby Rychel.
Next: Comparing the future 17-18 team to the 13-14 team
The Rangers were able to acquire a win now piece and a future piece all in one deal, while also losing a bad contract. A perfectly executed trade if you ask me.