The New York Rangers traded two long term players in the past few years. Neither one has quite worked out the way it was intended.
*Before I begin, I would like to credit Martin (@lackinggrit) for being the brains behind this topic*
The New York Rangers are typically a good trading team. In recent history, they have been terrific at acquiring reclamation projects, and obtaining high quality for little cost. Over the last couple of years, however, the Rangers have lost their trading touch.
In the summer of 2015, the Rangers traded Carl Hagelin, pick 59 and pick 179 to Anaheim for Emerson Etem and pick 41. Two summers later, the Rangers traded Derek Stepan to Arizona for the seventh overall pick, and Anthony DeAngelo.
Now, the trades themselves weren’t necessarily as bad as they seem right off the bat. There were multiple factors that played into the lowering value of each deal. Let’s explore what has made these two deals so regrettable now.
Carl Hagelin Deal
This one seemed good at the time. Hagelin was a pending RFA, and the contract Anaheim gave him made fans and management alike find the trade manageable. Emerson Etem looked like a player who had tons of potential, and just needed a change of scenery.
The Rangers selected Ryan Gropp with pick 41, passing over noted talents Daniel Sprong and Oliver Kylington. Gropp’s inconsistent development, and Etem bombing out, took away from what could have been a decent trade at least.
Now, the Rangers admirably replaced Hagelin with Michael Grabner a year later, an aspect of the deal that makes it seem much more palpable. However, the Rangers simply did not maximize their first draft pick of that year. The talent fell right into the Rangers lap, and they chose otherwise.
Carl Hagelin was not an irreplaceable player, as evidenced by Grabner joining the team. The issue with this deal was the lack of pick maximization. Had the Rangers drafted Daniel Sprong, who projects to be a good scoring forward for Pittsburgh, we may not even be discussing this.
Derek Stepan Deal
Now, the Rangers may already be regretting this deal. So far, the Derek Stepan trade has been absolutely disastrous for a number of reasons. This trade is already showing a negative impact of the Rangers, and may force them to make a panic move in order to save their current season.
First thing’s first: the Rangers did not maximize the 7th overall pick at all. While Lias Andersson is a good prospect, who will likely have a good career in the NHL, he was not the best available player. A safe pick, Andersson’s middle tier ceiling did not justify a top ten pick.
Casey Mittelstadt, a supremely talented center, was selected by Buffalo one pick later. Eeli Tolvanen, the dynamic sniper of Jokerit, fell all the way to pick 30 for Nashville. Had the Rangers selected either of these players, the Stepan trade may be questioned a little less.
Secondly, the Rangers had no plan to replace Stepan outside of Lias Andersson. Now, Andersson was projected as “NHL ready right now”. Not only was it disappointing to find out he wasn’t, it also left the Rangers vulnerable at center with no backup plan.
Lastly, the Rangers have horribly mismanaged Anthony DeAngelo. You do not trade your top center for a young offensive defenseman, and then barely play him. This trade has revealed what appears to be a massive disconnect between front office and bench staff.
So, which trade was worse?
While the Stepan trade is still young, it has had disastrous implications for the Rangers so far. Now, the team must scramble to replace his production in some way, when they could have planned this out in a much more orderly fashion.
The only positive impact of the Stepan deal was the cap cleared for Shattenkirk. Otherwise, there has been little to praise about that trade. The Hagelin trade was poor in itself, but did not have nearly the same negative influence on the lineup as the Stepan deal did.
Next: Dont Worry About The Defensive Breakdowns--Yet
Obviously, there is still time for things to work themselves out. Maybe in a year or two, the team may be better because of it. Perhaps Lias Andersson will be more impactful than originally thought. However, for now, the Rangers already regret the Stepan trade immensely, and certainly, much more than the Hagelin deal.