New York Rangers: Trading for Nikita Gusev’s Rights
From all accounts, the New York Rangers are entering a rebuild. Part of doing so includes acquiring picks and prospects for roster talent. A lesser-known, blue-chip prospect who the Rangers could trade for is Nikita Gusev.
The New York Rangers are in a tailspin. The team is riddled with injuries and continues to lose games. Neither the front office nor the coaching staff has made a move in the right direction.
Head coach Alain Vigneault continues to play skaters that aren’t in the organization’s best interest. General manager Jeff Gorton does not have the personnel in the pipeline to do anything about it. At this point, both parties deserve equal credit in this disastrous season.
However, there is a way to make a change for the better. Many insiders expect the Rangers to sell at the trade deadline and move away from the current core. A prospect I think the Rangers would be smart to trade for is Nikita Gusev for a few reasons.
Experience
Nikita Gusev is already 25-years-old and has been playing in the top flight of Russian hockey for six seasons now. He has played for his current club SKA St. Petersburg for two and a half seasons. Gusev also has tons of playoff experience with SKA, winning the Gagarin Cup in 2017.
His experience in the KHL shows in his production. Over the years, he has continually gotten better. Last season, he scored 24 goals and 47 assists for 71 points in only 57 games. Through 53 games this season, he has scored 22 goals and 40 assists. Production in the KHL does not directly translate to the NHL, but it is one of the best leagues in the world.
Overall, his skill set also translates well to the NHL game. For a smaller forward, standing 5’11” and 181 lbs, he plays with enough grit to work in front of the net, but those aren’t his best attributes. He’s best known for his incredible skating ability, hockey IQ, and powerful shot.
His Teammates
Gusev is teammates with a few players with some NHL experiences. The most experienced are Illya Kovalchuck and Pavel Datsyuk, two of the NHL’s most successful Russians. Having them as mentors is one of the best attributes he can bring.
Some of his other teammates could have an impact on his availability. Gusev’s signing rights were traded from the team who drafted him, the Tampa Bay Lightning, to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of a pre-expansion deal. One of Gusev’s teammates, Vadim Shipachyov, was an early signing of the Golden Knights. He didn’t have a great run of it in the NHL, he returned to the league after not making the NHL roster.
Another player on SKA, Igor Sheshtyorkin, was drafted by the New York Rangers. He attended the Rangers’ prospect camp in 2016 and has had plenty of interactions with the organization’s brass. He could become a major part of recruiting Gusev to the Rangers.
Next: New York Rangers’ trade deadline targets: Winnipeg Jets
The Cost
No one is completely sure how much the Golden Knights value Gusev, seeing as he hasn’t signed an entry-level deal. The Golden Knights are on their way to the playoffs, and the Rangers are selling off major pieces that could seriously assist in a playoff run. Only with the security of signing Gusev should the Rangers make a serious push to acquire him.