New York Rangers roundtable: Who will be the next player traded?

The New York Rangers have already made the first deal of their fire sale. Who will be next to go? Our Blue Line Station staff gave their predictions.

When New York Rangers fans found out that Nick Holden was traded for a third-round pick on Tuesday, they were excited.

At last, one of the main culprits of the team’s recent demise was removed from the roster and the team also garnered a third-round pick in the process. It was a trade that many fans saw coming, as Holden will be an unrestricted free agent in July, but the fact that the wheels of the “rebuild began to turn was exciting.

As we all know, the team will be making many more moves in the coming days. A few members of our Blue Line Station staff want to predict who the next moves will involve. Read on to find out who they picked? And if you have a prediction, tweet us @BlueLineStation and let us know what it is and why!

John Williams- Michael Grabner

Because I like to toot my own horn, I would like to mention that I planned to write this blurb about Nick Holden. But since he got traded the day before we were set to post this article, I had to re-write my prediction. So no matter what happens, I was right and that’s all that matters.

So, now that we have that out of the way, I believe that Michael Grabner is going to be the next man out of New York.

It sucks because I really like Grabner and I want the Rangers to bring him back in free agency. But trading him is necessary and I think the Rangers are going to get a coup for him in return.

The Rangers are going to get more than 100% of his value on the market. There are tons of teams interested in his service and I think a bidding war will ensue.

But I think the reason he goes is that it could help set Rick Nash’s market once and for all.

Here’s a few bonus prediction for you loyal readers; I think both Nash and David Desharnais will be traded on deadline day and both Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello will not be moved this season. I think they end up keeping Zuccarello till the last year of his contract and trade McDonagh at the draft.

You heard it here first, folks.

Nick Zararis- Rick Nash

The writing is on the wall in New York and it reads “Rick Nash to Nashville.” The move makes too much sense for both sides and it is why it’ll be the move that happens next.

The Predators have the assets to make a good offer and add a talented and useful forward in Nash. Nash is arguably the biggest fish in the pond on the trade market at the moment. The entire market is waiting to see just what the Rangers do because they hold all of the cards.

This will be the move that truly gets business to pick up around the entire league. Premium players like Nash do not come up on the market that often and for a team like Nashville that is so close already, he’d put them over the top.

When you look at Nashville’s forward depth, you’d wonder why they’d even need Nash. However, adding the power forward to a young group still on the rise is how Stanley Cups are won.

Dan Carrozzi- Michael Grabner

I think that Michael Grabner will be the next player traded by the New York Rangers.

Grabner is understandably drawing ample interest from the league’s Stanley Cup hopefuls. He cannot stop scoring goals for the Rangers and will boost any team’s offense.

His speed is a game changer that instantly redefines how teams defend his line. Another benefit is his versatility. Being able to deploy him up and down the lineup and on both the power play and penalty kill is invaluable.

His price is another factor that I think will lead to his earlier departure. Being valued at a fraction of Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh or Mats Zuccarello’s cost should be more enticing for teams since they won’t have to sacrifice as much for his services.

From a contract standpoint, Grabner is desirable because he is a pure rental. In addition, his low cap hit won’t be a hindrance to moving him. The Rangers also aren’t restricted by a no-movement or no-trade clause here, so they are free to trade him to the highest bidder.

Peter Reichert-Rick Nash

After the first trade domino (Nick Holden) has finally fallen, Rick Nash will be the next player to
go.

All signs point to the Nashville Predators as the frontrunner for him. Nash is easily the most sought-after rental on the trade market right now. Contending teams should be foaming at the mouth at the chance to acquire a player like him.

He’s a big-bodied, strong winger, who excels in all three zones and can still provide scoring punch to any lineup. Nash would fit in very nicely in Nashville’s top-six, where he won’t have to be a “top” guy. He’ll add some secondary scoring, as well as some defensive zone prowess.

Because Nash is the top rental on the market he, of course, won’t come cheap. Nash is going to bring back at least a first-round pick and a high-end prospect. Acquiring Eeli Tolvanen would be the dream scenario, but that likely won’t come to fruition.

A more realistic return to expect would be a first-rounder and either Dante Fabbro or Grant Mismash. Fabbro, a standout 19-year-old defenseman at Boston University, would be a great return for the Rangers. He’d instantly be their top defensive prospect. Mismash, a 19-year-old winger from the University of North Dakota, currently has 18 points in 30 games and would be a fine addition to the team as well.

While it will be sad to see Nash go, he’ll be able to potentially net the Rangers a very good return. Plus, if they really want to, they could do what the Yankees did with Aroldis Chapman, trade him at the deadline and re-sign him in July.

Jen Moglia-Michael Grabner

I think that the next Ranger to be traded will be Michael Grabner because he has the most value right now based on his recent production.

Grabner has been known to be streaky throughout his career. The forward had a 52 point rookie season for the New York Islanders, with 34 goals and 18 assists in 76 games.

He followed that up with a huge sophomore slump of a season, dropping by 20 points (32 points, 20 goals and 12 assists) in two more games. His point totals had steadily declined since, with 21, 26, 13, and 18 points, respectively, over his next four seasons.

The 30-year-old bounced back when he joined the New York Rangers last season, notching 40 points (27 goals and 13 assists) in 76 games. This year, he is on pace for another great year, with 25 goals and six assists in 59 games.

He ranks fourth on the Rangers in points and leads the team in goals. He has seven more goals than Rick Nash, who is in second place.

Obviously, the Villach, Austria native has been hot the past two seasons. However, he is shooting at a crazy high percentage so his numbers could regress soon.

Historically, Grabner hasn’t been able to string together strong seasons consistently. Hopefully, the Rangers’ front office has picked up on this and has recognized that the right wing’s value is probably the highest that it will ever be.

This would be an especially smart move considering that he will be an unrestricted free agent at this year and will probably want a raise based on his improved performance since his last contract.