With New York Rangers’ management stating that the team would look to undergo a full rebuild and trade “familiar faces” players earlier this month, tensions have been running high. The upcoming trade deadline has spurred discussions over which players’ time with the Rangers could come to an end.
Over the past several weeks, Ryan McDonagh has been a talked about trade piece.
The thought of trading McDonagh started to percolate on Thursday, as the New York Rangers’ Twittersphere buzzed with rumors about Toronto Maple Leafs having interest in the Rangers’ captain.
Pierre LeBrun sent out a tweet confirming that this could be a legitimate option for the Rangers, as McDonagh did not include Toronto on his 10-team no-trade list.
Toronto is a great trade partner for the New York Rangers.
The Leafs staged a full rebuild and have come out the other side with a young but threatening roster. They are loaded with talented players and the Rangers should do their due diligence.
Toronto could benefit from some more veteran leadership, especially on the defensive end. This is something McDonagh could provide.
The question is, what would Toronto be willing to give them in return?
There has been discussion over whether the Rangers could use McDonagh to acquire a young star like William Nylander or Mitch Marner (though Toronto may not bite). Others have suggested that it is more likely that the Leafs might combine assets (a couple players and a draft pick).
With nothing confirmed and other teams (specifically the Boston Bruins) expressing interest in the captain, we take a look at the options being talked about and consider what the price of losing an All-Star defenseman should be.
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Assessing the rumors
In an ideal world, the Rangers would trade McDonagh for Nylander or Marner, one-for-one.
I think this is highly unlikely to happen, though.
Both Nylander and Marner have been so strong in their first few seasons in the league that I’m sure Leafs management sees them as indispensable.
However, I wouldn’t put it past Jeff Gorton to try to make a deal. And by all means, I think it’s an option the Rangers should definitely consider. Adding a Nylander or a Marner would help solidify an offensive foundation for the Rangers to build off of.
I think it is more likely that the Leafs would try to package a deal in an attempt to land McDonagh.
I would love for the Rangers to ask the Leafs for defensive prospect Timothy Liljegren alongside forward Kasperi Kapanen or Connor Brown and a first-round pick.
This would be a solid trade for the Rangers because while they would be moving a defenseman, they could get help in both ends of the ice. With a stacked draft class in 2018, they should take any pick they can get — especially if it’s in the first round.
These options give the Rangers room to grow.
There is also a third option that people seem to be forgetting about. The Rangers may choose to not do anything at all.
This might be the best option if Gorton feels he’s not going to get as much as it will cost for us to give.
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Final Thoughts
With all of this said, anything is possible when it comes to the trade deadline.
If the Rangers push enough, they might be able to make a blockbuster move and attain an addition that could drastically impact their offensive depth. The most likely scenario is that they acquire a package of assets which would bolster their prospect depth big time.
If they are truly trying to build a team that can move the puck up ice and in the zone, Toronto is a great place to look.
When (not if) Gorton opts to cut ties with Alain Vigneault, being able to bring in a coach who can work with a young, talented roster will only make the transition into this new era of the New York Rangers easier.
Next: What will happen by the trade deadline?
Maybe you don’t end up with a William Nylander or a Mitch Marner. But if you’re going to trade a player like McDonagh, you need to know that you are getting something you can build off of.