New York Rangers: Which player is most likely to be dealt on draft day?

The NHL Entry Draft is one week away. The New York Rangers will have their hands full with trade talks over the next seven days. Members of our Blue Line Station team wanted to take a crack at who will get traded first.

One of the most exciting days in the NHL calendar year, the NHL Entry Draft, is just seven days away. The New York Rangers are expected to be one of the busiest teams in the league, trying to make deals. The team has three first round picks and seven total picks in the first three rounds.

Will the Rangers keep all of their draft picks? Who knows. One thing that I do know is that the team has plenty of cap space to work with. With that said, it’s very likely that one of the players currently on their roster will be shipped out. Which player is most likely to go, though?

That’s the question that our team at Blue Line Station has been asking themselves for the past couple of days. This morning, you’ll get their answers, some of which may surprise you.

John Williams- Vladislav Namestnikov

The New York Rangers have a lot of decisions to make this offseason regarding their RFAs. The franchise has seven RFAs at the NHL level, four of which are forwards and expect big pay raises.

One of those names is Vladisav Namestnikov, a center acquired in the Ryan McDonagh trade. My gut tells me that the first player the Rangers trade before or on Draft Day — if any — is somebody we are not expecting to be moved. Regardless, I’m gonna go with my head and say that Namestnikov is gonna be the first one dealt.

Just to be clear, this doesn’t have much to do with his lack of production once traded to Broadway.

The first thing to note is the team’s ridiculous center depth. Teams will pay a premium for top-six centermen. The Rangers have a boat load with Zibanejad, Hayes, Spooner, Namestnikov, Chytil, Andersson and Nieves.

Due to his responsibility in the defensive zone as well as on offense, Namestnikov is an especially intriguing option for most teams.

Namestnikov is coming off of the best season of his career, one where he logged lots of minutes with Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. This is all about perceived value, though. At the end of the day, he’s a 25 year old top six center who’s good in both ends of the ice. Expect the Rangers to sell high on him.

Joseph Ostapiuk- Mats Zuccarello

June 22 is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal drafts in recent memory for the New York Rangers. With a stockpile of draft picks and more assets than an NHL roster can hold, trades are almost guaranteed – especially on day one, where the Rangers hold the 9th, 26th, and 28th picks.

With eight picks total through the first three rounds, I expect the Rangers to package picks and a player to move up in the draft or acquire a developed prospect.

Because of the friendly nature of his contract at $4.5 MM for one more year, according to CapFriendly – as hard as it is to say – I expect Mats Zuccarello to be the next Ranger to leave the roster.

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He has had some tremendous years in New York, leading the team in scoring on four occasions. Zuccarello has tallied at least 49 points in each of the last five seasons, with a career-high of 61 points in 2014-2015, and has served as an emotional leader throughout his entire tenure in New York.

While Zuccarello would undoubtedly make the Rangers a better team next year. He simply has more value to on the trade market than he does on the current roster. Zuccarello can easily bolster the top-six of a team in need of a playmaker of his caliber, making him especially useful for a Rangers front office looking to acquire younger players while establishing the next generation of the organization.

With that being the case, I expect Zuccarello’s name to be called at some point during the first round in the draft – however difficult it may be to hear.

George Ruggiero- Mats Zuccarello

I think the Ranger most likely to be traded at this year’s NHL Entry Draft is Mats Zuccarello. As much as it pains me to say it, Zuccarello arguably has both his highest value and the highest value of any Ranger right now. The diminutive winger had yet another strong season. He has only one year left on his team friendly deal, and does not have a trade clause.

In a poor season by all Rangers’ standards, Zuccarello had a strong season. He played in all but two games, scoring 16 goals and 37 assists for 53 points. He is under contract for only the 2018-2019 season, at a meager $4.5 million cap hit.

The Rangers plan to use this draft to restock the farm system with top tier talent. Trading the 30-year-old Norwegian should be used as a way to do so. The Rangers currently have three first round draft picks, two second round selections, and two third round choices. Dealing Zuccarello at the draft could easily bring a first round draft pick or a prospect plus a second, if the cards are played right.

Steve Paulus- Vladislav Namestnikov

Last year there was a trading frenzy with 21 deals made over four the days before and during the Entry Draft. 28 players changed teams along with 27  draft picks. Although 12 of the  deals involved the fledging Vegas Golden Knights, there were some big names that were involved in non-Vegas swaps. They included Brandan Saad, Artemi Panerin, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Strome, Brayden Schenn and Travis Hamonic. The Rangers made their own waves by swapping Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta for Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh pick overall.

With a surplus of draft picks this season, any Ranger traded would have to be part of a package of players and picks to move up in the draft. Clearly, RFA’s Ryan Spooner and Vlad Namestnikov are at the top of the list.  Namestnikov is most likely to be moved as NHL GM’s will be swayed by his career year last season and won’t be discouraged by his lack of production in New York.  On the other hand, Spooner increased his value with his performance as a Ranger.

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I’d still vote for Namestnikov as the most likely to be traded. If anything, he personifies the Vegas type of player whose production increased greatly with more ice time and better linemates. There might be a GM out there who believes he could be another William Karlsson.

That said, Jeff Gorton has said that no one is untouchable. If it presents itself, the opportunity to move into the top three or four could be enough to persuade him to part with Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider or Jimmy Vesey.

The only player I don’t want to see traded is the Hobbit. If not dealt, Mats Zuccarello’s name will be bandied about right up to the trade deadline.  The team should try to get him under a contract extension at a reasonable salary and let him finish his career in New York, mentoring his younger teammates.

Jack Milewski- Mats Zuccarello

If there is one Ranger who will be traded on draft night it will be Mats Zuccarello. As much as that would sting for Rangers fans, he is the player who is both expendable and who would bring a solid return. I have visions of Zuccarello wearing the captains “C” next season for the Rangers, but realistically if the return is solid, Zuccarello shouldn’t be kept under wraps by management.

With the Rangers trying to get younger, Zuccarello appears on the older side of the equation. He has been one of the most consistent players in Ranger blue over the last 10 seasons. Losing Zuccarello would leave a scoring gap for sure. However, the bigger issue for the Rangers may be the leadership and energy that they would lose from Zuccarello leaving.

If the Rangers trade Zuccarello, they could command a first round pick for him. At the very least, maybe even they can pick up a couple of younger prospects. I believe that the Rangers will hold on to Zuccarello because of the intangibles that he is able to bring to the team. However, at the same time he holds the most value as a trade piece for the Rangers. If the price is right Zuccarello could move somewhere else. If he does move, it would arguably be the biggest leadership piece the Rangers have lost since Ryan Callahan.

Drew McCaffrey- Vladislav Namestnikov

When it comes to pre-draft trades, the Rangers have many options. One stands out, however, and it revolves around the current glut of centers on the roster.

With Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson primed to make the full-time jump to the NHL, Mika Zibanejad healthy, and Kevin Hayes ready for a resurgent season under a new coach, the Rangers have a rock-solid center group. Ryan Spooner, acquired in the Rick Nash trade, is another great option who can play either center or wing (and played very well for the Rangers this spring)

That leaves Vladislav Namestnikov, a key piece in the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller blockbuster. Namestnikov didn’t do much to prove that he can play effective top-six minutes away from superstars like Stamkos and Kucherov, and is thusly expendable.

Packaged with one of the Rangers’ first round picks, Namestnikov could help the Rangers either move up in the draft or bring back young assets.

Sean Raggio- Mats Zuccarello

OK. It pains me to say this because of all the Rangers he’s shown the most heart-and-soul since Ryan Callahan, but Mats Zuccarello is going to be at the top of the Rangers’ trade block come draft day.

It’s no secret that the Rangers are looking to get younger. Zuccarello will be 31 by the start of next season, which is also a contract year for him. He currently has one year left with a $4.5 million cap hit.

He’s most likely looking for a raise come the 2019 offseason, tallying at least 15 goals and 49 points in each of the last five seasons. Zuccarello led the team in points in four of those five seasons. If the Rangers decide to offer him an extension, that’s potentially $5 million dollars a year to a will-be 32-year-old.

Short-term or long-term rebuild, it wouldn’t hurt the Rangers to have the cap on their side. Saving at least $4.5 million could help them land one of the several soon-to-be highly sought after free agents (John Carlson, John Tavares), or save up for when guys like Pavel Buchnevich become restricted free agents.

Being a consistent top line scorer also has his trade value decent enough that the Rangers should be able to score at least a first round pick in return, which is what they should go for as opposed to using him to buy a player. They should draft strong this year and build from within.

Garrett Gartino- Ryan Spooner

We’re only a week away from seeing the picture for the New York Rangers future that much clearer.

On June 22 and the days that follow, the Rangers will likely be one of the most active teams across the NHL. As it currently stands, the Rangers hold three picks in the first round of the draft. In all likelihood, GM Jeff Gorton will attempt to add even more ammunition for the draft.

In order to make a move and possibly grab another pick, I see Ryan Spooner getting traded. Many people believe that our beloved Mats Zuccarello may be having his final days as a member of the New York Rangers. However, I believe that management may choose to keep their clubhouse glue at least until the trade deadline.

Spooner, for his part, had a solid audition following his trade to the Rangers from the Boston Bruins. In 20 games with the team, Spooner recorded 16 points, including 12 assists. He showed strong playmaking abilities and an ability to be an energy player at the offensive end of the ice.

As a former second-round pick, it would be feasible to believe Gorton could receive a similar pick for Spooner straight up. However, I believe it to be much more likely that Spooner is packaged in some sort of deal to garner another first-, or a package of multiple picks, in return.