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

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.