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New York Rangers: Ryan McDonagh trade looks better due to market

By Nicholas Zararis

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Conor Sheary #43 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is checked by Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers during the third period in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at at Madison Square Garden on April 19, 2016 in New York City. The Penguins defeated the Rangers 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Conor Sheary #43 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is checked by Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers during the third period in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at at Madison Square Garden on April 19, 2016 in New York City. The Penguins defeated the Rangers 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The New York Rangers traded Ryan McDonagh to avoid signing him to a long term extension. Due to the current market, the move looks wise.

Cutting the cord on franchise players is a difficult and heart wrenching decision. When a franchise comes to the realization that it needs to go back to the drawing board it means tough calls. In the case of McDonagh, the Rangers were simply cutting their losses. At age 28 with lots of miles on a dinged up body, McDonagh was a huge liability for a long term extension.

New York’s large scale rebuild had to start somewhere. Now, the argument as to whether or not the Rangers could have gotten more is another discussion. At face value, the team got value back for a player they were not going to extend. Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, Vladislav Namestnikov and a first round pick is an okay return. This trade started the restocking process for the Ranger organization.

The restocking process became necessary when the realization that the team was not going to get over the hump. Trading Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and the aforementioned McDonagh in the last calendar year was an acknowledgement of failure. That core of players could not win the Stanley Cup and required an overhaul.

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These decisions effectively closed the Rangers window as a contender. The team had to move on because McDonagh’s prime and the team’s window of contention no longer matched up.

The defenseman market

The Rangers could have tried to keep McDonagh in the fold by extending him now. As of the moment, the former Wisconsin Badger is still a top pair defenseman which New York still needs. The market for number one defenseman is a cruel and ever lasting struggle. Typically, when a team secures an elite defenseman, the organization does not let them go.

The extension that defenseman Oliver Eckman-Larsson signed with the Arizona Coyotes was eye opening. The rumored eight year $8.25 million per season deal the Swede signed with the Coyotes will be the template contract for number one defenseman going forward. Being that McDonagh is a better defenseman than Eckman-Larsson, he would have been well within his right to ask for north of that figure.

In addition to the Eckman-Larrson deal, it is important to put McDonagh’s career contracts in context. Following his outstanding lockout shortened 2013 season, he signed a six year $4.7 million per season deal. The Rangers bought quality years of McDonagh’s career ahead of schedule before his price sky rocketed. For the entirety of his deal, the defenseman was amongst the biggest bargains in the entire league.

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With age 30 looming, McDonagh only has one more big contract before his decline. So, it would be his prerogative to sure up his life after hockey with a long term deal. In light of these factors, the Rangers lucked out selling on McDonagh when they did.

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