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New York Rangers: Should Howden be used as a trade chip?

By Victoria Ranieri

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 29: New York Rangers Center Brett Howden (48) skates during New York Rangers Prospect Development Camp on June 29, 2018 at the MSG Training Center in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 29: New York Rangers Center Brett Howden (48) skates during New York Rangers Prospect Development Camp on June 29, 2018 at the MSG Training Center in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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At this year’s trade deadline, the New York Rangers sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In return, one of the prospects they acquired was Brett Howden.

Along with Libor Hajek, Brett Howden was a focal point in the Ryan McDonagh trade for the New York Rangers.

At 6-foot-2 and 194 lbs, he is a big-bodied center who has played with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. With his junior team, Howden has proved he has a scoring touch. In the 2017-2018 season, Howden recorded 24 goals and 51 assists for 75 points in 49 games. In the 2016-2017 season, Howden recorded a career high in goals with 38, and 43 assists for 81 points in 58 games played.

Though WHL totals don’t hold as much weight as OHL totals, these numbers are nothing to scoff at. Howden could bring both a scoring touch and some physicality to the fourth line. The question is, would it be better to gain more assets in a trade? Or would it be better to develop Howden and hope that he becomes productive at the NHL level?

Keeping Howden

Honestly, I think Howden would be best utilized in the Rangers’ organization. At the very least, Howden would bolster the Hartford Wolf Pack’s failing offense. At best, Howden can become a solid NHL contributor.

Howden’s production improved throughout his WHL career. His first season saw him put up a respectable 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points in 68 games. In his sophomore season, he recorded 24 goals and an impressive 40 assists for 64 points in 68 games. These campaigns followed by his 81 and 75 point seasons respectively. These offensive skills should surely translate to the AHL, and very possibly the NHL.

Howden is going to get a long look in training camp. He seems to have the drive to fight for an NHL spot and make it hard to cut him. If he’s traded, I don’t believe he will be before training camp. At the very least, he should be on the Wolf Pack’s roster to start the season.

Trading Howden

Yes, the Tampa Bay Lightning were able to acquire a star defenseman in Ryan McDonagh and a budding scorer in J.T. Miller while sending Howden to New York. But the package to New York also included defensive prospect Libor Hajek, Vladislav Namestnikov, a first round pick in the 2018 draft, and a conditional first round pick in 2019.

What could really be gained in a trade involving exclusively Howden? Maybe a second round pick? In order to garner more of a return, additional prospects and draft picks would have to go the other way. Would it really be worth it?

If the Rangers were to give up Howden and a draft pick for another prospect and possibly an additional draft pick, they would be in practically the same boat. At the moment, the Rangers’ need is at center. They currently aren’t in contention mode, so why package Howden in a trade for a player to give the Rangers immediate success when the long-term plan is a rebuild?

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All in all, I think keeping Howden would be the best decision for the Rangers. With such a barren prospect pool, keeping Howden allows the Rangers to actually develop homegrown talent.

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