New York Rangers roundtable: Best trade of the Lundqvist era

Sam Prevot- Zibanejad trade

Many deals came to mind when I thought about the best trade of the Lundqvist Era. However when I thought about the current roster, the deal that immediately came to mind was the Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad trade.

At the time, this trade was heartbreaking for me. I was losing one of my favorite Rangers players for some player from Ottawa. But once my anger faded, I saw why the trade was necessary and actually made the team much better.

In the two years since the trade, Brassard has 85 points in 153 games. Zibanejad has 84 points in 128 games. So purely in terms of offensive production, the Rangers upgraded with this trade.

Brassard is also five years older than Zibanejad, which is beneficial especially with the rebuild now in full effect. If the Rangers didn’t trade Brassard when they did, it would have come back to bite them now.

Zibanejad fits much better into the current Rangers system and will be able to stick around through the rebuilding process. The chemistry he found this season with Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich says it all.

This trade was just what the Rangers needed at the time and it is more apparent now than ever. Zibanejad is a young offensive talent that can help lead in the rebuild. He can be a veteran presence for the young players and rookies that will fill the Rangers lineup.

It is always heartbreaking to see a fan favorite leave in a trade, but now Zibanejad is a part of the foundation for the next generation of Rangers teams.