Why it’s better to be in the East
Suppose the Rangers were in the last wild card slot. How would the organization approach the impending trade deadline? How eager would they be to trade Mats Zuccarello if he was the linchpin of the one of the best lines in the NHL? Considering the return for an Adam McQuaid, would they want to hold on to him for the playoff run?
It’s a situation that the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in. They’ve won eight in a row and the playoffs seem like a real possiblity. Do they keep Wayne Simmonds and lose him at the end of the season for nothing or do they maximize the return on a coveted power forward and risk missing the post-season?
That’s the conundrum facing the eight teams battling for the two wild card slots in the West. Only two teams will make it, but all eight teams think they can. Are they buyers or sellers?
Strategies for the Rangers
With only 18 days until the trade deadline, it’s clear that the Rangers will be sellers. It started with the minor trade of Cody McLeod and will continue with much bigger deals involving Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid. There are few untouchables on the roster and you can be sure that Jeff Gorton is working the phones right now.
That’s where the benefit of being in the Eastern Conference comes in, big time. The Rangers know they are sellers and will be ready to make deals at any time over the next two and a half weeks. If Gorton is smart, he will not wait until the last minute to make his trades, but make his moves while his competition still thinks they are in playoff position. It’s better to have 14 Western Conference teams competing for your talent than only six.
The extra added advantage is if you can acquire drafts picks from a team that doesn’t ultimately make the playoffs. A great example would be the Colorado Avalanche. They spent the first two months in a playoff position, but a 5-15-3 record since early December has dropped them two points out of the wild card. They have long been rumored to be interested in Kevin Hayes. Already owning Ottawa’s first round pick in the draft they may be more than willing to include a potential first round lottery pick in a Hayes deal.
It’s obvious that acquiring the first round pick of a team that misses the playoffs is much more valuable than a playoff qualifier. With all of these teams still contending it is much more expedient to deal with a playoff contender rather than a playoff favorite, or at least Gorton can use the leverage to increase the return.
Using Zuccarello as an example, what would serve the Rangers better? Would they be better trading him to a team like Calgary for a first round pick that will end up in the high 20’s or dealing him to a team like St. Louis for a potential first round lottery pick. That opportunity alone will allow Gorton to up the ante and force a Calgary to include a top prospect.
With the season ending injury to Saku Koivu, the Minnesota Wild become a player at the deadline. They are in the first wild card position, but have only a four point cushion. Does a Kevin Hayes become a much more attractive option for the Wild as a result? Would Jeff Gorton prefer to deal with the Wild considering there is no guarantee that they will make the playoffs?
Trade speculation will be rampant the closer we get to the deadline and we’ve already seen some transactions. David Poile of the Predators is one of the most respected executives in the game. He made his deal for Brian Boyle early to get a jump on he trade market, before Boyle was priced too high.
It’s a game of chicken and last season the McDonagh trade wasn’t done until minutes before the deadline. It remains to be seen how Jeff Gorton will play his cards, but this season it may a mistake to wait. The consequences are huge for the future of the Rangers.