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New York Rangers: Trade Rumors with the Calgary Flames

By Daniel Blanda

CALGARY, AB - MARCH 15: New York Rangers Winger Filip Chytil (72) and Calgary Flames Left Wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) skate during the second period of an NHL game where the Calgary Flames hosted the New York Rangers on March 15, 2019, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - MARCH 15: New York Rangers Winger Filip Chytil (72) and Calgary Flames Left Wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) skate during the second period of an NHL game where the Calgary Flames hosted the New York Rangers on March 15, 2019, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Elias Lindholm #28 of the Calgary Flames(Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /

Elias Lindholm

If the Rangers could get Elias Lindholm he would be a strong second line center, but it would mean the end of Ryan Strome as a Blueshirt. The 25-year-old former Carolina Hurricane found his game in Calgary and has the ability to play both center and wing and is a top penalty-killer for the Flames. Lindholm played more wing than center this past season, but in 2018-19 he won 54.3% of nearly a thousand faceoffs. In that same season, Lindholm had 78 points and had a plus/minus mark of +30.  A return to center could do wonders for the gifted Swede.

However, the Calgary Flames are likely to hesitate in trading Elias Lindholm as they gave up a lot to get him. In June of 2018, the Flames shipped star defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and then Flames prospect, Adam Fox to Carolina for Lindholm and  Noah Hanifin. The Rangers would trade a second-round pick in the 2019 draft (Mads Sogaard) and a conditional third-round pick in the 2020 draft for Adam Fox. It would cost far more to acquire Adam Fox today.

What it would take:

  • Lias Andersson
  • Filip Chytil
  • Conditional Pick (Contingent on Andersson playing a specified number of games for the Flames)

Why the Rangers should do it:

If the New York Rangers trade away Ryan Strome and can get Lindholm without giving up a key future prospect, then they should do this deal. Lindholm is signed to an affordable $4.85 million for the next five seasons. He’s one-year removed from his 78-point-campaign and still managed to score 29 goals in the shortened season this year while playing right wing. He’s not the most necessary component to the Flames roster and they could be willing to part with him to open up some of that needed cap space.

Now normally, I would not include the wild card that is Lias Andersson in any trade, but the Calgary Flames have shown interest in the quarrelsome prospect. The Flames were big on him in the 2017 draft and thought he would have fallen to the franchise come draft night. However, the Rangers boldly selected Andersson nearly ten slots higher than expected. In hindsight the Blueshirts may have been better off looking elsewhere. Regardless, Lias Andersson could be someone the Flames want to take a gamble on. Andersson would have to agree to an NHL return, though he still under contract and just on loan to his Swedish team.

Why the Rangers should not do it:

All said and done, the question is this: How much better is Lindholm than Ryan Strome?  If the Rangers can resign Ryan Strome under $5.5 million then is it worth trading away young assets? Also, you can’t guarantee Lindholm and Panarin will have similar line chemistry as Strome and Panarin. It would be a gamble. You’d essentially be giving up at least one NHL player and one elite prospect for a second line center. Lindholm could develop into a first line center, but so could Filip Chytil and Andersson. Elias Lindholm is far and away the best player in this trade, but would the Rangers be giving up too much for him?

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