Where could Nils Lundkvist end up getting dealt to

After it was discovered that the Rangers are trying to trade defenseman Nils Lundkvist according to the New York Post, there has seemingly been a lot of attention drawn to the defenseman. Lundkvist is waiver exempt and still has two years remaining on his entry-level contract. As a very promising right-hand shooting defenseman, there is a lot of value there. It is rumored the Rangers want a single piece of equal value.

Lundkvist wants out because he’s a powerplay running offensive defenseman that needs top-four ice time. New York has one of those guys, he is a year removed from winning the Norris trophy. Lundkvist is unlikely to beat him out. The alternative is to replace the guy the Rangers just named captain, so that is unlikely too. So, Lundkvist wants to go somewhere in order to play full-time in a position he is strong in.

This is not like other trade requests. Lundkvist is happy with the Rangers, it is just the lack of powerplay time and the fact that it is perhaps a dead end for his development in New York in the current climate. So, he has asked for a trade elsewhere and has said he may not attend Rangers training camp if he is not dealt by then. Whether that is true or not, we’ll find out in a matter of weeks here.

New York is apparently trying to get this move done quickly according to the New York Post, but they will not move him for less than he is worth. What they seek for him remains one of the many mysteries of the hockey realm, but that is where the fun lies for people like me. Wherever he ends up could be one of 31 destinations, but right now, it could be all 31. So which ones make the most sense for all parties involved?

Vancouver Canucks

This might be the most obvious fit on this list. Vancouver is in desperate need of some right-shot defensemen and they have pieces that could come back the other way for Nils Lundkvist. While Lundkvist might not get the powerplay time he wants in Vancouver, he’d be working under a Swedish General Manager in a city with two of the most famous Swedes to ever play the game in that management group.

If Lundkvist slotted into the right side of that Vancouver’s defense, that means Lundkvist gets the NHL ice time he wants after he was jumped on the Rangers’ depth chart last season. It might be a little difficult for Vancouver to find him powerplay time, and they may play two defensemen on the second unit to please everyone, but it seems like a potential fit on the players’ side of things.

For New York, this sends him almost as far away as they can get him from the Eastern Conference. That minimizes the chance this has of coming back to bite the organization somewhere down the line. It also means that Lundkvist would only return to Madison Square Garden once a year. If you can get the value back from New York, it would certainly make things interesting.

For a piece of similar value from Vancouver, I’m not entirely sure what that might be. Perhaps it is someone along the lines of Linus Karlsson who is a waiver exempt and has proven himself in Europe. A center prospect is never something you can turn down, and Karlsson is younger than Lundkvist. I’m not certain about this, it may favor the Canucks, but that will probably happen anyway with the news the Rangers are looking to trade him.