Blue Line Station
Fansided

Reviewing the Mark Messier trade tree from NYR to SJ

By Conor Power

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 28: Former New York Rangers player Mark Messier waves to fans during Henrik Lundqvist's jersey retirement ceremony prior to a game between the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2022 in New York City. Henrik Lundqvist played all 15 seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers before retiring in 2020. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 28: Former New York Rangers player Mark Messier waves to fans during Henrik Lundqvist's jersey retirement ceremony prior to a game between the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2022 in New York City. Henrik Lundqvist played all 15 seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers before retiring in 2020. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – MAY 26: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers celebrates with Kevin Klein #8 and Martin St. Louis #26 after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 7 to 3 in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 26, 2015, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – MAY 26: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers celebrates with Kevin Klein #8 and Martin St. Louis #26 after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 7 to 3 in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 26, 2015, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

That winger would be big

With a package that large going to Tampa Bay, it had to be some with quite the reputation and skill level. To go from such a serviceable player in Callahan and move him and two first-rounders? It had to be a player with the ability to drag the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals, right? Well, it’s funny you should mention that. New York got with that 2nd-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning Martin St Louis.

St Louis brought the experience of winning the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Lightning to a Rangers team that was looking to capture Lord Stanley for the first time in two decades. St Louis himself hadn’t won the trophy in 10 years so both parties had the same goal and when everyone is pulling the rope in the same direction, it works to a much greater effect than everyone pulling separately.

In 2013-14, St Louis played 19 regular season games tallying a singular goal and eight points. This was not what St Louis was in New York for. It must be said that St Louis was well past his prime at this point, and was expected more to help in a depth role than as a star forward, Anyway, St Louis’ regular season wasn’t great, but the regular season is not why the Rangers got him.

In the playoffs that year, St Louis tallied eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 25 games as the Rangers would get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. How did that end? Well, let’s not think about that but if you genuinely do not know, the Rangers still haven’t won the cup since 1994 so there is your answer.

In 2014-15, St Louis put up 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points in 72 regular season games. That was an incredible season and it would be St Louis’ swan song year. After a goal and six helpers in the playoffs that year, St Louis would bid farewell to the Hockey World. Now the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, he’s returned to the sport and this will be his first season as a full head coach, which is neat.

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