Three New York Rangers that could to be traded at some point
By Conor Power
As much as the hockey world is loved as the fans and players start to connect, it is a heartless business at the end of the day. We can talk about all the fantastic feel-good stories in the NHL, but it does not affect that the organizations we all follow and pay to support will move players around in order to chase their goal of becoming the best in the league and capturing the most difficult trophy to win in North American sports.
New York is one of the major markets in all professional sports, and it is why it boasts two teams in every one of the five major professional sports leagues in North America. New York’s NHL teams are very contrasting. While the Islanders have a passionate fanbase, it is so small in comparison to their city rivals from Manhattan. With New York housing one of the original six franchises, you have one of the oldest businesses in this sport.
For the Rangers, there are players that fans have loved, hated, or have other complex feelings for that will be moved. These could be players that need a change of scenery to try and revive their career that has stalled in The Empire State. As it stands, a couple of Rangers are already looking to be dealt away from the organization if rumors are to be believed. These are for a variety of reasons.
However, it is a worrying position if a roster of 23 has three different players wanting out. If you exclude the two that may not be on the roster, it’s still 3 in 25. Those odds are not friendly to the New York Rangers management. It’s not exactly putting them in the best light for how they handle some of the situations behind the scenes. While we have no hints as to what does happen behind the scenes, we know these trade requests come through.
Ideally, these are all major coincidences and it’s resolved quickly and quietly, but some of these players have been very public with their dissatisfaction with the organization due to how the management group has addressed each situation, or perhaps not addressing each situation might be more accurate. Absence of action, even due to indecision, could be portrayed as disrespect and contempt.