Three New York Rangers that could to be traded at some point
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.
Vitali Kravtsov
This is probably the most obvious one because there is a fairly strong case that he will be traded if he fails to make the team out of training camp due to the struggles that Vitali Kravtsov has undergone during his time as an NHL prospect already. Seeing as he requested a trade this time last year, it has been an arduous saga that has been spoken about on more than one occasion already.
Kravtsov put in a trade request this time last summer due to his unhappiness with the organization’s treatment of the Russian winger’s development and getting into the NHL. He’s been struggling to earn a place in the NHL and has been upset with the staff due to a lack of confirmation of his place in North America. It’s gotten to the point that Kravtsov returned to the KHL last year.
It seems to be forever hanging over the head of the organization that the Russian wants to play in the top six with powerplay time, and the Rangers look like they are going to give him the chance to do that according to what the lines at camp have been so far. No one should be given a chance that someone else deserves more than they do, Kravtsov’s potential talent level is one of the best among the young players the Rangers will ice.
With the Rangers needing right wings and Kravtsov crying out for a place on the roster, it seems like there is a path to move forward. If management continues nudging the coaching staff of the Rangers behind the bench and hints at the idea of playing Kravtsov in a little more of a prominent role, they could ensure everyone is happy. Otherwise, it feels like the bridge is burned and Kravtsov is done in Manhatten.
Julien Gauthier
Moving away from a Russian winger to a Quebecois forward, we have Julien Gauthier. Gauthier supposedly handed in a trade request a long time ago after some of the younger kids jumped the former Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round draft pick. There’s still a lot up in the air about the future of Gauthier with the original six franchise, but the questions surrounding him are some of the more fun things to talk about.
Gauthier has not been a fan favorite in New York, and a lot of fans seem to agree that the Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec native needs to slide down the depth chart and possibly end up spending some time in Hartford with the WolfPack due to his struggles at the NHL level so far. He’s got a lot to like about him, but he just hasn’t been quite able to put it all together at the NHL level yet.
With the current training camp roster having him at best on the fourth line, his trade request could come to fruition sooner rather than later. Gauthier has a lot of the right tools, but he has never been quite able to put them all together. Part of me wonders if he thinks about his situation in the current Rangers lineup a lot because it seems like he is not going to be a fixture of the roster moving forward.
Gauthier’s path in the NHL seems a confusing one. If he’s handed in a trade request and still hasn’t been able to find a new home, it raises the question of what other teams think about him. Perhaps it is only through the lack of willingness to meet the Rangers’ valuation of the player that he is still here but that is not a certainty by any means and it could mean that Gauthier isn’t here for past this season.
Kaapo Kakko
Kaapo Kakko hasn’t handed in a trade request, at least publicly. However, the former second overall pick feels like this is going to be a make-or-break year. With the Finnish forward suffering from several injuries during his time in New York, he just hasn’t been able to get it going. Kakko has so much potential but he just hasn’t been able to start realizing it yet with the Rangers and given his high draft position, he’d be a great makeweight in a deal for a big rental.
Whether the expectations that were placed on him were fair or not, Kakko has been rather underwhelming during his NHL career with very little to show in the way of development. He’s collected just 26 goals and 32 assists in 157 regular season games with the Rangers, and those totals have been consistent throughout his three years with the roster. It’s not been great.
This is not to say that Kakko has been a bust. A lot of people are expecting Kakko to burst through the wall this year, and if he can, the New York Rangers will be so much stronger for it. But until he does break that wall down, there’s not a lot to go off. He could become the start he was projected to be but there’s a lot of evidence that suggests his struggles may be more likely what we see.
Kakko’s value being a second overall pick is still way up, and there will be teams that want him should the Rangers want to address their issues at right wing, or look for more help in other areas. Whether they should move on from Kakko is not the discussion here. It just feels like he’s the likely one to be moved, especially if he fails to find his way to some solidified production this year. He’s got the ability, just needs to show it.
Question for Blue Line Station readers: Who do you think is the next Ranger to be traded?
Next. Libor Hajek. dark