Three names to watch for Rangers as trade deadline approaches
The New York Rangers have the luxury of playing in one of the best cities in the world, in front of the largest American market in the sport. There will always be players that want to come to this beautiful part of the world and seek the Holy Grail of hockey in the Stanley Cup. Winning with an original six Franchise is never easy, but the road to the Cup is never straightforward and bulking up the roster where possible will help the Rangers do that.
Recently, the Rangers trade rumor mill heated up when DailyFaceoff reported that the Rangers were taking a long look at the Timo Meier situation in San Jose. But that is not the only homework that the front office is doing. The entire roster right now could do with some extra support because there have been struggles throughout the year from almost every player on the team.
Immediately, the Rangers’ front office is scouting the league. Potential fits from any team that might make the Rangers better and figure out if there is a price that the teams could work towards agreeing on. Whether you believe in this front office, you think that they all need to be fired, or you are undecided, we all want to see the Rangers do well in the playoffs because a good Ranger team is good for hockey.
There is one big name here with two pieces that have been reportedly linked with the Rangers that would constitute depth pieces. I will not be addressing the Timo Meier situation here because that is old news, and you can find that by just searching for Meier’s name here on Blue Line Station. With the Rangers looking around the league for players that their coaching staff and front office like, here’s the latest on what we know.
Patrick Kane
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, one of the greatest America-born players of all time is going to be available at the trade deadline if he chooses to be. While this could be misinterpreted as someone suggesting that Kane may not wish to waive his no-movement clause to leave the Windy City, the Chicago Blackhawks iconic winger has more issues than meets the eye when talking about a potential move to the Big Apple.
Kane is dealing with an injury that needs surgery. It’s a nagging problem and it is something that if he had his surgery on now, would ensure he missed the rest of the season according to reports. It means that Kane’s already low trade value from him having a no-movement clause and enduring a down year is even lower because he is coping with an injury. This isn’t to say he won’t be moved if he opts to play through the pain.
New York has always seemed like a good fit for Kane due to the fact he is from upstate. He’s one of the best right-wingers in hockey and he is a perfect fit for the Rangers. The issue is that on top of the injuries and the no-movement clause I eluded to earlier, he makes $10.5 against the cap. Even half retained, his $5.25 against the cap would be a tight fit for the Blueshirts at this moment in time.
According to the Athletic, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the Rangers will be making a move for the iconic number 88. There will be players that the Rangers could get for cheaper in order to make the roster better ahead of the playoff push as the Blueshirts seek the right to hang a fifth Stanley Cup banner above the ice at Madison Square Garden. We’ll see what happens with Kane.
Vladislav Gavrikov
It seems that Chris Drury and the front office enjoy going out to add a defenseman or two to the backend wherever it seems possible. With the Rangers needing an extra guy to slot in on the third pairing, there are rumors linking Russian defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov with Broadway. There is little doubt that the struggles of Harpur, Hajek, and Zac Jones during the season have left that spot unfulfilled on the roster, and Columbus may house the answer.
According to Arthur Staple of the Athletic, the asking price set by the Columbus Blue Jackets is a 1st round pick and a mid-round pick. Columbus is trying to use the return they got for David Savard from Tampa during the bubble season as a justification for this asking price, which is very high considering that this is someone who is likely to test the free-agent market at the end of the season regardless of where he is.
New York is in an admittedly unique position when acquiring players like this as the Blueshirts have both their own and Dallas’ first-round picks. If you cannot remember why the Rangers have the Stars’ first-round pick, it is from the Nils Lundkvist trade in the summer. This means that the Rangers could use the Stars’ pick in this deal and still keep their own to remove the fear of giving up a lottery pick should the worst happen.
Whether you think this is a possible deal that is worth it for the Blueshirts or not, it is fair to say that the management and front office of the Rangers is doing their due diligence in regard to the trade targets that might make sense for improving the roster. They clearly think that the third pairing can use an upgrade on the left-hand side, and with Gavrikov making just $2.8 against the cap, there’s enough space to acquire the player.
Nick Ritchie
Seemingly, the Blueshirts want someone who can produce for them while providing more of a physical aspect to the lineup. With spots in the top six up for grabs even midway through a season as we are at this moment, Nick Ritchie seems like the kind of player that the Rangers would want to go and get to add a little more bite to a smaller lineup. New York has a like of players in this build. Last year it was Motte, and Ritchie could do the same thing.
Ritchie’s $2.5 million against the cap would expire at the end of this season when the player gets to go back to free agency after previously signing a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That went so badly that he was dumped in Arizona before the trade deadline of the same season, so it is important to note that this is a player that is not a perfect fit anywhere he goes despite finding more success in the desert.
Arizona is believed to have talked to the Rangers regarding Ritchie last summer according to The Athletic and there seems to still be interest in the big-bodied winger from the Blueshirts. Ritchie has tallied 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 41 games this year and for a player that is 6’2, 230 lbs, there is a lot to like. If the Rangers could add him to the bottom six and get him to be a productive member of the bottom six with his large stature, there is a good player here.
None of the players that I have talked about here are likely to break open the window for the Rangers, but they may be the reason that they are able to get a little deeper and get that much closer to the Stanley Cup. There is little doubt that most of the pieces the Rangers have at their disposal are good enough to make them competitive in the playoffs, but some of these players could give them a little bit more to get over the top.
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