Intriguing 2023 Off-Season Trade Targets for the New York Rangers
The New York Rangers will always be involved in trade conversations. It’s the nature of the concrete jungle.
With the entry-level draft and free agency approaching, who is on the New York Rangers’ radar that can move the needle? Following a dreadful first-round exit, the New York Rangers have limited capital to add to their roster.
The names that follow: the steamy standouts, the wingers of a similar caliber, and the fleeting fantasies.
Let’s look.
Stand Outs:
Tom Wilson (29 years old, $5.1 million AAV)
The New York Rangers fell victim to Tom Wilson’s despicable actions in 2021 and subsequently shifted their identity in response. At the time, the team became the butt end of jokes. The knee-jerk reaction fared well for New York though accelerating their rebuild with the acquisition of sandpaper.
The menace at the center of the “Tom Wilson Incident” is now a potential trade target for the franchise that was on the receiving end of his bullying. Depth at RW is a necessity at a fair price tag, and a player that can bring the edge Wilson does coupled with scoring capability makes him desirable.
Additionally, Wilson played in Peter Laviolette’s system in the nation’s capital. All those boxes were checked off. The box left unchecked is how the locker room would respond. Is it worth adding a player that has serious baggage with the team he’d be suiting up for?
Travis Konecny (26 years old, $5.5 million AAV)
A rival Philadelphia Flyer skater, yes. Nonetheless, a team that sold Ivan Provorov last week is currently shopping anyone and everyone including goaltender Carter Hart.
Konecny is a certified dog, hard on pucks, plays with an edge, and has rapid acceleration and a quick release. The case with most of these hypotheticals is the Rangers must give to receive. An in-division rival would demand heaven and earth if they were to trade a multi-position, whatever it takes, scoring asset.
Konecny will be highly sought out by teams in need of certified top-six complementary scoring and jump.
Ross Colton (26 years old, RFA)
The Swiss army prototype has a Stanley Cup-winning goal on his resume. He boasts a similar game to that of current blue shirt Barclay Goodrow.
If the man in the ivory tower moves capital to acquire a player possessing an identical package, it wouldn’t sound like a bad deal.
To acquire Tanner Jeannot, they spoiled Nashville with Cal Foote and five draft picks. A hefty hall for the type of player most has within their system. So, theirs the downside.
Is it worth trading with a franchise that’s cherry-picked from your team in the past? Colton certainly adds but the price tag could be as steep as throwing in JT Miller or another team captain…
Interchangebale Wingers:
Conor Garland (27 years old, $4.95 million AAV) & Brock Boeser (26 years old, 6.65 million AAV)
The Vancouver Canucks are at the cap ceiling but are also committing to a rebuild. It doesn’t make for a pretty picture in “Vancity”. General Manager Patrik Allvin will be looking to add to the franchise youth movement, so a “Kid” will be of desire yet again. The Rangers could benefit from the acquisition of Garland or former NCAA National Champion and NHL All-Star Brock Boeser.
For Garland, he posted 98 points in 158 games in blue and teal. The Scituate, Massachusetts native is a speedy energetic winger who plays larger than his frame and has five years of NHL experience under his belt.
Brock Boeser has faced several challenges in the last few seasons. His name has been in trade conversations since last season following the passing of his father in May 2022. Boeser is good for an average of 51 points per season dating back to 2017-2018.
The Burnsville, Minnesota native is a pure scorer and can be the trigger man on a power play. His net-finding ability can compensate for his mediocre play off the puck. He should be a target for New York following a playoff where no one could find the soft spots in defense or pepper the net when opportunities were present.
Victor Arvidsson (30 years old, $4.25 million AAV)
At his age, it would be a one-year rental to fill the right-wing void for another season.
It may be more beneficial to pursue Arvidsson over other candidates because the Los Angeles Kings organization is not desperate to pry young talent out of the big apple (like Philadelphia, Vancouver, etc.)
In the Kings’ six-game exit this postseason Arvidsson posted 7 points and has 67 games of playoff experience in his NHL career.
He’d also be a target for New York having played for Peter Laviolette in his hay day in Music Town, leading the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final under the guise of the Rangers’ new bench boss.
Unlikely Fantasies:
Mitch Marner (27 years old, $10.9 million AAV)
The contribution and angle I have not seen regarding a Panarin for Marner swap are that they are the same player with the same vices. The Maple Leafs don’t make the postseason without the former 4th overall pick. The same goes for Panarin and the Rangers.
They also have only advanced past the first round once in his tenure because of the lack of goal-scoring from their third highest-paid forward. In the four post-season appearances in successive years dating back to 2020, Marner has only recorded 5 goals in 30 post-season games played.
If the gripe with Panarin is putting the puck in the net in tournament play, the move would be a lateral pipedream.
William Nylander (27 years old, $ 6.9 million AAV)
Of the Leaf’s core four, Willy “Styles” might be of most interest due to the affordability of his pay raise. Nylander recorded a monster 40-goal and 87-point season followed by a solid post-season performance tallying 10 points. Again, the complication for the Rangers is they would have to mortgage and maneuver their wage cap as if they were getting a skilled winger from Chicago or a sniper from St. Louis…
Logan Cooley (Minnesota Golden Gophers, Sophomore)
The Frozen Four in Tampa built the rave around Adam Fantilli. Yet, the argument of Logan Cooley playing a superior game has legs. Minnesota’s University rising sophomore appears to be playing an “Adam Fox”, with no desire to play in Mullet Arena next season. The Rangers would have to trade a “Kid” and more to accomplish a swap, but the intrigue is in Cooley’s ceiling.
Would you take the gamble on answering the great Lafreniere question as an answer of the Hobey Baker finalist?
Pierre-Luc Dubois (24 years old, $6.0 million AAV)
The New York Rangers are reportedly in on PLD, 32 Thoughts personality Jeff Marek fueling the idea by claiming New York could be a good fit. How though? Blue Line Station’s Conor Power suggests Trochek or Chytil would have to be the center of trade.
Last summer this was a soundbite of mine from the “New York Exchange” podcast (https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfqlXXCgZqE/)
Is PLD worth moving a hefty cap for? If the Rangers wanted to clear 9 million dollars to acquire a bonafide and young number two, his 55 goals in the last two seasons could be an enticing facet to his game partnered with his command in the center dot and physique.