The New York Rangers are looking to freshen up the roster, which will spell the end for a few big names on the roster if they choose to freshen the team up. Rumors will fly left and right about what the Rangers should do, with names like Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba in the rumor mill. Still, an idea suggested by the site expert at our sister site, Union and Blue (the Columbus Blue Jackets equivalent), struck me as interesting.
The idea was a simple one-for-one swap. David Jiricek for K'Andre Miller. We all love Miler, but he's struggling right now. Of the six regular defensemen, only Jacob Trouba and Braden Schneider are pitching worse expected goals against per 60 minutes played (xGA/60). His expected goals for per 60 (xGF/60) is only better than Lindgren and Trouba. He's struggling to keep his head above the water as the fourth-best defenseman on the roster.
The trade-off is that Key is only 24, and the St Paul, Minnesota native is still hoping the best days of his career lay ahead of him. He was a first-round pick back in the 2018 NHL entry draft when the Rangers selected him at 22nd overall. He's got a pedigree that he's not quite reaching in New York and could be traded, but only if the return was perfect for what the Rangers needed.
Well, the return suggested was David Jiricek. The sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft is just 20 years old and is a right-shot defenseman, which makes him a better immediate fit if the Rangers can find a new home for Trouba. If you're worried about losing the 6'5 Miller, Jiricek is 6'4, so he's not giving much up. The Czech defenseman has an incredibly high ceiling and could become a star in the right setup.
Jiricek is still on his entry-level contract, so there would be some cap savings for the Rangers to spend elsewhere. It would signal that the Rangers think the right move here is a retool instead of tearing everything down again. It's an easier sell to acquire the former sixth overall pick for Miller, and there's some logic to it. There's something about this idea that feels like it might work.
The flip side of this is that you'd open up a hole on the left side of the defense that would need addressing. Either Zac Jones would need a more prominent role, or you'd have to find another left-sided defenseman elsewhere. Perhaps in free agency in the summer and just live with the situation now. New York would get younger, which is always good, but they'd be losing someone many fans love.
It's a fine line to walk, and there may have to be other moving pieces to get this deal done, but with those two being the centerpieces, it feels like something that could be swung. It would certainly improve the Rangers for the next 5-10 years, and Jiricek would immediately improvement on Trouba. I've done a lot of bashing on the Rangers captain here, but Jiricek is that good.