When Emily Kaplan reported that Chris Drury was looking for more "meat and potatoes" for this roster ahead of the deadline, everyone expected the solution must be bottom six grinders. However, Frank Seravalli's newest trade board suggests an excellent fit for the Rangers in the latest city the NHL has ventured to. Sitting number 20 on his board sits Lawson Crouse, who is everything the Rangers should look for when shopping for players ahead of this trade deadline.
The transition to Salt Lake City hasn't been kind to Crouse, who has scored just eight goals and four assists for 12 points in 57 games this season. That's down from three straight 20-goal seasons in Arizona before the move to Utah. When the Coyotes moved, it seemed to have upset Crouse, and he's been unable to live up to the standards he has cemented for himself in the desert. A new city could get more out of Crouse, leading to the Rangers.
Crouse is 6'4, and everything you want in a physical goal-scoring forward. He'd be an excellent addition for the Rangers, and his skill set will fit everything Drury is looking for before the trade deadline. When the Rangers need that physical scoring presence, that is what Crouse could be, and the Utah Hockey Club isn't in a position to be turning down offers for players as they are on the outside of the playoff race looking in.
Crouse has two years after this one at $4.3 million. That's pretty expensive, but he's worth the money for his physical presence, making him a good fit for the postseason. That is a guess since Crouse has only played nine games in the postseason, and they were all in the bubble. He's not experienced, but he's only 27, so he can grow with the Blueshirts.