Rangers Side
Kovalev was sent to the Penguins alongside Harry York for Petr Nedved, Sean Pronger, and Chris Tamer. Tamer was never traded. Petr Nedved's branch is the longest one. Pronger played 14 games with the Rangers for three assists before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Eric Lacroix. Lacroix played in three seasons for New York, scoring eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 146 games. Lacroix was traded to the Senators for Colin Forbes. Forbes played 19 games for the Rangers, scoring a goal and four assists. He wasn't traded, ending the other branch.
He played 478 games with the New York Rangers, scoring 149 goals and 202 assists for 351 points with the Blueshirts. That earned him a trade to the Edmonton Oilers alongside goaltender Jussi Markkanen for Dwight Helminen, MSG's own Stephen Valiquette, and a 2nd round pick in the 2004 NHL draft. Finding a place to mention the great Stephen Valiquette is always nice.
Neither Valiquette nor Helminen was traded, leaving us with the incredibly long trail of the second-round pick used on Dane Byers. Byers played in six games with the Rangers, scoring once. Byers was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Chad Kolarik. Kolarik played in four games with the Rangers, grabbing an assist before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Benn Ferriero.
Ferriero also played just four games with the Rangers, tallying an assist, but the Rangers traded him for a 6th-round pick in 2014 to the Minnesota Wild for Justin Falk. Falk played 21 games with the Rangers, scoring two assists. He wasn't traded by the Rangers, ending the Nedved branch of this trade tree.