If the Ottawa Senators are indeed shopping Brady Tkachuk, then that would be an ideal blockbuster trade for the NY Rangers if they can land him and stop moving so many players. And J.T. Miller wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize if the Blueshirts couldn’t land Tkachuk.
What I’m getting at is, the Rangers have options. But the Senators are looking like a team on the outside looking in, so there’s a chance they hang onto Tkachuk and Company. And the Vancouver Canucks are also playing like a sound group, so swinging a trade for Miller may also be a tough one.
Yeah, the Blueshirts could always flip Chris Kreider, something that may even become more apparent following his recent scratch. Options galore, right? But let’s talk about a trade that could involve the Rangers and a team that’s probably destined for the NHL’s doldrums despite playing some good hockey this year.
And yes, I get it: The Rangers happen to be there at the moment. But, the difference is, the Blueshirts can still find a way out of it and back to relevance while other teams struggling at or near the bottom of their respective division standings can’t.
NY Rangers could be one blockbuster trade away from returning to relevance
This is operating under the assumption the Blueshirts never became irrelevant, so take that how you will. Anyway, one team that hasn’t been afraid to make big moves this season has been the St. Louis Blues, and there’s a chance general manager Doug Armstrong could put Brandon Saad on the trade block.
No, Saad hasn’t looked good in St. Louis this season. But considering the roll he went on during the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, Saad has proven he can still be a viable scorer in this league. Plus, his situation in St. Louis isn’t an ideal one, as the team is looking to move their older pieces in favor of getting younger anyway, something else Armstrong has proven he’s rather adept at doing.
Saad may be scoring on just 8.9 percent of his shots on goal this season, but he also hasn’t seen a single year when he’s recorded lower than a 15.0 shooting percentage since the 2018-19 season. A change of scenery could be just what Saad could use, and his presence would create a spark in New York if he rediscovered his high-octane ways.
That said, if the likes of Tkachuk and Miller aren’t options, Saad wouldn’t just be a decent consolation; he’s still playing well enough for fans to consider this one a blockbuster move.