There's a gaping hole to Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad's right in the Rangers top six. This isn't new. It's been apparent since the Pavel Buchnevich trade with the St Louis Blues a few years ago, and the Rangers have yet to find a proper replacement for the Russian. Sammy Blais didn't score a goal for the Rangers, Kaapo Kakko looks like he's treading water, and the list of rentals couldn't stay due to cap concerns.
A new winger in the rumor mill right now may fix everything for the Rangers if they can keep him in the lineup and healthy. The one on my mind is the Columbus Blue Jackets' Patrik Laine. The former second-overall pick has been in the rumor mill for a while after his move to Columbus has not worked, and the Finnish forward seems to be on the move again. His value is low, and there are reasons for it, but it could be something the Rangers explore.
Laine only scored eight points last year as he spent most of the season either in the National Hockey League Player Association's Player Assistance Programme to receive help with his mental health or recovering from shoulder surgery. Laine missed a lot of time for these reasons, and it is apparent that he needs more time to get back to being the goal scorer he once was in Winnipeg.
Carrying a cap hit of $8.7 million, some money would need to be moved to accommodate the contract. Alternatively, the Columbus Blue Jackets could retain cash on the contract, but that would increase the acquisition price, so there would have to be a middle ground for the Rangers, whether moving contracts out or finding a way to lessen the player's cap hit. Moving Trouba's cap hit would open up this deal entirely, but that is unlikely, too.
Due to the high-risk state of Laine, the natural price will be decreased. A half-retained Laine could be a different conversation, and that would need to be the case anyway for the Rangers to fit the contract under the cap. Perhaps there is a world where the return involves Ryan Lindgren for cap purposes and brings back another depth defenseman to fill the void. It weakens the blueline but makes the forward core a lot stronger. This would have combinations of picks and prospects to balance the value, too, so it would not be a one-for-one trade.