One player the NY Rangers could shockingly trade in the 2024 offseason
The New York Rangers don’t need a lot of help, as they were the best team in the NHL throughout the regular season, and you can even argue they were the hottest group in the playoffs until the second half of the Second Round when everything started going downhill. Despite their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, this team is there, and if they find a way to get one more solid player into their lineup, the Rangers will be ready to roll.
With such a good team, it may be counterintuitive to say it would make sense to trade a player (or players) who have brought value this year to the Blueshirts. But it would also make sense, assuming they could pull off trading a player who you may otherwise not think would be moved for someone who will, finally, propel the Rangers back to the Stanley Cup Final.
After taking a careful look at the lineup, the potentially shocking trade would involve alternate captain Barclay Goodrow, who does have a 15-team no-trade list. But think about organizations that need a forward who can win faceoffs and bring in physical play. Sure, Goodrow could factor in as a loss for the Rangers in such a trade as he’s been a reason for their turnaround, but there would be teams vying for his services if made available.
NY Rangers could make a shocking trade this offseason to acquire more talent
For the record, there is no indication that Goodrow is going anywhere, but you can argue the 31-year-old nonetheless skyrocketed his value thanks to a postseason that saw him finish fourth on the team in goals scored. Overall, it was a sensational showing from Goodrow and one that could cause teams looking for strong help in the bottom-six to make their own respective playoff runs in 2024-25.
Some of these organizations lack sound physical play in their bottom-six, and others haven’t seen adequate consistency in faceoff wins. They may be willing to overpay for someone like Goodrow, and since the Rangers need at least one more solid asset, it wouldn’t be a bad idea, albeit a shocking one, to trade him.
Plus, there are plenty of players boasting a similar style to his in NHL free agency, so if someone overpaid for Goodrow, the Blueshirts could be looking at a win-win-win opportunity. Don’t expect it to happen, and if he were traded, it would send shockwaves throughout the organization, but anything can happen between now and when the puck drops next season.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)