The Rangers have gotten hot following the All-Star break, and it looks like they will pull away from the rest of the Metropolitan Division should they stay on a roll. One way they can keep winning consistently is to pick up at least one strong asset at the trade deadline, and Adam Henrique could be that player.
Despite playing for what is yet another awful team in Anaheim, Henrique’s productivity will have strong contenders like the Rangers interested in acquiring him for a number of reasons. However, just because a team is interested in acquiring a talented asset and it may make sense on the surface, it’s always good to take a deeper dive into the issue.
So why would trading for Henrique be a smart trade for what is one of the NHL’s most well-built and well-coached teams? There are quite a few reasons, but three jump out more than anything else.
Sense of urgency should be at an all-time high in New York
For what should be the third season in a row, we will see the Rangers in the playoffs and trying to win their first Stanley Cup since 1994. It’s been three decades since the Rangers hoisted the Cup and a decade since they last won an Eastern Conference Championship, so for a team that finished the previous two seasons with triple digits in points, urgency must be at an all-time high.
While the Rangers are among the best in the NHL in a plethora of categories, including a top-10 ranking in goals scored, they need to keep flooring the throttle in 2024. Not only is their 71 points the best in the Metropolitan, but it’s also the third-overall points total in hockey. That said, it’s time for New York to make a major splash at the deadline and set the stage for what should be a deep playoff run.