Should the New York Rangers be looking to make a hockey trade with the Philadelphia Flyers?
By Conor Power
There's a lot to talk about regarding the New York Rangers as we approach the trade deadline. The Rangers need help up front, the goaltending situation was problematic until Benoit Allaire pulled out his magic dust and fixed Igor Shesterkin, and there's the entire issue of the bottom six not doing much of anything. So, this will be a fun time of the year when no Rangers fan is happy with anything the organization does.
Incomings will not be the only thing happening at this deadline as it is increasingly likely that the organization will have to move money to open the door to players coming in, and one of the players linked with an exit from NYC has been Kaapo Kakko. The second-overall pick from the 2019 NHL draft has struggled to live up to expectations and make a true mark in the hockey world to this point.
A fit for the Finn has been heavily discussed, but the problem seems to be what the Rangers would receive. Futures don't help right now as this team wants to contend, but he doesn't hold the value to be a main piece of a rental deal. It thins the options of moves for the Turku, Finland native. It's not been an easy solution to try and find a destination for Kakko while addressing the issues the Rangers need to address.
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That was until the Philadelphia Flyers happened to have an unhappy youngster of their own under head coach John Tortorella. I'm referring to Morgan Frost, who has reportedly been unhappy with the situation around him in the City of Brotherly Love. While that doesn't mean he'll be dealt, and it'll be even more unlikely after meeting with Torts to clear the air, he remains on trade boards around the league, sitting 28th on TSN's trade bait board.
A straight swap for the two isn't something that makes sense, but perhaps the Rangers could supplement the swap with draft picks. This would allow the Flyers to use it and some of their other assets to find a replacement, either in free agency or on the trade market, while taking on a player with exceptional talent who is likely to thrive in a defensive system under Torts.