Three Former New York Rangers the team could bring back before the NHL Trade Deadline

Vladimir Tarasenko

At last year's trade deadline, the New York Rangers opted to go for a Russian winger out of the St Louis Blues organization rather than targeting American hockey icon Patrick Kane from Chicago. Kane would eventually join the Rangers anyway, but the Russian is the one I want to focus on right now. I talking about Vladimir Tarasenko obviously, and the Tarasenk-show that he brought to Broadway.

Coming in around this time last season, Tarasenko played in 31 games for the Rangers in the regular season, adding 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points. He was a fine player for the organization. In the playoffs, when the going gets tough, Senko threw up a casual three goals and a helper for four points as the Rangers were eliminated in seven games by the New Jersey Devils. With that, the Rangers season came to an end, and so did Senko's deal.

With the cap bind the Rangers were in, they couldn't pay him what he wanted, and he ended up apparently agreeing on a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes before pulling out of that and heading north to Ottawa. With the Senators this season, Tank has collected 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points in 45 games. It's not bad, but it does show that he isn't the place he was once upon a time back in St Louis.

He's on an expiring deal, but the Senators are nowhere near playoff contention. The issue here is going to be Vlad's no-trade clause. It gives him almost full control over his trade destination. Does he believe in this Rangers group to get past the first round and give him a shot to win a second Stanley Cup Championship over others, or would he rather go to a different team in hopes of winning another ring? Time will tell.