The New York Rangers fanbase know how close the team has gotten to reaching the Stanley Cup Final. After making it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice, in 2022 and 2024, both resulting in them getting eliminated two wins short each. Since the latter trip, the Rangers never made it back to the playoffs.
The 2022 trip showed real promise for the Rangers, hope that maybe the team was close to finally ending their Stanley Cup drought. Maybe, just maybe, 2023 would be the year that the Blueshirts would be the last team standing, hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.
The Rangers certainly operated like they planned on doing so, especially at the trade deadline.
Rangers went hunting for big fish during 2023 trade deadline
The Rangers, entering the 2023 trade deadline, were in firm playoff position. Their main competition in the Metropolitan Division were the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils. Looking to catapult back up in the standings and increase their odds of winning the Stanley Cup, made some blockbuster moves.
Their first trade was with the St. Louis Blues, as they acquired star winger Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick, forward Sammy Blais, and defenseman Hunter Skinner. It was a huge move, considering Tarasenko was the face of the Blues.
Shortly after that, the Rangers brought back forward Tyler Motte from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional 2023 seventh-round pick.
Finally, the last big move general manager Chris Drury made was bringing in three-time Stanley Cup champion and Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane. It felt like a dream come true for Rangers fans, considering he was the face of hockey. Not only that, but he got to reunite with former Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin. It took a bit of maneuvering, as the Rangers sent a conditional 2023 second-round pick, a 2025 fourth-rounder, and defenseman Andy Welinski to Chicago. Additionally, the Rangers got the Arizona Coyotes to agree to take on 25 percent of Kane's remaining salary.
Rangers huge trade deadline resulted in first round playofff elimination
This had all of the makings of a potential deep playoff run and an end to a championship drought. Tarasenko put up 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 31 regular season games for the Rangers. Kane had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 19 games. Tyler Motte recorded five goals and five assists in 24 regular season games. Mikkola, meanwhile, proved he was a force on defense.
The Rangers finished the regular season with a 47-22-13 record, good enough for third place in the division. That set them up for a first-round matchup against the Devils, who held second place in the division. The hope was that the trades that Drury made were enough to help carry them to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Rangers took a 2-0 series lead, outscoring the Devils 10-2. It looked like the Rangers were well on their way to the second round. But then, the Rangers choked, dropping Games 3, 4, and 5, getting outscored 9-2. New York rebounded in Game 6, winning 5-2. It resulted in a win-or-go-home Game 7, with a chance to take on the Hurricanes in the second round. The Rangers didn't show up, falling 4-0 and getting eliminated by their hated rivals.
After all of those moves at the trade deadline, it didn't result in a single series win. It's hard to think of a worse scenario for the Rangers, especially after they made those trades at the deadline. This short playoff run ultimately cost head coach Gerard Gallant his job.
In the first-round, Tarasenko had three goals and one assist in the seven games. Kane had one goal and five assists. Motte didn't log a single point against the Devils. Mikkola had two assists to his credit, along with 12 blocked shots and eight hits.
To make matters worse for the Rangers, all four of those players left that offseason. Mikkola signed on with the Florida Panthers, and won the Stanley Cup in each of the next two seasons. Tarasenko joined Mikkola on the Panthers for the 2023-24 season, and won his second Stanley Cup title. Kane signed on with the Detroit Red Wings. Finally, Motte signed with the Lightning.
That trade deadline, it had to feel like the Rangers were on the cusp of a special season, bringing in some of the league's top names to help their quest to win the Stanley Cup. Not only did they lose in the first round, but did so against the Devils. That was just a brutal end result, one that still stings to this day.
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