We know that Rangers will be looking to acquire new players this summer in at least two ways.
The first is the NHL Draft, which is scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The second is free agency, which begins at noon on July 1.
Those events are set in stone on the calendar, and Blueshirts team president Chris Drury is sure to use both of them to acquire current and future players, but there’s a third avenue for player acquisition that has a much more fluid timeline and could have a potentially franchise-altering impact.
The trade market is the big unknown of the offseason: general managers make a ton of calls and float all kinds of ideas, but only a few result in agreed-upon deals.
That makes it hard to predict, and many teams will likely go into the summer without making any significant trades, but with multiple spots to fill and limited salary cap space to do so, the Rangers may need to get more creative in building a Stanley Cup-caliber team.
Trade opportunities are limited, but forward Kaapo Caco and defenseman Jacob Trouba are both expected to be available in the right deal around the league. Restricted free agent Ryan Lindgren could also fall into that category, as could this year’s 30th first-round pick and any prospect not named Gabe Perreault. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Drury part ways with a veteran mainstay, but that becomes significantly less likely for players with full or partial no-movement clauses.
“Everything is on the table,” he said earlier this month.
League sources who spoke with lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, believe there’s a greater than 50% chance the Rangers will make at least one trade this offseason and that Kako would be the prime candidate to move if an incumbent leaves New York, but there’s disagreement over which team he’s most likely to find an agreement with.
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Drury is notoriously thorough and will no doubt be exploring all options to turn his Presidents Trophy team into a champion, so based on chatter around the league, what I’ve heard, and my own speculation, here are seven teams the Rangers have reason to look into.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are in desperate need of a defenseman, and Lindgren would certainly be appealing, though there’s a good chance the Ducks end up on the 15-man trade no-go list that Trouba will submit by July 1. We also know there were talks surrounding Kako before the trade deadline in March.
Meanwhile, Anaheim has several intriguing forwards who could move east.
Frank Vatrano The Rangers’ continued interest is clear — he’s entering the final year of his $3.65 million contract and would be a cost-effective first-round draft pick — but the Ducks have several younger options.
Will Drury give the Bedford native a chance? Trevor ZegrasIt would be a cool story, but the 23-year-old’s nuanced game doesn’t quite line up with the “heavier, more physical” style the GM is going for. I have my doubts.
Leo CarlsonHe’s certainly not eligible as the No. 2 overall selection in last year’s draft, but is there in any world where Anaheim would consider making an offer to any of the young forward trio? Sam Colangelo, Cutter Gautier and Mason McTavish?
Calgary Flames
The Flames have been in business for a few years now, and rumors have been swirling that their next move will be for a winger. Andrew MangiapaneHe scored 35 goals in 2021-22, earning himself a three-year, $17.4 million contract extension, but his point totals over the past two seasons have dropped to 17 and 14, respectively.
The 28-year-old has three straight 40-point seasons and has good speed that would make him a valuable addition in the right situation, but unless Calgary is willing to retain some of his $5.8 million cap charge, the money might be better spent on a more consistent offensive asset.
Egor Sharangovich is an intriguing player who performed well last season. He’s also in the final year of his contract, but has a more manageable salary cap hit of $3.1 million. The Flames may be willing to keep the 26-year-old winger, who recorded a career-high 59 points (31 goals, 28 assists), but he could be trade fodder at some point if a contract extension doesn’t move forward. That time could be now.
Colorado Avalanche
Like the Rangers, the Avalanche are committed to winning now, so they’re unlikely to trade valuable players for future assets, though a hockey trade may be possible.
center Ross Colton Rumor has it that he’s available and would provide the two-way depth New York needs at center. Would Kako and the cap savings that come with it (he’s due to make $1.6 million less than Colton next season) be enough to entice Colorado into a trade?
The main hesitation for the Rangers would be their own multi-year financial planning, as Colton is under contract for three more seasons with an average annual salary worth $4 million, which could be problematic with the anticipated cap crunch in 2025-26.
Nashville Predators
It’s unclear whether the Predators have any players on their roster who could be traded to the Rangers and be a good fit for them, but the question is whether they could be a good fit for Trouba.
Nashville recently traded veteran Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa and has holes on the defensive line with right-handed defensemen Tyson Barrie and Alexandre Carrier set to become free agents. The Predators also have the sixth-most cap space of any team this offseason, according to Packedia, with more than $26 million in free space. Additionally, they have eight picks in the first four rounds of this week’s draft, giving them plenty of picks to use in potential trades.
There are no firm indications that the Predators are interested – at least one of their top-six forwards is thought to be their top priority – but if Trouba is on their radar, they have all the ingredients to make it a success.
Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk It’s a name many Rangers fans dream of, but the Senators don’t seem to have much interest in it, and if that changes, Drury is expected to put all his effort in.
On the other hand, if strengthening the D unit is on New York’s to-do list, it could be a match.
There are few other defenceman targets as appealing as this one. Jacob Chychrun Considering both the upside and the cost, the 26-year-old is in the final year of a reasonable contract paying him $4.6 million per year, and he brings the size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), mobility and puck skills the Rangers covet and would immediately establish himself as one of the Rangers’ top four defensemen.
The downside is that there will be competition for his services and the asking price will surely increase.
Utah Hockey Club
The NHL’s newest franchise (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) doesn’t have a defenseman under contract after last season, which leaves them with several holes on the defense and a ton of cap space to fill them — a league-high $40.85 million, to be exact.
They are one of the few teams that can afford to withstand Trouba’s $8 million cap hit without flinching, but there’s a chance their captain could veto a move to Salt Lake City using a modified NTC. Lindgren doesn’t have the same power, however, and like Zach Jones, could be released for the right trade.
Utah has several under-the-radar forwards with a year or two left on their contracts. Nick Schmaltz (annual average of $5.85 million) Alex Kerfoot ($3.5 million) Nick Bjugstad ($2.1 million) and Jack McBain ($1.59 million). Bjugstad, in particular, is a target the Rangers have expressed interest in for some time.
Winnipeg Jets
The top forwards rumored to be available for trade this summer are: Nikolaj Ehlershas seven seasons with 20 or more goals, and while some questioned his overall effort last season, he’s been recognized as one of the Jets’ best forwards and has the consistency to back it up.
There’s a lot to like about him, but also reasons to proceed with caution: The 28-year-old winger’s playoff performance was disappointing, with just 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 37 games, and his $6 million salary in the final year of his contract might be a bit more than the Rangers would like.
Maybe they prefer the younger, cheaper ones. Rutger McGroartyReports surfaced last week that the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft wanted a trade, and the 6-foot-1, 205-pound player has a number of attractive traits for the Blueshirts.
The 20-year-old is a high-end scorer for both the University of Michigan (52 points in 36 games last season) and the U.S. National Team (captained the gold medal-winning World Junior team with 9 points in 7 games) and scores a lot of his points by attacking high-danger areas on the ice. All of that adds up to a very skilled, strong kid who looks ready to go pro, and it’s clear that Drury likes the USNTDP product.
The main hurdle will be whether the Rangers have the assets to make it happen. They have just one pick in the first three rounds in this week’s draft and may have a hard time matching offers from teams with bigger pockets.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is a New York Rangers reporter for the USA Today Network. To read more of his work, visit lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter. translation:.
