The New York Rangers continue to jockey for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Nevertheless, their off-season plans remain the subject of media speculation.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes GM Chris Drury must avoid repeating last summer's mistake when he allowed his efforts to trade Jacob Trouba to carry over into the regular season.
Brooks felt that Trouba's resentment over the situation adversely affected his performance and leadership as captain. It took until December before Drury found a trade partner for Trouba in the Anaheim Ducks.
Drury could approach Mika Zibanejad this summer about waiving his no-movement clause. If that happens, Brooks believes the Rangers GM must move quickly to trade the 31-year-old center rather than start next season with another potentially unhappy veteran on the roster.
Getting Zibanejad to waive his clause could be the easier part. Finding a taker for his $8.5-million annual average value through 2029-30 might prove difficult, especially considering the ongoing decline in his production since his career-high 91-point season in 2022-23.
The Hockey News’ Stan Fischler thinks Chris Kreider is a trade candidate as well. The 33-year-old has two seasons remaining on his contract worth $6.5 million annually, and he has a 15-team no-trade list. After recording 39 goals and 75 points in 82 games last season, he has 19 goals and 24 points in 60 games this season.
Meanwhile, lohud.com's Vincent Z. Mercogliano believes the Rangers must decide whether to re-sign K'Andre Miller or trade him this summer. The 25-year-old defenseman is due to become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. He's finishing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.875 million.
Miller struggled earlier this season through injury and inconsistent play, but his performance improved after being paired with Will Borgen. He's the best left-shot defenseman within the Rangers' organization, but Mercogliano pointed out his name still appeared in the rumor mill before last month's trade deadline.
Mercogliano believes replacing Miller won't be easy if they trade him this summer. Pickings are slim for top-four, left-shot defensemen. The notables include older players like Vladislav Gavrikov of the Los Angeles Kings and Ivan Provorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who would be more expensive to sign.
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