With the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching, here are five targets for the New York Rangers.
The March 8th NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, with the New York Rangers expected to be very active before transactions halt this Friday at 3 PM ET.
A third-line center and first-line right wing are at the top of general manager Chris Drury’s priority list.
With so many teams still within reach of a postseason berth, the trade options are less plentiful than in years past. Yet, Drury still has several options to target and bolster a roster that sits atop the Metropolitan Division.
It’s no secret that the Rangers are amongst the league’s elite. They have been near the top of the league standings nearly all season. But they have flaws, and deepening the forward group will elevate them to serious Cup contenders.
Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere have led the Blueshirts all season.
Forming the so-called ‘second line,’ this trio has been the lone consistent grouping. Nightly, they create opportunities at all strengths, driving the Rangers offensively.
Despite their consistency, head coach Peter Laviolette has yet to unlock Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider at 5-on-5, with the former having gone 28 consecutive games without scoring a goal at full strength. Finding a right wing for that line will be crucial to the Rangers’ postseason success.
The early season injury to Filip Chytil left the Blueshirts with a hole they have yet to fill truly. Jonny Brodzinski has been outstanding in his role, but his style of play is not a proper replacement for the high-end speed and skill that the Czechia native brought.
Those areas are highlighted atop Drury’s needs list, and by the end of the week, there will be fresh faces wearing a Rangers sweater.
Which faces will be in New York come March 8th?
Well, let’s take a look at the top targets.
With all the buzz surrounding Anaheim Duck’s general manager Pat Verbeek attending a Rangers game in which his club was not participating, it’s only fitting we start with the trade pieces in Anaheim.
Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano have been linked to the Rangers for several weeks now, and it makes perfect sense. Henrique is all but certain to be traded by the deadline, while Vatrano’s familiarity with Zibanejad and Kreider makes him an intriguing addition.
Henrique has 18 goals and 42 points in 59 games for the Ducks. Vatrano has a career-high 29 goals and 48 points this season.
The duo would fill the Rangers’ need for a right wing and a center, acquiring both in one fell swoop. The deal would require Anaheim to retain 50 percent of Henrique’s salary, and with one year remaining on Vatrano's contract, the cost will be higher than just a rental.
Another team to keep an eye on is the Seattle Kraken, who currently sit seven points outside of a playoff position. Forwards Alex Wennberg and Jordan Eberle are on the market and pose a similar combination deal to what Vatrano and Henrique would be from Anaheim.
Eberle’s vision and playmaking ability at five-on-five is an excellent attribute for a winger to have alongside Zibanejad and Kreider. He has 14 goals and 35 points on the year. Wennberg is a center who could slot into the Rangers on the third or fourth lines. He has nine goals and 25 points thus far in 2023-34.
For the Rangers to make either trade work, they will likely have to include their first-round pick in 2024 and two prospects.
It doesn’t seem likely that Drury would want to part ways with an active roster player, and he may have to get creative with an additional pick to get the deal done.
Other notable candidates who could be on the move are Casey Middlestadt of the Buffalo Sabres, Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pavel Buchnevich of the St. Louis Blues.
Guentzel is a pending UFA that will cost a fortune, but his notoriety in the postseason is worth the haul. He has 58 points in 58 postseason games and would make the Rangers' top six extremely lethal.
Buchnevich still has one more year on his deal, and the Blues are still in the thick of the playoff race. I don’t envision him being moved, but Drury may consider writing his wrong by reacquiring the forward he once traded.
Middlestadt is intriguing because no one knows if he is on the market.
The Sabres playoff hopes are moot, and the forward is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Should Buffalo choose they do not want to pay him, he could be on the move at the deadline.
All signs point to Anaheim or Seattle being the Rangers' most likely trade partners this deadline. But Drury has been known to go off the board before.
This deadline is crucial for the Blueshirts, and based on the packages we have seen with the early trades, it will likely cost a premium to acquire one of the aforementioned targets.