Could a 3-Way deal between the Rangers, Oilers and Blues be just what the doctor ordered?

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Eberle(l) and Yakupov(r)

Eberle(l) and Yakupov(r)

It’s coming. You can feel it in your bones. Something is about to give with the New York Rangers as the NHL draft is a little over 24 hours away. I’ve spent the better part of almost two weeks digesting every bit of trade rumor info out there and bringing it to you. So what I am about to speculate is an educated guess, because my last name ain’t McKenzie.

We are fully aware that the Rangers are looking to retool this team, get younger, and get some cap space breathing room. The objective is to not rebuild, but retool for a Cup run while Henrik Lundqvist is still in goal. Yes, the Rangers need to rebuild their defense, but that may not be feasible this season unless they opt to buyout Dan Girardi, which is still unlikely or trade Derek Stepan. When it comes to an attractive player with a big contract to move, Rick Nash stands out prominently.

Other teams out there are also looking to make moves, such as the St. Louis Blues who want to add more offense. They also need to move Kevin Shattenkirk before next season as he will become a UFA and get a 6M+ offer. In desperate need of defense are the Edmonton Oilers, and with their willingness to finally part with some offense the planets may be aligning for these three teams to make a deal.

So here’s what I’m thinking is the major framework of the 3-Way trade.

  • St. Louis adds Nash
  • Edmonton adds Shattenkirk
  • Rangers add Eberle and Yakupov.

As I said, this is the framework and it is possible that some salary retention on Nash needs to happen for the Blues to take him on. St. Louis is tight on cap space and may lose David Backes. However, adding Nash will free up Vladimir Tarasenko from the opposition’s top checkers to tear up the league.

The Oilers finally get their #1 blue liner and have the money to pay him next season. With players like Taylor Hall and Connor McDavid, losing a Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov will not sting badly.

The NY Rangers also win big in this deal, even if they are forced to retain some salary. With one trade, they could find Pavel Buchnevich his Russian buddy and substitute (not replace) Nash’s lost offense with Jordan Eberle. A major plus is that Eberle is only 25 and locked in at 6M until the 2019/20 season.

This move will not only help offensively but they should also have enough can space to re-sign their 4 RFA’s. After that, Jeff Gorton will have around 3-4M to add a 13th fwd and 7th defensemen to fill out the roster, maybe even improve the blue line too.

Here’s what the Rangers would like after the deal and the signings:

NYR after 3WAY

NYR after 3WAY

In order for this to happen, I can also see some draft picks by both the Rangers and Oilers moving around to St. Louis. The Rangers have already made one important deal by trading Yandle’s rights away, so that may signal the calm before the storm. This deal would be one hell of a twister, don’t you think?

Sound off below.

 

By Anthony Scultore

Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at... More about Anthony Scultore

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