As Rangers trade targets come off the board, Sather must acquire Vermette now

Antoine Vermette is now a must acquisition for Sather (Getty)

In the matter of just 10 minutes, two potential Ranger targets were traded and one landed in the arms of a division rival. Daniel Winnik is taking his grit and skill to Pittsburgh, while Jiri Tlusty is headed to Winnipeg.

Now what Glen Sather? The Rangers seriously need a center that can win draws or a depth forward that can do the same but that was lost when Winnik got moved to Pittsburgh. Rumors continue that the Blueshirts are also looking for a defenseman but the two most coveted players to fill their needs, Antoine Vermette (C) and Andrej Sekera (D) have an asking price of a 1st rounder which the Rangers don’t have.

Throw in the fact that Patrick Kane may have broken his clavicle and could be headed to LTIR and the Blackhawks will have freed cap space to acquire Antoine Vermette. If the Rangers really want to be Cup contenders, they need to improve down the middle and on draws. It’s imperative.

If Antoine Vermette is the piece that you feel can bring home the Cup this season, you pay the price. His offensive production is an added bonus, but his winning 56.1% on draws and the fact his acquisition will put Hayes on the RW is huge. Add in that the move likely bumps Glass out of the lineup and it’s reason enough to part with a JT Miller and more.

The Rangers nearly overturned the roster of a team that was leading the league in points in 1994. They sacrificed way too much youth in order to win the Cup, but it was price they paid and as far as I’m concerned, worth every bit of it.

Glen Sather needs to act now and find a way to get Vermette on this team before an Eastern Conference opponent like the Montreal Canadiens do. No more time to see if the price comes down. Too many teams have cap space and assets to beat out the Rangers, the puck is on Slat’s stick now. Time to shoot and score before someone slides in to block his best shot.

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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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