Bob McKenzie weighs in on Hockey News article on Dallas should trade for Lundqvist

May 12, 2016
Lundqvist (Getty)

Well, it looks like one hockey writer didn’t have much to write about today. Matt Larkin of the Hockey News decided to react to Dallas’ game 7 elimination blowout loss with this:
The Dallas Stars should pursue Henrik Lundqvist this summer. Here’s how to make it happen

First off, let me say I like Matt and his work. Secondly, I can actually understand the reasoning behind it. According to Matt, the Stars are a stud goalie away from being a real Cup contender and the Rangers window is likely closing and they need some youth to turn it around quickly.

[su_quote cite=”THN” url=”https://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/the-dallas-stars-should-pursue-henrik-lundqvist-this-summer-heres-how-to-make-it-happen/”]A trade with the Stars could remedy the Rangers’ future. Dallas has enough prospects that it could spare this year’s top pick, which will be a late first-rounder but would still be the Rangers’ highest pick since 2011, when they nabbed J.T. Miller 15th. The Stars might have a redundancy between Klingberg, Honka and Lindell, all of whom have tantalizing puck skills, so let’s add a piece there. A 2016 first-rounder, Esa Lindell and Niemi or Lehtonen for Lundqvist? Not bad, especially since it relieves the Rangers of five more years of Lundqvist. The Stars can take that on, as their contention window has just opened. They’re in position to compete for the Cup over the next several years. And the Rangers wouldn’t be in awful shape in net without Lundqvist. They could give Antti Raanta a chance to start or at least battle Niemi or Lehtonen for the job. And they’d only be on the hook for two more seasons of whichever two goalies end up as their 2016-17 tandem out of that trio.[/su_quote]

Let me react to what is being put out here. If the Rangers were going to trade Henrik Lundqvist it would need to be a lot better than what Larkin proposed above. You can also keep both those average goalies as well because they couldn’t stop a bowling ball off of Tanner Glass‘ stick. Plus I would fire Jeff Gorton immediately if he didn’t recognize the acquisition of a goalie like Lundqvist would make Dallas a Cup favorite next year, thus extracting much more.

Basically, Dallas needs to offer guys like young forward, Valeri Nichushkin and young defenseman, John Klingberg for me to even blink. The other thing, Hank has a No Movement Clause which Larkin kind of glances over the fact as if Lundqvist would certainly waive it to go to Dallas.

At the end of the day…Lundqvist isn’t being traded. If you don’t believe me, here’s what TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie said…

 

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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