New York Rangers Daily: Many changes in 24 hours for Blueshirts; Seth Jones traded to Panthers
So much can change in 24 hours these days in the world of the NHL. It certainly did for the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Late Friday night, Ryan Lindgren was among those meeting with the media at Madison Square Garden trying to explain the disappointment of a painful 3-2 Rangers loss that evening to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lindgren and the Rangers woke up Saturday tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, still four points out of a playoff spot.
Then came the news that Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey were traded by the Rangers to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and two draft picks. Not a shocker since Lindgren and Vesey are pending UFAs and neither was going to be re-signed this offseason. But still, another significant trade to alter the Rangers core moving forward.
After that, results poured in from around the League, almost each one bad for the idle Rangers’ playoff chances. When the dust settled, the Rangers found themselves tied for 12th in the conference, though still four points out of the second wild card and now six in arrears of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first wild card. But they were passed by the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Flyers pulled even with 62 points.
So, yeah, one day, 24 hours, a lot of change. But the Rangers can flip things on their head with a win against the woeful Nashville Predators on Sunday and the narrative changes again.
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New York Rangers news
Here’s a breakdown of what’s next for the Rangers after swinging the four-player trade with the Avalanche.
The Forever Blueshirts staff hands out trade grades for the Rangers after the deal with the Avalanche.
Speaking of trades, Neil Smith told Forever Blueshirts in an exclusive interview that there’s one deal in 1996 he regrets more than any other from his tenure as Rangers general manager.
Igor Shesterkin’s good buddy Ilya Sorokin was credited with a goalie goal Saturday, and the Islanders netminder made sure to chirp the Rangers slick stick-handling goaltender afterward.
Here were our three Rangers takeaways from the 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Friday.
NHL news
The Rangers and Avalanche weren’t the only ones making a sizeable trade Saturday. The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick.
And that’s not all. The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Predators for a second-round pick in 2026.
Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand left their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury. There was no update on his condition postgame.
The Bruins went on to edge the Penguins 3-2 for an important road victory.
Not only did the Vancouver Canucks lose 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken, but defenseman Quinn Hughes left the game after “he tweaked something.” Hughes had just recently returned from injury, so this is a major concern for the Canucks.
Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is expected to make his season debut when they visit the Penguins on Sunday. He’s been out following sports hernia surgery.
The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing streak when Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto and Josh Norris each returned from injury for a 5-3 victory against the San Jose Sharks.
The Edmonton Oilers also ended a five-game skid with a 3-1 road win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Look who’s rolling now — the Montreal Canadiens. They won their fourth straight game and moved past the Rangers in the East with a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 884 to move within 11 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals 3-1 for their eighth straight win.
Nico Hischier picked up his 400th NHL point and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Utah Hockey Club 3-1.
Brock Nelson may be on the trade block — or not — but he scored twice to lead the Islanders past the Predators 7-4.
Watch Ilya Sorokin “score” a goalie goal against the Predators.
The Columbus Blue Jackets paid tribute to fallen teammate Johnny Gaudreau to make their 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the 2025 Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium even more special.
Watch the highlights from the Blue Jackets’ outdoor win against the Red Wings.
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