Rangers Daily: Rumors heat up, teams ‘poking around’ Blueshirts
With the New York Rangers floundering in the basement of the Eastern Conference, trade rumors are heating up. That’s especially so with the NHL roster freeze for the Olympic break just three weeks away and the March 6 trade deadline on the near horizon.
Due to the historic parity in the NHL this season, it’ll be fascinating to see which teams will be sellers since so many remain in the playoff picture. The Rangers, on the other hand, should see this as an opportunity to maximize that leverage and find out how great the market is for the available assets on their roster.
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period explained that other teams in the League already are eyeing the reeling Rangers (20-22-6) as a potential trade partner.
“When you’re in this scenario, when you’re starting to flounder, all the teams come out of the woodwork and start poking around on certain guys,” Pagnotta stated Thursday on NHL Network.
Moving Artemi Panarin won’t be easy for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which are the spending UFA has a complete no-move clause and would need to waive it to accept any trade, and his $11.64 million salary-cap hit is difficult for pretty much any contender to fit on its ledger.
Colin Stephenson of Newsday did point out on the latest RINK RAP podcast that a third team likely needs to be part of the equation should the Rangers trade Panarin. That way the Rangers and a third party each retain salary, making it easier for the acquiring team to fit him under the cap.
That said, Pagnotta pointed to another veteran Rangers forward who teams are sniffing around about.
“One player that I started hearing about in the last 24, 48 hours, Vinny Trocheck is a player that some teams have started to poke around on. He’s got a little bit of no-trade protection, he’s got term left on his contract, and he’s been one of their better players overall … keep tabs on him. He’s another name that some teams are starting to see if they can zero in on.”
The 32-year-old center has three years remaining after this one on his contract, which carries a very manageable $5.625 million cap hit. On a legit Stanley Cup contender, Trocheck fits in nicely as a third-line center, who can move up as needed, play both specialty teams, win a lot of face-offs, and is, by and large, a big-game player and leader, not to mention a United States Olympian.
Spoiler alert: we’ve got a Panarin trade angle publishing Friday, so keep following us here at Forever Blueshirts.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Looking for a silver lining in this dismal Rangers season? Our Lou Orlando explains why rookies Gabe Perreault and Noah Laba showed the other night why they can be just that.
Speaking of rookies, there’s an argument to make that goalie Dylan Garand deserves a chance to make his NHL debut, especially amid Jonathan Quick’s struggles lately for the Rangers.
Guess which NHL team must find a way to regroup (again) after another blowout loss? That’s right, the Rangers, who are “being tested” right now, according to Hall-of-Famer Henrik Lundqvist.
NHL news and rumors
Vegas Hockey Now: Mitch Marner admitted that the Golden Knights overtime win against his former club, the Toronto Maple Leafs, “meant a little more to me.” Hannah Kirkell does an excellent job capturing all the postgame emotion here from the Golden Knights star.
TSN: Here’s more bad news for the Maple Leafs, star forward William Nylander left the game Thursday with a lower-body injury, after recently returning to action following a six-game absence due to a LBI.
New Jersey Hockey Now: James Nichols reports that the Devils plan to sign rookie forward Arseny Gritsyuk, and it should happen sooner rather than later.
RG.org: Jimmy Murphy reports that the Boston Bruins made a substantial offer to try and acquire Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. He also reports that the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are also “in” on the pending UFA.
New York Post: Ilya Sorokin’s Vezina-worthy season continued, when he stood on his head yet again and backstopped his fifth shutout, leading the Islanders to a 1-0 road win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Philly Hockey Now: The Flyers are reeling and William James explains why they must find a suitable backup goalie to help stop the bleeding.
Sportsnet: The St. Louis Blues placed star center Robert Thomas on injured reserve with a lower-body issue. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks.
