New York Rangers mid-tier trade targets: Max Domi, Gustav Nyquist, and more
The New York Rangers will most assuredly be buyers when the trade deadline rolls around on March 3.
President and General Manager Chris Dury is more likely to target a top six forward with many believing the Blueshirts are the front-runners to land Patrick Kane. Team owner, James Dolan inadvertently tipped his team’s hand with comments made on Good Day NY on Thursday morning.
“I think the Rangers are really cooking and they’ve got a shot to win the whole thing,” Dolan said with excitement in his voice.
That being said, there are questions looming as to Kane’s health and a nagging lower-body injury that may require surgery. Regardless, even if Kane isn’t there they can go after the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko or James van Riemsdyk on the rental market.
Of course, there’s no guarantee the Rangers will land any of the big fish and may opt to go a route similar to last season. At the previous deadline, they added Frank Vatrano, Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte, and Justin Braun in an effort to fill holes and improve depth.
It most certainly worked and led to a run to the Eastern Conference Final. Here’s a look at some mid-tier targets the Rangers are rumored to be interested in this Spring.
New York Rangers mid-tier trade targets
Max Domi, Chicago Blackhawks
There’s obviously been a lot of focus on Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews out of Chicago, but Domi is a player that the Rangers have been intrigued with for a while. He’s a feisty forward with a scoring touch and has notched 33 points in 46 games this season. Plus, the 27 year-old only has a cap hit of $3M AAV. Another added bonus is his ability to play center, which is always nice to have in the playoffs.
Gustav Nyquist, Columbus Blue Jackets
Nyquist, 33, has picked up 22 points in 48 games this season on a very bad Blue Jackets squad. If the Rangers miss on Patrick Kane or Vladimir Tarasenko he could be a nice option. According to Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, the Blueshirts might be a landing spot for his services. The Rangers may also want the Jackets to eat a little of his $5.5M cap hit.
Ivan Barbashev, St. Louis Blues
The Blues are a very interesting team at this trade deadline as they teeter for a playoff spot. Right now, they’re on the outside looking in and will be selling their pending UFA’s which includes Barbashev. This season, he’s recorded 23 points in 48 games and plays the heavy game that Gerard Gallant covets. The 27 year-old plays all forward positions and only has a cap hit of $2.25M. Keep this in mind, the Rangers love his game so much they recently drafted his little brother Maxim.
Nick Ritchie, Arizona Coyotes
According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the Rangers have already checked in on forward Nick Ritchie whom they had interest in last trade deadline. The 27 year-old, has registered 18 points in 45 games this season. The pending UFA has a cap hit of $2.5M and would be a nice addition to the Rangers fourth line for the playoffs.
Tyler Motte, Ottawa Senators
The Rangers wanted to keep Motte after a successful run in the playoffs where he was a key contributor on the PK. Unfortunately the cap space wasn’t there to keep him around in October but a reunion has been speculated for months. This season, the 27 year-old has posted 9 points in 32 games and has a manageable cap hit of just $1.35M. He’s currently out of action with a broken finger suffered in late December.
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