In her report Thursday, Kaplan stated that the Anaheim Ducks offered Vatrano and Henrique to the Rangers for a first-round draft pick and forward Kaapo Kakko.

“The Rangers clearly thought that was too rich for their liking,” Kaplan reported.

It had long been speculated here that the Rangers would try and do a one-stop shop ahead of the deadline with the Ducks. New York’s two biggest needs have been a top-line right wing and a third-line center. Vatran, a right wing, and Henrique, a center, arguably, were among the best available options at those positions.

The Rangers filled their need at center Wednesday, acquiring Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2026. That happened shortly after the Ducks packaged Henrique and center Sam Carrick in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers that did bring back a first-round pick.

Rangers considering trades for Frank Vatrano, Jake Guentzel, others ahead of deadline

With the clock clicking toward the 3 p.m. ET deadline Friday, the Rangers remain engaged with the Ducks on Vatrano. However, the asking price is high, especially since the former Rangers forward has another season after this left on his contract at an affordable $3.65 million salary cap hit.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported Wednesday night that the Ducks could decide to keep Vatrano, who has an NHL career-high 29 goals this season, and sign him to a contract extension this summer.

There are other options on the market for the Rangers to consider. According to multiple reports, the Rangers are in on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel, a two-time Stanley Cup winner. Anthony Duclair, who’s on a tear with the San Jose Sharks, could be a reunion option. 

Jason Zucker has been held out of the Arizona Coyotes lineup recently, so the wing will be moved before the deadline. Though he’s having a down season, Zucker did score 27 goals with the Penguins in 2022-23.

And St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said he’s willing to “get creative” in a possible Pavel Buchnevich trade. That would likely mean taking on half of Buchnevich’s contract for the rest of this season and all of next to knock his cap hit to $2.9 million for an interested team.

But there are numerous hurdles with such a potential deal involving the former Blueshirts forward.

Despite sitting atop the Metropolitan Division and recently tying the franchise record by winning 10 consecutive games, the Rangers have holes to fill on their roster. But it’s a dilemma for the Rangers. General manager Chris Drury is trying to strengthen a Stanley Cup contender without messing up a good thing, especially with team chemistry.

Will Drury go all in for a top-line right wing, third-line center and third-pair defenseman (or depth defender)? Will he try to go big for one of those positions, likely right wing, and trust that Jonny Brodzinski, Matt Rempe, Will Cuylle and Adam Edstrom are ready for big-time playoff hockey in the bottom six?

Three weeks after Forever Blueshirts posted its original trade board for the Rangers, the ground has shifted some, though no major trades have taken place in the League. So, the players from the original list still remain with their respective teams.

And there are new names cropping up in rumors, including Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton, Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Reilly Smith, Nashville Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier and St. Louis Blues wing Pavel Buchnevich. Each is intriguing, especially Buchnevich, the former Blueshirt, who leads the Blues with 22 goals.

But for various reasons, notably term remaining on their contract past this season, none of those players made our updated list. Neither did Penguins forward Jake Guentzel. That’d be a massive rental, plus Guentzel is primarily a left wing, where the Rangers are stacked.

Related: Assessing recent Rangers’ trades ahead of 2024 deadline

Updated trade board for Rangers ahead of 2024 deadline

10. Jason Zucker – F – Arizona Coyotes 

Previous: NR

Thinking that the Rangers’ No. 1 need is right wing, Zucker makes this list as another option even though he’s had a miserable season in the desert. Zucker has eight goals in 47 games, and only one each in the months of February and January. But he could be rejuvenated getting out of Arizona and playing on a contender. It was only last season when Zucker scored 27 goals with the Penguins. The Coyotes would have to eat half of his $5.3 million salary cap hit.

9. Joel Edmundson – D – Washington Capitals

Previous: No. 15

A perfect stay-at-home third-pair defenseman, one with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume. There aren’t a lot of left-shot defensemen on the market, so that, coupled with the fact he’s a pending unrestricted free agent owed just $1.75 million with the Montreal Canadiens picking up the other half of his contract, makes Edmundson a very attractive commodity.

8. Alex Wennberg – C – Seattle Kraken

Previous: No. 8

The Rangers reportedly have expressed interest in the two-way center who’s scored one goal in his past 16 games and eight on the season. Wennberg plays on both specialty teams and is averaging 18:42 in ice time, though his offensive production is wanting and his face-off winning percentage is just 46.2 percent. The Kraken would have to pay half his $4.5 million salary before he becomes a UFA at season’s end.

7. Anthony Duclair – RW – San Jose Sharks

Previous: No. 7

There’s been little buzz about Duclair ahead of the deadline. It feels like he’ll be traded, set to become a UFA on an affordable $3 million deal, but is a secondary option for many teams, not a No. 1 priority. The former Rangers forward has 11 goals in 51 games but did score twice against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 17.

6. Tyler Johnson – F – Chicago Blackhawks

Previous: NR

Johnson was on injured reserve when our original list was posted, so he was unranked. But he has five points (three goals, two assists) in nine games since returning to the lineup and word is the Rangers have checked in on the two-time Stanley Cup winner, who can play center or wing. The 33-year-old makes $5 million on his expiring contract, so Chicago would need to retain half of the money owed, but Johnson could make for an intriguing fit for the Rangers.

Related: Rangers ‘shutting down’ all Brennan Othamnn, Gabe Perreault trade talk

5. – Mikael Granlund – C – San Jose Sharks

Previous: NR

Let’s start with this, Granlund is owed $5 million this season and next. So, that’d be a big commitment on the Rangers part. But he’s the second most attractive center on this trade board. The 32-year-old has 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists) in 43 games, averaging 20:34 in ice time playing in all situations for the Sharks. He’s been a solid postseason player in 59 Stanley Cup Playoff games and would be an excellent fit as the 3C in New York. But the Rangers likely don’t trade for Granlund if they believe Filip Chytil will come back next season after having this season derailed by an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion.

4. Vladimir Tarasenko – RW – Ottawa Senators

Previous: No. 3

Tarasenko only has two goals in his past 11 games but does have 15 goals and 37 points in 53 games overall. There’ll be a bit of a bidding war for the pending UFA, who would love a Rangers reunion. He was a good fit overall as a rental with the Rangers last season and is a Stanley Cup champion. So, he’d be a good fit on Broadway again. That $5 million cap hit would need to be shared, of course.

3. Jordan Eberle – F – Seattle Kraken

Previous: No. 5

Keep hearing that the Rangers are scouting the Kraken a lot. Maybe that’s because of Wennberg. But Eberle is the player they should target. He’s closing in on 300 NHL goals and 1,000 games played, and is hungry to win that elusive Stanley Cup. He has 13 goals and 34 points in 53 games and is a pro’s pro, so could be a good fit on the top line and one of the power-play units. Eberle makes $5.5 million, is a pending UFA and could negotiate a new deal with the Kraken before the trade deadline. But it’s worth finding out what it’d take to land him.

2. Adam Henrique – C – Anaheim Ducks

Previous: No. 1

Henrique falls one spot simply because it appears top-line right wing is New York’s No.1 priority now that Blake Wheeler is out for the season. But make no mistake, the Rangers would be plenty happy to slot Henrique into their 3C spot. The 34-year-old is an excellent two-way player and has 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 57 games, averaging 17:34 in ice time per night. If needed, Henrique could move up into the top six, too. A pending UFA, he makes $5.825 million.

1. Frank Vatrano – RW – Anaheim Ducks

Previous: No. 2

Vatrano swaps spots with his Ducks teammate Henrique, because the Rangers need to fill their hole at right wing. Vatrano is a logical fit but has a year left on his affordable contract and the Ducks are well aware the Rangers would love to bring him back to Broadway. So, it’s not a simple trade to make. But, with his experience and success playing alongside Zibanejad and Kreider, Vatrano is worth the work to get this deal done. All that and we didn’t even mention the NHL All-Star has a career-high 26 goals this season.

The latest from the NHL rumor mill attaches the Blueshirts to center Alex Wennberg. The New York Post reported that the Rangers have “identified” Wennberg as a possible target.

It’s not a surprise the Rangers would check in with the Seattle Kraken on the 29-year-old center. Wennberg is best suited to a 3C role, could play up in an emergency and is a rental, since he can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The Rangers are seeking a center, with Filip Chytil out for the season due to an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion. Jonny Brodzinski has drawn high praise from coach Peter Laviolette for his play on the third line, but with eyes on winning the Stanley Cup, the Rangers will be looking to upgrade at the position.

Related: Rangers sign Jonny Brodzinski to two-year contract extension

Prod and cons of Rangers trading for Alexander Wennberg

Wennberg is not a slam-dunk option, though, for the Rangers. First, his salary cap hit is $4.5 million, so the Rangers need the Kraken to likely take on half that salary. But not at the expense of New York’s first-round pick in the 2024 draft.

The Rangers have other holes to fill, notably a top-line right wing to play alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. That appeared to be a priority even before Blake Wheeler went down last week with a season-ending lower-body injury,

If the Rangers deal their first-round pick, it’d more likely be to secure a right wing, like a reunion with Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano, who isn’t a rental with another season remaining on his contract.

So, the Kraken would likely have to make do with a prospect or two, perhaps a secondary draft pick, though the Rangers don’t have a second-rounder in 2025 nor 2026 and they already traded away their third-round picks in 2024 and 2025.

Assuming logistics could be worked out, Wennberg would provide New York a veteran presence between Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle on the third line. He’s never really met expectations offensively since producing 59 points (13 goals, 46 assists) with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17. He has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 55 games this season, skating almost exclusively with Jaden Schwartz (a five-time 20-goal scorer).

What a move from Alex Wennberg at the blueline. Made Rust look silly. pic.twitter.com/E1o4qVnaan

— Emerald City Hockey (@EmeraldCityHky) January 15, 2024

Wennberg plays in all situations for the Kraken. He averages 18:40 in ice time, including 1:51 per game on the power play. He also plays on the penalty kill. His 60 blocked shots are a plus, but his miserable 46.2 face-off winning percentage is not.

He has been on for five goals more than those against (35-30) but his expected goals for 5×5 is 49 percent. Not great, playing in a top-six role.

One would think that Adam Henrique might be a better fit here. The Anaheim Ducks center is far more productive, even if six years older. But the pending UFA could cost the Rangers that coveted first-round pick.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury has a bit more than two weeks to sort this all out and fill a couple holes to set the Rangers up for a run this spring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

With center Filip Chytil on long-term injured reserve and out for the season with an upper-body injury, Rangers general manager Chris Drury has some extra room under the salary cap to make moves, providing the Rangers flexibility when they try to upgrade the roster.

Whether that means the Rangers creatively fill each of their holes or go big on one specific position will be Drury’s challenge in the next few weeks.

So, with centers Elias Lindholm (traded to Vancouver Canucks) and Sean Monahan (traded to Winnipeg Jets) already moved, the Rangers are on the clock.

Related: Rangers open to trading 2024 first-round pick

New York Rangers 2024 trade board

15. Joel Edmundson – D – Washington Capitals

The Capitals have lost six straight and need to be looking to the future, not the playoffs. Edmundson is a solid veteran defenseman, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and has 75 games of postseason experience. He can play the left or right side, and his cap hit is only $1.75 million since the Montreal Canadiens pay the other half of his contract.

14. David Savard – D – Montreal Canadiens

Another Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, though Savard is more of an investment since his cap hit is $3.5 million and he has another season remaining on his contract.

13. Marco Scandella – D – St. Louis Blues

Healthy again, Scandella is a nice fit on the left side of a third defense pair. The reliable 33-year-old makes $3.275 million, so the Blues would need to retain salary. If you’re wondering why so many defensemen to start the list, well, right wing and center are bigger priorities, so the bigger names are higher up on the list. And it’s not expected that the Rangers will take a big swing for a defenseman like Noah Hanifin nor Jakob Chychrun.

12. David Perron – F – Detroit Red Wings

With the Red Wings in the thick of the playoff race, it’s unlikely they’ll move Perron. But it’s worth checking in to see if the seven-time 20-goal scorer and pending unrestricted free agent could be had, though Detroit would have to retain half of Perron’s $4.75 million salary.

11. Dominik Kubalik – F – Ottawa Senators

This forward is wildly inconsistent, but could be a steal as a buy-low option. Kubalik has nine goals this season, but had 20 in 2022-23 and 30 as a rookie in 2019-20. He’s a pending UFA with a $2.5 million cap hit, and has played both right and left wing.

Related: Frank Vatrano ‘loved’ playing with Rangers, ‘happy in Anaheim’ ahead of trade deadline

10. Jake Middleton – D – Minnesota Wild

The 28-year-old with the bushy ‘stache, is effectively playing 20 minutes a night for the Wild and has an NHL career-high seven goals and 18 points. He’s not Eric Gustafsson offensively but the pending UFA ($2.45 million) could be an option if the Rangers want a more steady hand on the third pair.

9. Sean Kuraly – C – Columbus Blue Jackets

A two-way center, who has another season with a $2.5 million cap hit, Kuraly could be an option at 3C if the Rangers go in big for a top-line right wing.

8. Alex Wennberg – C – Seattle Kraken

With Lindholm and Monahan off the board, Wennberg moves up at the center position, though he’s a bit of an enigma. So much more has been expected of him offensively over the years but he’s been a good two-way pivot playing 18 minutes a night for the Kraken. To even consider a trade, the Rangers would need the Kraken to retain half of his $4.5 million salary before he becomes a UFA at season’s end.

7. Anthony Duclair – F – San Jose Sharks

“The Duke” is an intriguing option alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. He brings speed and scoring ability, plus he had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 20 playoff games in 2023 with the Florida Panthers. He has only nine goals this season playing for the miserable Sharks, but had 31 just two seasons ago before getting hurt. The former Rangers forward can be a UFA at the end of the season and makes $3 million.

6. Daniel Sprong – F – Detroit Red Wings

Sprong quietly is having another strong season, 13 goals and 32 points with the Red Wings after 21 goals in 66 games with the Kraken last season. He’s in the last season of his contract, making just $2 million, and is an under-the-radar player to keep an eye on, though he’s best suited for a middle-six role.

Related: Igor Shesterkin’s play should guide Rangers trade deadline approach

5. Jordan Eberle – F – Seattle Kraken

The 33-year-old’s production is on the rise after a slow start and he’s an eight-time 20-goal scorer. If you believe Zibanejad and Kreider can unlock something with Eberle, then you figure out a way to get the Kraken to retain 50 percent of the pending UFA’s $5.5 million cap hit and get a deal done.

4. Tommy Novak – C – Nashville Predators

His expected goals for is above 55 percent, so you have to look past Novak’s eight goals and 23 points in 40 games this season. The 26-year-old broke out last season with 17 goals and 43 points in 51 games and should be someone the Predators re-sign rather than trade away. Novak is a pending UFA and makes only $800,000, which would free up a lot of money for the Rangers to chase their desired right wing.

3. Vladimir Tarasenko – F – Ottawa Senators

Can’t see Drury trading another first-round pick for a second consecutive deadline to acquire Tarasenko. But the Stanley Cup winner played well for the Rangers late last season and a reunion is not off the table. He does make $5 million on an expiring deal. So, there’s that.

2. Frank Vatrano – F – Anaheim Ducks

Another reunion candidate, Vatrano has 22 goals for the Ducks and played in the NHL All-Star Game last week. Vatrano raved about his time in New York after the 2022 trade deadline and complemented Zibanejad and Kreider as well as any right wing who’s played on their line. He has another season at $3.65 million left on his contract, so he would not be a rental. But the Rangers have checked in with the Ducks about a possible trade.

1. Adam Henrique – C – Anaheim Ducks

The top center remaining on the trade market after Lindholm and Monahan were dealt. Henrique makes $5.825 million and is a pending UFA. More importantly, he’s a veteran two-way center who’s hungry to win the Cup and still playing at a high level. A trade for Henrique and Vatrano would be a one-stop shop for the Rangers. But it would cost them some significant pieces in return.

On Thursday, longtime Rangers beat reporter Larry Brooks of the New York Post emphatically shot down a story that Blueshirts owner James Dolan wants the team to keep the pick. Darren Dreger reported the previous day that Dolan wants to “protect” that pick because the 2024 NHL Draft is being held at the Sphere in Las Vegas, which is also owned by Dolan, and he wants to make a big splash.

“The concept is ludicrous,” Brooks wrote Thursday. “More to the point, it has zero validity.”

These conflicting views notwithstanding, each reporter is highly respected and reliable.

Related: Rangers owner wants to keep 1st-round pick for 2024 draft at Sphere: report

Rangers expected to be busy ahead of 2024 NHL trade deadline

What’s most important is what the Rangers accomplish ahead of the trade deadline over the next four weeks. They’ve won three in a row for the first time since Dec. 15-19, opened up a six-point lead for first in the Metropolitan Division and appear in go-for-it mode this season, even with goalie Igor Shesterkin not quite on top of his game.

The Rangers could use a top-line right wing to play alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider and a third-line center, now that Filip Chytil is out for the season with an upper-body injury.

A reunion with Frank Vatrano makes sense. The Anaheim Ducks All-Star right wing has 22 goals this season. Vatrano said “Playing in New York was the biggest thing that’s happened in my career to this point” in Toronto last week.

Vladimir Tarasenko is also a familiar option. And Anthony Duclair is probably the least expensive choice to fill that hole.

Down the middle, the Rangers could do a one stop shop in Anaheim if they could swing a big trade that would net Vatrano and center Adam Henrique. On a smaller scale there’s Sean Kuraly, who, like Vatrano, has another season to go on an affordable contract. Veteran Tyler Johnson is likely in play again now that he’s off injured reserve.

A Vatrano trade, or certainly a large-scale Ducks deal, likely would cost the Rangers their top pick in this year’s draft. Brooks reported “the Rangers first-rounder is in play.”

This should come into sharper focus in the coming weeks. Perhaps sooner rather than later what with top trade targets like Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan already moved way ahead of the deadline.

However, it appears the owner of the team, James Dolan, wants to keep this summer’s top pick for another interesting reason. According to Darren Dreger, Dolan wants to make sure the Rangers have their time in the spotlight at the 2024 NHL Draft being held at the Sphere in Vegas, which he owns.

“The Rangers would like to add a forward,” Dreger began on TSN’s Insider Trading. “James Dolan, the owner of the New York Rangers wants to protect the 2024 first round pick, so that they can be part of the spotlight at the Sphere, where he’s the owner.”

His report goes on to add that it doesn’t mean Drury can’t use the team’s 2025 first-round pick in a trade if needed.

Related: Rangers taking calls on Kaapo Kakko

Rangers want to hold on to 2024 first-round pick

Previously, Dreger reported that the Rangers were taking calls on Kaapo Kakko ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 8. At the time, there was a lot of skepticism that the Blueshirts would consider trading the 22-year-old forward, even though he hasn’t lived up to being the second overall pick of the 2019 draft.

“Kaapo Kakko is perhaps an asset that Chris Drury considers using as trade bait,” Dreger noted. “New York has cap space and the assets like Kakko to acquire a significant piece.”

A trusted source explained to Forever Blueshirts on Tuesday, that Dreger’s reporting on the Sphere reinforces why Kakko has now become available. Additionally, and others have stressed this as well, the Rangers, especially Dolan, truly believe their window to win the Cup is now.

All of this being said, trading Kakko for a rental makes little sense, unless he’s part of a larger deal. New York definitely needs another third-line center that can provide offense and an upgrade for a top-line right wing over Blake Wheeler.

One team that the Rangers have been speaking with is the Anaheim Ducks, who have center Adam Henrique and winger Frank Vatrano as trade chips.

Henrique, 34, has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 49 games and is a pure rental as a UFA in July, Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Vatrano has one year left on his deal at a reasonable $3.65 million. Not bad for an All-Star with 22 goals and 36 points in 50 games.

Forever Blueshirts caught up with Vatrano at All-Star Weekend, where he spoke glowingly of his time on Broadway. As for his name in trade rumors, the speedy winger states he’s unaware.

“I’m happy in Anaheim, I love it there,” Vatrano explained. “Obviously, I don’t want to go anywhere but that’s way out of my control. I’m excited to be in Anaheim right now.”

The question that needs to be asked is if the Ducks would take Kakko and a 2025 first-round pick for those players with some salary retention? Based on the return the Montreal Canadiens received for rental Sean Monahan (2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 third-round pick), that remains to be seen.

Kakko, 22, is on pace for 13 points this season, after a lower-body injury cost him 21 games. His value is at an all-time low, so only a multiplayer deal makes sense for the Rangers to consider moving him.

Considering how well Vatrano played for them when he helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2022, it makes complete sense for general manager Chris Drury to call his Anaheim counterpart Pat Verbeek about the forward’s availability. And that’s before factoring in Vatrano has 22 goals this season, two shy from his NHL career high set in 2018-19 with the Florida Panthers.

Vatrano said he’s unaware of any trade rumors, but did tell Forever Blueshirts at NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto that he “loved” playing for the Rangers. He added that being on the same line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider was “unbelievable.”

“Playing in New York was the biggest thing in my career to this point,” said Vatrano, who scored two goals for Team Hughes in the All-Star game Saturday.

What an absolute rip from Frank Vatrano! 😮‍💨 #NHLAllStar

🇺🇸: @espn or @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/MBvhmmFgg4

— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2024

Vatrano scored eight goals and 13 points in 22 games after being acquired by the Rangers ahead of the 2022 NHL trade deadline from the Panthers. He had another 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games that spring before exiting as a free agent for the Ducks.

There’s another Ducks player who likely holds interest for the Rangers, too. Adam Henrique is expected to be traded since the veteran center can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and is not part of Anaheim’s future.

Related: Rangers eyeing Adam Henrique in trade with Ducks

What would it take for Rangers to acquire Frank Vatrano, Adam Henrique from Ducks?

Perhaps as much as they need a right wing to play alongside Zibanejad and Kreider, the Rangers need a third-line center with Filip Chytil out for the season.

So, the Ducks could provide a one-stop shop for the Rangers. Perhaps even more so now that centers Elias Lindholm (to Vancouver Canucks from Calgary Flames) and Sean Monahan (to Winnipeg Jets from Montreal Canadiens) were traded during the All-Star break to Cup contenders.

Though unclear how much the Rangers were in on Lindholm and/or Monahan, there’s no debating that the market is moving quickly ahead of the March 8 trade deadline.

Forever Blueshirts was unable to confirm at All-Star weekend that the Rangers are speaking with the Ducks about Henrique. However, it’s universally believed that the Rangers are in on the 33-year-old, who has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 49 games this season and would be an excellent two-way fit on New York’s third line.

Assuming the teams are or will discuss a trade involving both players, what would it cost the Rangers to land Vatrano and Henrique? 

Short-handed goal for Anaheim!

Scored by Adam Henrique with 14:36 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Frank Vatrano.

Florida: 2
Anaheim: 2#ANAvsFLA #TimeToHunt #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/jHAuH8NHWU

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 15, 2024

You’d have to assume the Rangers must part with their first-round pick in 2024 to even start the conversation. The Ducks could ask for another first-rounder in 2025 or 2026, but it’d be hard to imagine the Rangers doing that.

If you’re thinking a second- or third-round pick, well, the Rangers don’t have many of either left in the coming drafts. The Rangers do have a second-round pick this year, but would they deal a one and a two in the same draft when they already are without a third-round pick? From there it remains complicated. New York doesn’t have a second nor a third in 2025 nor a second in 2026.

So, what about prospects or younger NHL talent instead of picks? One would imagine Will Cuylle, Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault are off the table, no matter how much money Anaheim absorbs on Henrique’s $5.825 million contract or on Vatrano’s $3.625 million salary cap hit through next season.

Perhaps this is where the Kaapo Kakko comes into play. The Rangers reportedly are fielding calls on Kakko. And the Ducks are building a formidable stable of young talent up front, so Kakko could be an intriguing option. Would Adam Sykora and/or Brett Berard, each forward playing in Hartford of the American Hockey League, move the needle?

Or perhaps the Rangers can make this work and gamble by trading a young defenseman, such as Zac Jones or Drew Fortescue, to complement Anaheim’s growing stable of talented blueliners in the organization. That’d be a hit to New York’s limited pipeline on defense but it can’t be the reason a trade for Vatrano and Henrique doesn’t get done.

Right now, this is all speculation. But with how quickly things are changing around them a month before the trade deadline, the Rangers need to act sooner rather than later. And one big deal with the Ducks could fill two major needs for the stretch run.

Henrique was a big reason why the New Jersey Devils ousted the Blueshirts in the 2012 Eastern Conference Final. Oddly enough, that was just one of two times Henrique ever saw postseason action. The other was just four games with Ducks in 2018. For his 28 career playoff appearances, the 14-year NHL veteran has five goals, eight assists, and would love to add more given the opportunity.

Rumblings around the Rangers have general manager Chris Drury eyeing Henrique as a pivot he could immediately add in advance of the March 8th trade deadline.

Related: Rangers looking at adding two centers

Rangers eyeing Adam Henrique

Now that the Rangers know Filip Chytil will not be able to return from an upper-body injury this season, his entire salary cap hit of $4.4 million on LTIR can be used for a replacement.

Henrique, who will turn 34 on Feb. 6, has registered 15 goals and 32 points in 48 games to date for the bottom-feeding Ducks. His cap hit of $5.825 million is something that Drury would likely want Anaheim to retain up to 50% of in order to add other pieces as well.

That being said, Pat Verbeek is garnering a reputation as being a very shrewd general manager to deal with, so don’t expect the Rangers to pull one over on the Ducks boss. Depending on how much Anaheim eats in salary, the more Verbeek will extract from Drury. If it is the full 50%, I believe a second-round pick would be the top price.

Of course, that’s not the only center rumored to be attached to the Blueshirts. Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman rattled off a few more names Monday.

“To me a guy like Adam Henrique makes a lot of sense,” Friedman speculated on NHL Network. “Elias Lindholm is also a fit. Sean Monahan, we’ve all been joking the Rangers and Canadiens are unlikely trade partners because of the history (between front offices). Someone told me to watch Tyler Johnson.”

While Lindholm is going to be coveted by almost every contender, the Flames will not be rushing to deal him in order to maximize his value. That doesn’t help the Rangers who have had a gaping hole at 3C since November.

Regarding Monahan, former Rangers general manager and now Montreal Canadiens executive Jeff Gorton isn’t likely to do his former club any favors. After he was unceremoniously fired before the 2020-21 season ended, there is no love lost between the front offices.

Johnson, 33, who has recorded 13 points in 35 games with Chicago Blackhawks is a new name. Frankly, I don’t believe he really moves the needle for what the Blueshirts need and isn’t an upgrade over what they have today. Johnson is nearing a return from a foot injury that has sidelined him since Dec. 31.

At the end of the day, the noise around Henrique is growing and could soon become an official trade announcement.