Whether you agree with the sequel to last year’s roster purge or not; whether you feel the bounty received for these popular former Blueshirts was adequate; whether you feel the future of your beloved hockey team is promising, what’s done is done and the Garden Faithful must put away their collective handkerchiefs and move on.

With the moves that were made – and those that weren’t made – over these last several days, the Rangers management team have stated, unequivocally, that they are going to build the team, up front, around stalwart forwards Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad; both of whom are in the midst of career seasons. While we will never know the validity of the Chris Kreider trade rumors that were running rampant around the Twitter-sphere from various NHL “insiders”, the fact is that #20 is still very much a member of the franchise that selected him in the first round, 19th overall, in 2009. As for Zibanejad, who may very well be playing under the most cap-friendly contract in the entire league with still three years remaining at the bargain basement price of just over $5 million AAV, there were no such rumors of anything even resembling a trade.

Zibanejad and Kreider have developed terrific chemistry both on the ice and off. They are linemates that have given the Rangers a consistent one-two punch the likes of which has rarely been seen around these parts. Jaromir Jagr and Michael Nylander they aren’t, but the way both have been playing, there is a definite ceiling that has yet to be reached by these two budding stars. Kreider, 27 and Zibanejad, 25, are smack dab in the middle of their primes and are flourishing at the perfect time for a franchise in desperate need of legitimate, top-tier players.

It is the belief of this author that one of these two fantastic players will become the next captain of the New York Rangers. The question is, which one? I’d like to know who you feel is most deserving of being announced as the captain at next season’s home opener come October 2019. A case can certainly be made for either. Kreider is a home-grown Ranger and has the seniority edge. Each and every one of his 443 NHL games and 131 goals were while wearing the red, white, and blue. Kreider is the lone remaining forward from the 2012 squad that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Kreider is the prototypical bull-in-a-china-shop whose combination of size, muscle, and speed makes him darn near impossible to defend when he is on his game. Kreider has endeared himself to the Garden Faithful with his work ethic, skating ability and very likable personality. He has all the makings of a quality captain.

Mika Zibanejad was acquired from the Ottawa Senators for another very popular former Ranger, Derick Brassard, in the summer of 2016. Mika’s early days as a member of the Blueshirts were marred by an assortment of unfortunate injuries which included concussions and a broken leg. Now completely healthy, Zibanejad has blossomed right before our very eyes and is on pace to become the first Ranger since Marian Gaborik in 2009-10 to eclipse the 80-point plateau. Is the native of Sweden with Iranian ancestry that elusive 1C that the Rangers have been missing since the aforementioned Nylander was helping Jagr re-write the team’s record books over a decade ago? It certainly appears to be the case. Along with his burgeoning and increasingly impressive stat-line, Zibanejad also has charismatic qualities that go part and parcel with being a team captain. Mika has an aura. Mika has a presence. And, let’s be honest, this is New York City. This is Madison Square Garden. This is where hyperbole has laid down its roots. This is where pomp and circumstance are a virtual requirement. Zibanejad, who moonlights as a successful DJ in his spare time, was tailor-made for the bright lights of the big city. He has all the makings of a quality team captain.

So, which do you feel would make the better captain? The lunch pail toting, head down, I’m here to do my job and go home, Chris Kreider? Or, the flamboyant, perpetually smiling, multi-talented Mika Zibanejad? Zibanejad is the better all-around player, but Kreider is the third most tenured Ranger behind only Marc Staal and Henrik Lundqvist. This is a fascinating debate that is sure to exhume strong opinions either way. I will sit back and read your various comments and opinions about whom should succeed Ryan McDonagh as the next captain of the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have traded steady blue-liner, Adam McQuaid to the very active Blue Jackets.

The return is basically what they gave up to get him.

Both Zuccarello and Hayes are off to new teams. Now the other known trade piece is soon to be on the move and he’s has more than one team interested.

The rumor mill had Toronto and Tampa as the 2 teams with the most interest. Now you can add Columbus and possibly Buffalo to the mix.

Today the NHL’s Trade Deadline will come at 3:00 PM EST. At 3:01 the players remaining on their teams will breathe a collective sigh of relief and we will know who is on the move.

Kevin Hayes

This is the big chip that Jeff Gorton has to land an additional first round pick in the 2019 Draft. The 4 teams most associated with Hayes are the Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Winnipeg Jets.

Mark Stone is the top player still available but Kevin Hayes leads the pack of a field that includes, Eric Staal, Mike Hoffman, Wayne Simmonds, and Derick Brassard. Of course, Artemi Panarin may be had at the right price but it doesn’t sound like Columbus wants to take a major weapon out of their lineup for the playoffs.

Adam McQuaid

The veteran defenseman will likely be moved today. The two teams expected to land him in a trade are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vladislav Namestnikov

Namestnikov is heating up and playing well lately and it has some teams asking about him. The Rangers can’t expect too much for him due to his offensive struggles this year. However, he is 26 years old and is signed through next season at an AAV of $4M.

The Rangers should hold on to him due to his age and upside. However, if Gorton can get a conditional 2nd round pick for him then he should consider moving him. The condition will likely need to be getting to the Final in order to turn it into a first, but it could be worth the risk.

Brendan Smith

The Rangers have been playing Smith a lot down the stretch. They have also utilized him as a forward showing his versatility. If the Rangers are willing to eat 50% (about 2.5M) of his contract which runs through 2021 a team may offer up a decent pick for him.

Other Names Out There

Chris Kreider – highly unlikely unless a team is willing to offer the King’s ransom Gorton has asked for.

Alexander Georgiev – highly unlikely unless a team offers a high pick.

Kevin Shattenkirk – highly unlikely unless a team give up a 1st rounder ad more.

With the trade deadline just two days away the Rangers still have many decisions to make. Kevin Hayes, Adam McQuaid and even Chris Kreider are all heavily rumored to be on the move to any number of destinations depending on who you believe.

The possible departure of those players will have the Rangers needing to replace them. If we go with the theory that the Rangers will be loading up on picks and prospects rather than roster players, then there will be quite a few Hartford call-ups post deadline. Who are those call-ups going to be? The names that pop out are John Gilmour, Ville Meskanen, Vinni Lettieri and newly acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh.

Defense Call-Ups

Gilmour has proved himself admirably at the AHL level this year. With the trade of Peter Holland to the Chicago Blackhawks, he became the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer. He currently has 16 goals and and 23 assists for 39 points in 55 games. Those are fantastic numbers for the young defenseman and you can make the case he already deserved to be called up.

The Rangers defense has not been good this year with poor play from some players such as Neal Pionk, Brenden Smith and to some extent, even Kevin Shattenkirk. Gilmour deserves a chance to show what he’s got with the big club and show that his solid stint with the Rangers at the end of last season wasn’t a fluke. He was an AHL All-Star this season, has nice skating ability and a shot that can find the net. With the trade of Adam McQuaid a foregone conclusion, Gilmour’s call-up should be on top of GM Jeff Gorton’s post-deadline to-do list.

Besides Gilmour, there is another intriguing Wolf Pack defenseman for the Rangers to call up and that’s the player they acquired from the Blackhawks in exchange for Peter Holland: Darren Raddysh. Raddysh is a former OHL defenseman of the year; he put up 81 points in 62 games as an overager during the 2016-17 season with the Erie Otters. He went undrafted before being signed by the Blackhawks.

After a little over a season and a half with their Blackhawks’ AHL Affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, where Raddysh put up 48 points in 120 games, he was traded to the Rangers and assigned to the Wolf Pack. Gorton could possibly call Raddysh up to see what he has in the 23-year-old Caledon, Ontario native. A rebuild is all about finding which players can stick and be apart of the solution and which ones just don’t fit in long term plans. Raddysh could be a hidden gem of a player, or he may amount to just being a career AHLer. It’ll be up to Gorton to decide if he deserves a test with the big club during the last part of the season.

Now, there are two names that need to be pointed out here as well and those are Libor Hajek and Ryan Lindgren. Lindgren already had a call up this season and the organization most likely wants him to just play big minutes for the Wolf Pack. He’s a physical defenseman who will eventually carve out a niche for himself in New York. In Hajek’s case, he just flat out isn’t ready for the bright lights of Broadway. Make no mistake, Hajek will be a huge part of the Rangers future and will grow into a top-four defenseman on the Rangers blue line. But for this season, it’s the right call to leave him in Hartford. He needs big minutes, power-play time and a better understanding of the pro game before he gets his shot.

Forward Call-Ups

Now that Zuccarello has been traded and Hayes likely to depart, hat will leave two forward spots open. Two names that absolutely need to be on Gorton’s list to call-up are Ville Meskanen and Vinni Lettieri.

Meskanen, who was signed as a free agent after putting up 24 goals for Ilves of the Finnish Liiga, has had a great first season for the Wolf Pack. He currently has 29 points in 53 games (10 goals, 19 assists) and has looked to be a great pick up for Gorton. While Michael Lindqvist – who the Rangers signed along with Meskanen in the offseason – didn’t pan out, Meskanen has shown flashes of a player who could be a nice middle six player in the NHL within the next few years. Remember, Liiga is a men’s league and Meskanen did very well there. He has the talent but it’s all about putting it all together.

With so many questions regarding lineup decisions, Meskanen deserves a little stint on Broadway to see if he can hang with the big club. Worst case scenario is he ends up not doing much and he goes back to Hartford. Best case: he makes a nice case for himself, chips in a goal here and there and makes a good impression on head coach David Quinn going into the offseason. It just makes too much sense.

Lettieri has to be in the back of Gorton’s mind as well. His shot first mentality is something all fans can appreciate and the kid gives it his all every game. Seemingly too talented for the AHL but not yet ready to truly impact the game at the NHL level, a stint at the end of the season could do wonders for Lettieri’s confidence. If he becomes a nice bottom six winger who can add some offense on occasion and can be sound defensively than the Rangers will have done well with him. He hasn’t looked bad during his previous call-ups, but giving him some more responsibility and ice-time at the end of the season may be good for the kid in the long run.

The NHL trade deadline is just 2 days away and the biggest domino fell yesterday when the Columbus Blue Jackets went big and acquired Matt Duchene for a huge package from Ottawa.

Now it sounds like the teams that missed out on Duchene are hot after Kevin Hayes. Those teams are the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins. Over night, rumors appear to have the Predators as the front runner with the idea that they may send over highly touted prospect Eeli Tolvanen in the deal.

As for Mats Zuccarello, after practice David Quinn had a very long conversation with him. The consensus thought at the time was to let him know that he may be traded, but it is likely that it would be to discuss the fact he may be a healthy scratch today against NJ.

Rumor has both Calgary and Dallas looking to add the veteran for the playoffs. As for the other other UFA McQuaid, it sounds like either Toronto or Tampa.

Lastly, people continue to bandy about Chris Kreider’s name as someone who is receiving a lot of interest. However, I heard that Kreider’s price is so high that talks are fizzling quick. That could change the closer we get to the deadline and if a team feels desperate enough that they will give up the king’s ransom that starts with a 1st round pick and a top young player/prospect.

Updated Trade Meter

I’ve updated the meter to reflect all the latest rumor information. As you can see, Zucc, Hayes, and McQuaid are all but gone.

On a night that could’ve been the last go around for Mats Zuccarello and others, the Rangers fell 4-1 against the Minnesota Wild. Continuing the trend of winning one and losing one, New York currently sits second to last in the Metropolitan division, while Minnesota broke a five game losing streak and are inching closer to a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Here is our recap.

It seemed that for most of the night, New York was climbing an uphill battle. Although they weren’t at their worst, the effort level varied through most of the game, including a terribly lethargic first period. The team picked up their play in the second period, which included a nice power play goal by Pavel Buchnevich. Other than that, Minnesota controlled the tempo and kept a packed house at MSG mostly quiet. The nail in the coffin came in the third period, when the Rangers had a prime opportunity to score during a four minute power play, but they failed to do anything with that chance. Any hope was squashed when Jordan Greenway scored a goal on an empty Rangers net at 17:23.

Adam McQuaid, who has been the subject of recent trade rumors, was taken out earlier in the game and did not return due to precautionary reasons. Lias Andersson was recalled by the Rangers and began the night on a line with Filip Chytil and Connor Brickley.

Next Game: The Rangers host the Devils for a matinee affair at the Garden on Saturday. Puck drops at 1!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

Trade rumors around the league are nearing a fever pitch. Last night the Bruins acquired Wild forward, Charlie Coyle which is just a start for Boston. Let’s get you updated with all the news out there now.

McKenzie updates the returns for Rangers UFA

“Right now I think it’s fair to say that it is more likely than not that all three of them will be traded by Monday. There seems to be a fair amount of action on all of them. The sense seems to be that Hayes could fetch a first-round pick, and a prospect. That Zuccarello could fetch a second-round pick and a prospect. And that Adam McQuaid could fetch, potentially, a third-round pick.”

Mckenzie via Nichols on Hockey

These returns are mostly reaffirmations of what we have been hearing for weeks. Although my sense is that McQuaid is more likely going to be a 4th round pick.

Larry Brooks on failed contract talks and Kreider trade possibility

Larry Brooks noted that the Rangers contract talks with both Zuccarello and Hayes failed due to contract talks.

“Zuccarello, who agreed under some duress to a club-friendly four-year extension at the 2015 deadline, is believed to be seeking five years this time around. The 31-year-old probably will be able to get it on the open market on July 1, but that type of commitment is not viable for the Rangers. Hayes, who will turn 27 during the playoffs, is believed to be seeking six or seven years. That’s too much for the Blueshirts, who could have signed the center to a five-year deal over the summer but passed.”

NY POST

One of our contributors had heard that the Rangers were offering Hayes an almost similar 5 year deal that he turned down last summer.

As for Kreider, Larry Brooks confirmed what I heard that Jeff Gorton is unlikely to move him unless it is for a huge package.

The Blueshirts have also received inquiries on Chris Kreider, with the Maple Leafs, Bruins and Predators believed to be three interested parties, but we’re told the winger is only available if general manager Jeff Gorton receives an offer he cannot refuse for No. 20. Thus far, no severed horses’ heads have appeared between the sheets.”

NY POST

Brooks also notes that McQuaid will be moved and Vlad Namestnikov could also be traded.

Calgary Hot for Zuccarello

We’ve reported last year that the Flames have been after Mats Zuccarello since the last deadline.

If you wanted to use the old dichotomy of whether the Flames were buyers or sellers, they’re going to fall into the “buyer” category.
They’ve been linked with the likes of the Ottawa Senators’ Mark Stone and the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello seemingly since they began rising in the standings at the end of 2018.

The Calgary Sun

Hayes drawing lots of interest

Elliotte Friedman’s Podcast has some interesting info on Hayes.

“Hayes, the Boston one is really interesting. I think Columbus is on him too. I know we’ve talked a lot about Duchene, but I wonder – if Nashville does not get Duchene done for any reason, I wonder if they go for Hayes. And Winnipeg is still there. There was a time I think the Rangers started to look at this and say, ‘This is really slow.’ I think it’s picking back up on Hayes.”

Friedman via Nichols on Hockey

The latest trade rumor rumblings.

McQuaid Will Be Moved

Bob McKenzie was on a Toronto radio station and said this about Adam McQuaid.

“I wonder if Adam McQuaid is another guy that would be like that with the New York Rangers. Real hard rock, more of a depth defenseman, more of a 5-6-7, but brings an element that the Leafs and other teams look for at the deadline. There’s no question in my mind that the Rangers are going to trade him. The bar for them – they gave up Steve Kampfer and a 4th and a 7th to get him, but the Kampfer part of it was neither here nor there, that was just contract for a contract. I think the Rangers believe if they can get a 4th and a 7th for Adam McQuaid, or anything better than that, then they’re going to trade him because he’s on an expiring contract and they’re a rebuilding hockey team.

Nichols on Hockey

Kevin Allen on Zuccarello and Hayes

Kevin Allen of USA Today gave his top 15 players to be traded. Here’s what he said on Hayes and Zuccarello.

4. Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers: The Jets have been looking for a scoring center like Hayes. He could slide neatly into the team’s No. 2 line.

USA TODAY

6. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers: With 37 points in 44 games, Zuccarello has had a quality season — and he has seven points in his past four games, so he’s continued to enhance his trade value. The Flames, Golden Knights, Stars, Blue Jackets and Islanders are interested.

USA TODAY

Kevin Hayes to the Jets makes a lot of sense if they miss out on landing their primary target of Matt Duchene. The Predators are also going for the Ottawa center. It is very likely that the loser of the Duchene sweeps will go hard after Hayes.

As for Zuccarello the Blue Jackets make sense but there is NO WAY that Jeff Gorton will trade him to the Islanders.

The trade deadline is just 11 days away and I expect the rumor winds to swirl stronger than a tropical storm.

McKenzie on the Rangers

Bob McKenzie dished on the Blueshirts during the latest NBC broadcast.

“In Kevin Hayes, I think they expected that there was going to be this huge market for him – and that’s not to say that there’s not. But I think they’ve been a little bit surprised lately at how much action Mats Zuccarello has been getting because he’s been playing so well on that top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. And the fact that he’s playing so well and he’s healthy has really primed the market a little bit.”

Nichols on Hockey

It’s true, Zuccarello has been so red hot that he’s piqued the interest of many teams. Still, McKenzie does not believe he will fetch a team’s first round pick and that a 2nd rounder and a prospect is the likely return.

“Now, if they don’t get what they want on Hayes, then I could easily see them saying, ‘You know what. We’re not going to trade them just for a bag of pucks or a soft deal at the deadline. We will keep him and we will try and sign him.’”

Nichols on Hockey

McKenzie also discussed the unlikelihood that the Blueshirts would trade and then sign Hayes and Zuccarello in the offseason. A scenario that he called “dreams”.

Wyshynski’s Bold NYR Prediction

The Rangers trade someone with term left. Yes, Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid are gonzo as pending free agents. But the Rangers dip a little deeper into roster for the rebuild and trade away a player with additional contract years. The hockey world hopes it’s Chris Kreider. It’ll probably end up being Vladislav Namestnikov.

ESPN

If you saw our trade meter from yesterday, we noted that Namestnikov was more likely to be dealt than Kreider.