The New York Rangers had scouts in attendance for the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators game on Thursday night. It struck me odd when I first saw it because they don’t play the Flyers until April 3rd and are done with the Predators for the season.

Could they be in Philly scouting for a trade? Are they interested in rental defenseman Justin Braun? It’s possible, but Braun is a right handed defenseman and I find it hard to believe that the Rangers would bump Braden Schneider off the third pair.

Of course, some speculation exists that the Rangers are still vying for the services of Claude Giroux.

New York Rangers trade buzz: Claude Giroux

The Rangers could have all the interest in the world in obtaining Claude Giroux, but how fast would Flyers fans be calling for the head of GM Chuck Fletcher if he was traded to a despised division rival?

That’s when it hit me, the Rangers have so much cap space that they actually could be a third wheel for the Florida Panthers to obtain Giroux.

The latest rumors have the Panthers basically almost done making a trade for the 34 year-old. Philly is supposedly very interested in Florida’s prospect forward Owen Tippet. Florida is going to have to cough up more than that to get Giroux and the Flyers eat some of his $8.275M cap hit.

They will also need to unload some salary and maybe have a third party take on some of Giroux cap space to make it work.

That’s where the Rangers can come in and help. They’ve already done that by acquiring Frank Vatrano and his $2.533M cap hit so Florida could acquire Ben Chiarot from the Panthers. A working relationship is now established with Bill Zito and Chris Drury.

As to who or what assets the Rangers are looking for are unknown. But don’t be surprised if they are somehow involved in the Panthers landing Giroux.

#ScoutsInTheHouse for Predators-Flyers tonight: Bruins, Sabres, Blackhawks, Stars, Panthers, Wild, Rangers, Maple Leafs, Kraken, Islanders #TisTheSeason

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) March 17, 2022

Other trade notes

Talks have broken down between the Ducks and Hampus Lindholm. The trade cost to acquire him is very high, and if GM Pat Verbeek is looking for a first round pick and a top prospect like Nils Lundqvist, Drury should look elsewhere.

The Vegas Golden Knights are besieged with injuries to many key players. Robin Lehner is expected to be out for a decent amount of time, so maybe there could be something involving Alexandar Georgiev.

Reilly Smith is currently injured, but if it isn’t significant the Rangers should go for him. Vegas lost Jack Eichel to a wrist injury after he took a shot off his hand on Thursday. That could impact any decision the Golden Knights make, but what if the Rangers sent a boatload of fresh bodies to get a player the coach covets?

What about Georgiev, Gauthier, and McKegg for Smith? It’s a complete spitball idea but it provides some framework for a potential deal for a pending UFA.

NHL Roundup

Jack Eichel goes down with injury. Giroux plays 1000th and final game with Flyers? And much more here.

While I truly believe the Rangers have serious interest in reuniting with J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks, they aren’t the only ones. So there’s probably a good chance that any additions for a playoff run will come in the form of a rental.

For this article, I decided to flip the script a little and talk about players the Rangers are unlikely to land in a trade and provide a reason why. Let’s dive in.

Unlikely Rangers Trade Targets: Joe Pavelski

Pavelski, 37, has 48 points in 43 games this season and will be a UFA in July. When the trade deadline rolls around, many teams will come a knocking for the versatile pivot. Although he seems to have already made up his mind where he’d rather be.

“We love it there,” Pavelski said of his wife, Sarah, and their son, Nate. “Things couldn’t be any better for us right now. The family’s doing great. It’s a great city. Really enjoy the guys in the locker room and the team. For us right now, that’s probably the No. 1 option.”

The Mercury News

There’s still a chance Pavelski may be moved at the deadline, but Dallas is is just 4 points out of a playoff spot. If they are still close, and with his public statement that this is where he wants to stay, Pavelski will remain with the Stars.

Claude Giroux

The Philadelphia Flyers captain was already rising on the NHL Trade Bait Board before GM Chuck Fletcher made these comments:

“It will be Claude’s decision,” Fletcher said. “Claude has a no-move [clause] in his contract; ultimately that will be his decision [to waive]. We’re at the halfway point [of the season]. We’re two months to the trade deadline. We’ll continue to have conversations, and ultimately a decision will have to be made one way or the other. But it’ll be Claude’s decision.”

ESPN

Giroux, 33, is in the final year of a contract that comes with a $8.275M cap hit. He has 35 points in 42 games this season and would be an excellent top six add for teams hunting for a Cup.

The expectation is that Giroux will seek a trade to a contender and everyone is pointing to the Colorado Avalanche. Also, it’s hard to see a scenario where the Flyers would trade him within the division, including the Rangers.

Tomas Hertl

Last month, I spoke with a team executive about the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline. During the chat I asked about some potential and obvious names on the market.

One name that everyone expects to be high on many teams’ trade lists is San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl.

Hertl is 28 years-old and in the final year of a deal that has a $5.625M cap hit. Last season, he recorded 43 points in 50 games. This season, he’s keeping a similar scoring pace with 38 points in 46 contests.

As soon as he was mentioned, the response I received was that the Sharks are probably going to keep him. In truth, why wouldn’t they? Especially if Evander Kane’s grievance fails, San Jose will have that full $7 million in cap space to extend Hertl.

Per multiple reports, the Sharks told inquiring teams in the offseason that they were still hopeful to work things out. That seems even more likely now.

John Klingberg

Klingberg, 29, has 23 points in 37 games this season. According to multiple reports, the two sides had been talking but are too far apart on a deal to prevent him from becoming a UFA this summer. He’s looking for an 8 year deal in the neighborhood of $63 million.

As far as trade destination go, Jeff Marek mentioned back in November that the Carolina Hurricanes are interested. Larry Brooks in the NY Post speculated that New York Rangers will be in on the pending UFA rental as well.

The cost to acquire a player like Klingberg makes no sense to the Rangers. Dallas would also pit Chris Drury in a bidding war with the Carolina Hurricanes making the move less attractive. Plus, he is a true rental because his next contract does not fit with the Rangers cap situation.

Jakob Chychrun

Jakob Chychrun’s name in the rumor mill is like a train coming down the tracks. It started as a rumble off in the distance but after Jeff Marek’s latest reporting sounds like it will blow through the station.

“The Coyotes are looking for a package that includes a young player, a prospect, and a first round pick,” Marek said on 32 Thoughts. “And they do have that package from one team in the NHL. Essentially, two former first round players, and a first round draft pick.”

Marek reported that L.A. Anaheim, Boston, Columbus, and Florida are in on Chychrun.

“The Rangers are in on it as well,” Marek added. “They have offered a package which includes Vitali Kravtsov.”

Since then, the Rangers interest has been labeled as “overstated” by Larry Brooks. This is another situation where the cost to acquire is just too much for one player. Names like Vitali Kravtsov, Filip Chytil, and Nils Lundkvist have been mentioned going the other way.

It would be wiser for Drury to move those assets for multiple players like J.T. Miller, Reilly Smith, and Mark Giordano.

NHL Rumors

A look at available Senators players. Maple Leafs trade deadline approach, and a Rangers offer for J.T. Miller? Read more.

Recently on the site, Michael Kaplan wrote about placing the blame for this terrible start on Jeff Gorton. If you read his article, Kaplan hits on a lot of points but there’s one in particular that needs to be addressed further. This organization may have made a grave mistake in this past entry draft with their picks and years down the road we could be looking at another 2003/2006/2010 situation where they are kicking themselves for what could have been. Let’s dive in.

Over the summer, Jeff Gorton seemed to speak a lot about “retooling on the fly.” Basically, this team knew that they weren’t going to win the big one with this current roster and opted to get younger and faster. Well, that’s all fine and dandy if the right type of prospect is picked in the draft and the right types of players are signed to replace those that departed. With the pick of Lias Andersson, who seemingly had all the tools to jump in on the Rangers third line, the Rangers seemingly drafted that right type of prospect to fill a need and jump in. Someone who isn’t a project a few years away. Filip Chytil, who was a bit of a stretch pick but addressed an area of weakness in the center ice position, was a bit of a head-scratcher at first because of his seemingly “project status” but proved enough in camp that he belonged here. Well, once camp ended the problems began.

Right off the bat, Andersson was not picked for the opening night roster. A seventh overall pick, someone who was supposedly going to be given every possible chance to make his mark on the team this season, was immediately sent back to Sweden without a nine-game tryout.

Chytil made the opening night roster but was on one of the shortest leashes I’ve ever seen; getting sent down to the AHL to be replaced by guys like Adam Cracknell and Paul Carey on the big club. Oh boy. There’s a lot wrong here and it goes all the way from Gorton down to coach Alain Vigneault.

If someone is drafted seventh overall, and a team is lucky enough to pick that high, that player MUST be given every opportunity before being sent elsewhere to continue playing. You can’t afford to draft someone that high and not give him a chance. Unless of course, your name is Jeff Gorton or Alain Vigneault. Gorton was expecting this and drafted a “project type” player with this pick. And herein lies the biggest problem I had with the 2017 entry draft for the Rangers. If Gorton was all about retooling on the fly, Andersson would be on this team and contributing any way he could. If he wasn’t producing, then send him down, but at least give the kid a chance. If the organization viewed Andersson as a “project,” then he was the wrong player to have been drafted at number seven overall, where the Rangers should/could have drafted Casey Mittelstadt, Gabe Vilardi, Michael Rasmussen or Nick Suzuki.

Why those four names? Because each fills a position of need; and while each is a few years away, they have much higher ceilings than Andersson. If the plan was to send Andersson back all along, then why use the pick on him when there were plenty of others available with a higher potential to be NHL stars? It’s something that I feel the Rangers really messed up on and it could be another detrimental hit if Andersson doesn’t pan out and those four do.

Down at 21, when the Rangers reached and selected Chytil, there were two prospects that come to mind that the Rangers could’ve reached for instead. Eeli Tolvanen and Klim Kostin are two dynamic offensive prospects who could’ve been the scorer this team desperately needs down the line. Tolvanen is currently tearing up the KHL and as a teenager (teenagers normally don’t get a lot of ice time in the KHL) it is extremely impressive. Kostin will soon be counted upon to be a top-six forward for the Blues. Both would’ve been fantastic additions to our pipeline. Could Chytil turn out to be just as dynamic as both of them? Time will tell.

My one hope for this past draft is that it does not get added to the list of drafts that give me a headache. 2003 is extremely painful as is 2006 and 2010. In each of those drafts, the Rangers had an opportunity to select a superstar caliber player and they missed. Hugh Jessiman, Bobby Sanguinetti, and Dylan McIlrath were terrible misses. Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Shea Weber, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux or Vladimir Tarasenko could’ve been wearing the Blueshirt, but were missed on draft day.

Let’s hope Andersson and Chytil turn out well in the end, or else we could be adding another draft to the headache list.

Editor’s Note: If you want to hear more about the Rangers and their draft history, listen to our interview with @TheDraftAnalyst, and subscribe to #FullTiltRadio on iTunes, TuneIn, Soundcloud, Stitcher and BlogTalk Radio.

Fancy stats won’t always tell the whole story. In a game where the Flyers were a 62% corsi team, the Rangers still managed to come out on top by a 4-1 margin in a pivotal Game Three. They now lead the best of seven series two games to one.

Puck possession may have been the only area the Rangers fell short in Tuesday night.  The staunch defense blocked 28 shots in total.  Special teams wise, the Rangers were perfect on the penalty kill, killing all five Philadelphia power plays, including two as a result of horrid penalties from Benoit Pouliot.

Yesterday, we said the player to watch would be Henrik Lundqvist.  The King, to his credit, answered the call.  Lundqvist stopped 31 of 32 Flyers shots, including some timely saves in the third.

Martin St.Louis continued his stellar post-season, adding a goal and an assist in Game Three, as well as having the best corsi for on the team at +23.1%.  St.Louis now has five points in the Rangers first three games of the series.  He, along with Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi and Dan Carcillo (more on him in a second) found the back of the net behind Ray Emery, who learned last night what “regression to the mean” was all about.

Carcillo may have provided the feel good moment of the night.  After previously being knocked to the ice momentarily, followed by being sent to the penalty box, Carcillo broke free and scored the fourth and final insurance goal for the Blueshirts.  His celebration left little to be desired, slamming his stick against the glass of Wells Fargo Center and taunting a legion of former supporters amidst a sea of middle fingers.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuBE3Er_yf0″]Game Seven Highlights – [/su_youtube]

Looking Ahead:  Steve Mason, who appeared in mop up duty late in the third, will almost certainly get the start in net on Friday, though coach Craig Berube hasn’t committed to a starter yet.  Claude Giroux, who registered his first two shots on goal of the series Tuesday night, guaranteed Game Four victory.

One would think that’s big talk from someone who has been all but invisible throughout this series thus far.  Giroux and Wayne Simmonds have been held goal-less in all three games, combining for two points along the way.  As for the Rangers, you’d have to think Carcillo will remain in the lineup at least for Friday, potentially longer.

“We wanted to come in and win a game…and that’s what we did.” – #NYR Head Coach Alain Vigneault #NYRPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/5qOU3eCE8A

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 23, 2014

Tonight’s 3-1 win over Philly reminds us that sometimes the eye-test and the statistics don’t quite align.

Before the season started, the Penguins, Rangers and Capitals were favorites to take the first three spots in the newly-formatted Metropolitan Division. Roughly 12-14 games remain for each team, and we have four teams pushing hard for two of the first three spots in the Metropolitan Division.  The Rangers, Flyers, Blue Jackets and Capitals are all within 3 points of each other entering play on Thursday night.

THE PENGUINS

The Pittsburgh Penguins played so well earlier in the season that they’ve built a considerable advantage over the rest of the Division. The Penguins have had injury problems all year and still manage to compete on a nightly basis.  Most notable of their injuries is Kris Letang and Paul Martin, which is a considerable hindrance dealt to their D-corps.  Letang is an effective puck-mover and power play quarterback.  Paul Martin’s injury is a blow to the depth of the Pens’ defense.  Pascal Dupuis, who is arguably the Pens’ best penalty killer and wingman to Sidney Crosby, is out for the remainder of the season.  The Penguins still remain a threat because of their up-tempo style, and having two of the best players in the world doesn’t hurt.  As long as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are on the same ice for the Pens, they can beat anyone.

THE CAPITALS

The Capitals find themselves only two points from a playoff spot, even with having such a roller coaster year.  The Caps are currently on an upswing, winning three in a row, most recently taking a game against arguably one of the top three teams in the West, the Anaheim Ducks.  The Caps’ defense remains suspect, which has been the reason they have had such an up and down year.  They do have a reason to believe they are a playoff contender, their reason?  Jaroslav Halak.  Halak has played a big roll in the Caps’ three game winning streak and resurgence into the playoff race.  Are the Caps for real?  Any team that has decent goaltending has a chance to win every night, but the Caps’ defense makes me question their ability to compete with the best, but they did beat the Ducks in Anaheim.

THE FLYERS

The Philadelphia Flyers are a team that’s season has fluctuated in streaks.  The Flyers are currently playing great hockey.  They are coming off of a weekend home and home sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and an overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Flyers are for real, and the rest of the East should take notice.  I’ve watched their last three games, and they are reminding me of the way the Boston Bruins play.  They are hard on the fore-check, they are hard on the puck, they take the body and they transition well through the neutral zone.  The Flyers have been getting decent goaltending from everyday net-minder, Steve Mason.  Their special teams are a strong point that adds to their validity.  The power play is 10th in the league and their penalty killing is 7th in the league.  The Flyers are a force that is heating up in the Metropolitan Division, they’ve figured it out under coach Craig Berube.

THE BLUE JACKETS

The Columbus Blue Jackets remind me of the Rangers in 2006, not loads of scoring talent, but they are not easy to play against.  The Jackets fore-check hard and are also tough on the puck. They are backed by a Vezina winner in Sergei Bobrovsky who has put them in the mix to make the playoffs.  Columbus is middle-of-the-pack in regards to special teams, which they may have to clean up if they want to make it, and have a decent run.  Are the Jackets serious?  The Jackets do have the kind of goalie, who can get on a roll and steal some games, but the Jackets’ special teams game may keep them from making the playoffs.  Nonetheless, they are a difficult team to play against.

THE RANGERS

The New York Rangers’ season needs no synopsis of how it has gone.  Most Ranger fans have watched their team struggle to gain some sort of consistent traction to their campaign.  The Rangers were playing well going into the Olympic break, but that consistency monkey is still very much on their back.  The Rangers are 4-3 in their last 7 games, which aides in showing their inconsistency.  The Rangers still remain very much in the mix in the Metropolitan Division, currently sitting in 3rd place, but the Jackets and Caps are right on their tail.  This Ranger team has two top-tier goal-scorers who must play well in order for them to make the playoffs.  Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis have to produce in order for the Rangers to make the playoffs, and go as far as they desire.  The Rangers remain a mystery as to what they can accomplish, but there is always their backbone Henrik Lundqvist, who can steal any series.  The Rangers must find some kind of consistency in their last 12 games, and more importantly, their best players, have to be, their best players.  Are the Rangers capable of going far?  If their talent starts producing on a nightly basis?  Yes, they are.  As of now though, the Rangers’ season has been consistently inconsistent.

[yop_poll id=”2″]

When the newly created Metropolitan Division was announced as part of the NHL’s re-alignment, fans and analysts alike had high hopes for the teams involved.  Among them, perennial Eastern powerhouse Pittsburgh, the Rangers, a team that just two years ago reached the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Devils, who reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.

What we’ve seen to this point, however, can be considered nothing better than mediocrity from most.

Taking Pittsburgh out of the equation, the Metro division, though tightly contested, has been home to many under performing clubs, much to the dismay of their dedicated fan bases.

The Flyers are a fine testament to the undistinguished level of play we’ve come to expect from the Metro division.  Their 77 points, good for 2nd overall in the division, wouldn’t crack the top three of ANY remaining divisions in the entire NHL.

That’s not to say the final few weeks of the season won’t provide excitement as it pertains to the playoff race, and here, we’ll take a look at the teams most central to the competition.

TRENDING UPWARD

Columbus Blue Jackets

Caution Rangers fans; this one may hurt a little.

Columbus has enjoyed a good deal of success post-Olympic break, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.  Their 76 points have them 3rd overall in the Metro Division, and if the playoffs started today they’d have a first round matchup with Philadelphia.

They’ve accomplished this on the heels of their offense, which has proven to be a driving force behind their success.

Columbus’ 190 goals for on the season puts them top three in the Metro, trailing only Washington and Pittsburgh.  Their team shooting percentage of 9.81% leads all Metro teams not named Pittsburgh, and two former Rangers have been able to claim at least partial credit to the success.

Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, shipped out of New York in the 2012 trade for Rick Nash, have been key cogs to the success of the Blue Jackets this season.  Anisimov’s 19 goals are good for 2nd on the team and Dubinsky’s 41 points put him 2nd in total scoring, but hindsight is always 20-20, right?

Philadelphia Flyers 

Philadelphia is an interesting case, and if there were a category for “trending upward but possibly regressing to the mean”, they’d be in it.  I’ll explain why momentarily, but for now let’s take them at face value.

Philly is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.  They’ve strongly rebounded from a very sluggish start to the 2013-2014 season and look to be in prime position to make the post-season should they continue their high level of play.

When it’s all said and done, the Flyers should have at least six players tallying 20 goals or more for the season, an impressive feat no doubt.  They’ve been carried by strong play from Claude Giroux, who’s 69 points have him tied for 3rd in total scoring in the NHL.

Philadelphia, like Columbus, has two games in hand on their competition (Washington and New York).  The Flyers also sport winning records vs. Washington and New York (3-2 and 2-1 respectively).

The real story with Philadelphia is whether or not they’ll be able to rely on Steve Mason the rest of the way and into the post-season.  Their recent record is impressive no doubt about it, but it can hardly be credited to Mason, who has given up four goals in three of their last six games.  Consider also that during the 10 game stretch, Philadelphia scored three or more goals 8 out of 10 times.

Their defense has hardly been rock solid this year, even with the addition of Andrew MacDonald at the trade deadline.  Mason has faced more shots than any other goalie in the Metro division, with the exception of Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist.  It’s hard to imagine that all of this won’t eventually catch up to the Flyers, but for the time being they find themselves in good position to make the post-season.

TRENDING DOWNWARD

New York Rangers

It’s easy to point the finger of blame in the Rangers organization this year.

There’s a new coach, new players, a new system and a goalie that, for all of his accolades and talent, hasn’t seemed quite right the entire year.

Since the beginning of February, the Rangers are 6-6-1, a microcosm of a maddening season of inconsistencies that cannot be blamed on just one phase of the game.

Sure, their 76 points have them (barely) in the 8th and final Wild Card position, but that accomplishment would reward them with a first round rematch against Boston, arguably the best team in the NHL right now and a team that undoubtably has the Rangers number.

The Rangers need to stop the bleeding and stop it fast, but they’ll need help from their struggling scorers to do it.

In seven games since being traded, Martin St.Louis has managed zero goals and only two points.  Rick Nash, who often catches the ire of the fan base when the team is not performing, has just four goals since January 23rd.  This is simply unacceptable if you still view Nash as an elite goal scorer in the NHL, but who can fault you if you don’t?

The Rangers team shooting percentage is an abysmal 7.62%, 27th overall in the NHL.  To put it in perspective, the only potential playoff team with a worse number than the Rangers is Los Angeles.  Despite a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way, if the Rangers want to avoid a colossal 2014 failure, they’ll need to start scoring.

Washington Capitals

Last, and potentially least, we have the Washington Capitals.

Washington (5-4-1 L10) has arguably the toughest schedule remaining amongst the contending Metro teams, including a three-game West Coast death trip with games against Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose.

Dustin Penner, who was brought to Washington as a big body to throw in front of goaltenders, hasn’t scored since being traded.  He has just one point in the seven games since becoming a Capital, but is hardly the only issue with this Washington team.

Jaroslav Halak, another trade deadline acquisition, has been nothing more than mediocre at best, sporting a dreadful 2.42 GAA in the five games he’s started for Washington.  In fact, Washington as a team gives up almost three goals per game on average (2.9 GAA for the season), 23rd overall in the NHL.  As far as potential playoff teams go, only Toronto has a worse number.

Mike Green and Alexander Ovechkin are a combined -45 on the year, absolutely unbelievable when you consider Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals with 45.  In fact, Ovechkin himself has a -31 rating on the year, 2nd worst amongst all players.

Unlike the previously mentioned teams, Washington would effectively be OUT if the post-season were to start today.

THE FINAL WORD

Based on strength of schedule alone and how well they’ve played lately, coupled with the fact that they’ve got two games in hand on both Washington and the NYR, it’s safe to assume Columbus will make the post-season.

That leaves three teams fighting for two remaining spots, one of which would almost certainly be the 8th and final wild card.  I’ll give one of those to Philadelphia based on the fact that they’ve got two games in hand on WSH and NYR.

I still think the Rangers steal the final wild card spot, solely because I know Henrik Lundqvist is a far better goaltender than anyone the Capitals want to trot out on the ice, but they’ll need to find an offensive rhythm that’s been missing since the Olympic break if they want any opportunity at causing some commotion in the post-season.