The perfect hair. The massive contract. The publicity photo shoots and TV appearances. The immaculate form-fitting (and expensive!) suits. The King.

“When you’re so perfect, it makes you an easy target in the locker room,” one long-time Rangers player told me with a laugh years ago when I worked for the team during Henrik’s Hall-of-Fame career.

I saw it play out plenty. And it was all good-natured fun, which Henrik understood.

“Hank, do you even own a tee-shirt?,” Dan Girardi once shouted over to the well-dressed goalie after practice. Then turning to me, Girardi laughed and said, ” Seriously, all these years, I’ve never seen him wear a tee-shirt. I don’t think he owns one. Who doesn’t own a tee-shirt?!”

There was the time the Rangers charter flight was delayed because the star goalie was shooting a commercial and the filming ran later than expected. Perhaps 30 minutes after expected departure, a helicopter touched down near the plane, out hopped a resplendent Henrik in designer shades, tailored suit.

When Lundqvist stepped on the plane, he was met with a chorus of boos and chants of “Fine! Fine! Fine!” referring to what it would cost him for arriving late to the team charter. It was all fodder for 10 minutes or so of light-hearted fun and laughs.

If you’ve ever entered a professional locker room, you know this is all part of the brotherhood. Henrik may have been the star, but he was far from immune from the jocular teasing that’s commonplace on a team.

Ultimately, the reason why it was all in fun is because no one worked harder at his craft than Lundqvist. No one cared more. Not a single teammate ever doubted Henrik’s commitment to the team and winning. So, none of this was mean-spirited.

Just good old fun. Like Wednesday, when Strome got in a dig on national television.

To that end, stay tuned for a piece I’m working on based on my conversation with Henrik’s longtime goalie partner Marty Biron and the intriguing evolution of their friendship. It’s pretty fascinating stuff and speaks to Henrik’s incredible intensity.

Coming soon, promise!

Subscribe to the RINK RAP podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

New York Rangers news

Jonathan Quick put to rest any retirement talk when the 39-year-old goalie signed a one-year contract with the Rangers for 2025-26.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of what’s next on the Rangers to-do list for next season after the Quick signing.

Our Tom Castro breaks down the lack of an identity for the Rangers’ third line.

Here are three Rangers takeaways from their good, but not good enough defeat at the hands of the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets.

And while we’re on the topic, here are the winners and losers from the 2-1 loss to the Jets on Tuesday.

We’ve got more Gabe Perreault love in our weekly Rangers NCAA prospects report.

NHL news and rumors

More brutal injury news for the New Jersey Devils. GM Tom Fitzgerald revealed on a podcast that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out the rest of the regular season and not likely to return from an unspecified injury until the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That’s if the Devils last that long, considering they’re already without star center Jack Hughes the rest of the season because of shoulder surgery.

The Mikko Rantanen post-trade drama continued with the Dallas Stars forward denying reports that he provided the Carolina Hurricanes a list of teams he’d sign an extension with and that the Hurricanes weren’t one of them.

Former Rangers forward Patrick Kane recorded five points to help the Detroit Red Wings end a six-game losing streak, and pull even with the Blueshirts in the Eastern Conference standings, with a 7-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres.

JJ Peterka didn’t play for the Sabres and is day to day with a lower-body injury.

Things aren’t pretty in Buffalo, with many key Sabres players unhappy with all the losing and questionable roster decisions made over the years. The latest is on The Sheet podcast with Jeff Marek.

Injured defenseman Chris Tanev practiced again with the Toronto Maple Leafs and is “close” to returning to their lineup after battling an upper-body issue.

Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund was knocked out their game against the Vancouver Canucks in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Ville Husso made 36 saves in his Anaheim Ducks debut, but it was for naught when they lost to the Utah Hockey Club 3-2.

The Montreal Canadiens moved a point ahead of the Rangers in the East standings, but it could’ve been two. They blew a two-goal lead in the third period and lost to the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in overtime.

Watch Brandon Montour set an NHL record by scoring four seconds into overtime for the Kraken.

Boasting Adam Fox, a perennial Norris Trophy contender and arguably the greatest Blueshirts defenseman since Brian Leetch, is more than enough to draw some attention.

But after a loud and uncomfortable saga surrounding Jacob Trouba this offseason — one in which trade rumors swirled around the Rangers captain in the days leading up to free agency, spawning reports of displeasure from the Blueshirts locker room — it all but guarantees that there’s going to be a spotlight on this unit.

Behind Fox, there’s exciting young talent in K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider, but also plenty of questions surrounding the more experienced Trouba and Ryan Lindgren. Add to that, 24-year-old Zac Jones, who’s slated to take on an everyday role for the first time in his career.

The Blueshirts may very well boast the top defenseman in the Metropolitan Division, but how does the unit as a whole stack up against the rest of the division?

Related: Ranking New York Rangers forward group in Metro ahead of 2024-25 season

Where Rangers defense corps ranks in Metropolitan Division

Here are all the defense corps in the Metro ranked from worst to best.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets — Notables: Werenski, Severson, Provorov

I rated the Columbus Blue Jackets as the worst forward group in the Metro and will bestow the same lowly label upon their defensive corps. It would stand to reason a team that’s finished last in the Metro in back-to-back years would end up pretty low across the board.

In his eighth season in Columbus, Zach Werenski set a career-high with 57 points while playing 70 games for the first time since 2018-19. But the rest of the unit was underwhelming.

The first season with free agent signing Damon Severson fell flat, while Ivan Provorov and Erik Gudbranson graded out poorly defensively, despite a solid season on the offensive end from Provorov. Meanwhile, 2022 No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek struggled in his first full season, playing just 43 games between healthy scratches and a demotion to the AHL.

With Adam Boqvist and Jake Bean departing for new destinations, Jiricek will be expected to play a full season, which even still leaves one more spot to be filled. Perhaps 2022 No. 12 overall pick Denton Mateychuk gets the nod, but after tearing it up in the WHL, he didn’t see AHL action until this June.

So even with Werenski playing top hockey and possibly a stronger year from Severson, this group is significantly weaker and with much less upside than any other team in the division.

Related: Where Rangers goalie tandem ranks ahead of 2024-25 NHL season

7. Pittsburgh Penguins — Notables: Karlsson, Letang, Pettersson, Graves

10 years ago, a blue line featuring Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang would’ve been the envy of every other team in the League. It’s still a solid top two on the right side, particularly offensively, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are just too lacking on the defensive end compared to other division opponents.

Karlsson tallied 56 points with Letang right behind him at 51, making the Penguins one of two teams with multiple defensemen racking up 50-plus points (the other being the Colorado Avalanche). Both have been offensive-minded defensemen in their career, but their defensive metrics continue to decline as they reach the latter stages of their career. Karlsson will be 35 next season, while Letang will turn 38.

There’s just a lot of uncertainty with the bottom two pairs. Beyond an aging Letang, Ryan Graves is coming off an underwhelming first season in Pittsburgh and a 25-year-old Jack St. Ivany will be expected to take on an everyday role after playing 14 games in his first taste of NHL action.

Matt Grzelcyk will swap yellow jerseys, joining the Pens after eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, where he posted very ugly charts in his final season. He’d posted numerous quality seasons in the years prior to his walk year, so it’s possible he reverts back to that, but he’s coming off a campaign where he ranked in the third percentile overall.

Marcus Pettersson had an excellent season on the left-hand side next to Karlsson, leading the team with a plus-28 rating and posting excellent metrics across the board. He’s shaping up to be their most well-rounded defender going into the season, but it’s not enough to salvage a group that’s trending in the wrong direction.

Related: Rangers captain ‘happy to be here’ despite trade rumors: report

6. Philadelphia Flyers — Notables: Sanheim, Drysdale, York, Seeler

It’s a tiny gap between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Penguins, but their younger core and rising trajectory gives them an edge.

The Flyers still have some work to do in building a strong blue line, but the vision is clear, and many of the pieces may already be in place.

Travis Sanheim followed up a disappointing 2022-23 season that almost saw him traded to the St. Louis Blues that offseason with arguably the strongest year of his career, posting a career-high 44 points and positive metrics.

Nick Seeler shined next to Sean Walker, up until the latter was shipped off at the deadline, finishing the year with a team-leading plus-9 rating as their most reliable defenseman.

Youngsters Cam York (24), Jamie Drysdale (22), and Egor Zamula (24) all logged valuable minutes and should be in line to take a leap next season. Drysdale’s career has been littered with injuries, which limited him to 32 games last year, but York and Zamula both played the most games of their young career and showed clear promise.

Even Rasmus Ristolainen, who played 31 games through injuries, was reliable defensively when he was on the ice. Health will be a major factor going into 2024-25, but as this Flyers team continues to develop their identity, the blue-line should as well.

Related: Rangers veterans lament ‘friend for life’ no longer teammate

5. New Jersey Devils — Notables: Hamilton, Pesce, Dillon, Hughes

After allowing the sixth-most goals in the NHL and being plagued by defensive woes all season long, the New Jersey Devils made necessary additions to their defensive corps, bringing in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon in free agency.

A season-ending injury to Dougie Hamilton, who played just 20 games, certainly didn’t help matters, but the issues were present well before he went down.

GM Tom Fitzgerald needed to add multiple quality defensemen and that’s exactly what he did. Pesce and Dillon do plenty to bolster the blue line with stable and experienced defensive play. A healthy Hamilton gives them an elite defenseman who scored 74 points in 2022-23 and finished sixth in Norris voting.

But don’t expect this blue line to make a complete 180. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec experienced typical growing pains, as most rookie defensemen do, particularly on the defensive end, while Jonas Siegenthaler was one of the worst-rated blue-liners in the entire league.

In order to become one of the top defensive groups in the Metro, they’ll need to see a substantial leap from Hughes and Nemec and at least somewhat average play from Siegenthaler.

Related: New York Rangers rival revamps roster after being pushed around by Matt Rempe

4. New York Islanders — Notables: Dobson, Pelech, Puloch, Romanov

Led by Noah Dobson, who has a strong case for being a top-10 defenseman in the entire NHL, the New York Islanders have added an offensive wrinkle to their typically sturdy play on the backend.

Dobson finished eighth in Norris voting, scoring 70 points in 79 games, which ranked seventh among NHL defensemen. Entering his age-25 season, he’s just entering his prime, and his production could continue to rise.

Behind him is the ultra-reliable pair of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, who remain strong on the defensive end even into their thirties. Plus, don’t underrate the return of Mike Reilly, who played quality defense on the bottom pairing.

The 25-year-old Alex Romanov could tighten it up on the backend after ranking in the fifth percentile defensively, but he’s got clear offensive upside and led the team with a plus-23 rating.

The sixth defenseman situation isn’t great — Scott Mayfield, Robert Bortuzzo, and Samuel Bolduc could all vie for that last spot, which isn’t exactly enticing.

Like Philly, a big concern here is health. Pelech and Pulock were both limited to 58 games last season due to injury. Given the Islanders’ lack of depth on their backend, they can’t afford to lose any of their top five guys for a substantial amount of time.

But if healthy, the Islanders have a mix of playmaking and defensive stability that typically indicates a pretty good defensive corps.

Related: Rangers brief history of trades with rival Islanders

3. New York Rangers — Notables: Fox, Miller, Schneider, Trouba, Lindgren

The Rangers have one thing that no other team in the division can say — they have Fox, the best defenseman in the Metro.

With his third consecutive 70-plus point season, Fox finished fourth in Norris voting, securing his fourth straight top-five finish despite missing 10 games due to an injured right knee. He’s a brilliant offensive playmaker, the backbone of their power play unit, and despite all of his offensive prowess, is consistently excellent on the defensive end as well.

But this isn’t a ranking of individual defensemen — it’s a ranking of the defensive corps as a whole.

After coming to terms with Schneider and Lindgren and holding on to Trouba, this unit is largely the same as it was last year, minus the departure of Erik Gustafsson in free agency. But that’s not the peace of mind that it should be.

The Blueshirts have a couple of giant red flags in Trouba and Lindgren, both of whom are coming off ugly seasons.

Despite a team-leading plus-minus, Lindgren’s analytics were lower than anything he’s ever produced in his career, which affected Fox’s play as well. There are massive injury concerns as Lindgren consistently finds himself taking a beating on the ice, so even at age 26, it’s no sure thing he’s due for a bounce back.

Trouba, too, had a rough 2023-24 that was only exacerbated by a broken ankle. His physicality is a welcome presence on the backend, but if his defensive play continues to slip, it won’t matter.

Jones showed plenty of promise in his 31 games and should be able to take on a larger role, but that’s still an uncertainty.

Miller and Schneider have progressed well and provide crucial depth behind Fox. Outside of Jones, there’s plenty of experience, and it’s more than possible Lindgren and Trouba both have stronger years — it’s just too much of a question mark right now.

Related: Why Artemi Panarin already greatest Rangers player to wear No. 10

2. Washington Capitals — Notables: Chychrun, Roy, Carlson, Fehervary, Van Riemsdyk

The Washington Capitals attacked the offseason aggressively after sneaking into the playoffs with a negative-37 point differential and getting swept by the Rangers in the first round. It’s most clearly seen by a much improved defensive corps.

Signing Matt Roy in free agency and sending Nick Jensen to the Ottawa Senators for Jakob Chychrun, the Capitals acquired one of the best defensive defensemen from last season and a dynamic offensive playmaker.

Roy recorded a plus-21 rating in over 20 minutes a game with the Los Angeles Kings while ranking in the 92nd percentile defensively. Chychrun tied a career-high with 41 points and while his negative-30 rating isn’t pretty, his defensive metrics were actually positive on a 78-point Senators team.

35-year-old John Carlson is still producing, coming off a 52-point season where he played all 82 games. His defensive numbers are starting to slip as he readies for his 16th NHL season, but he’s still a quality blue-liner.

Even as you go down the line, Martin Fehervary and Trevor Van Riemsdyk graded out very highly on the defensive end, with Van Riemsdyk ranking in the 98th percentile defensively. Rasmus Sandin’s coming off a poor age-24 season, but he’s already had a few quality years and could easily bounce back.

Chychrun should boost an offense that struggled mightily last year and Roy is the elite defender this team was missing. The Capitals could still use more help, but their defensive group is in a pretty good spot entering the 2024-25 season.

Related: Why Rangers second power-play unit deserves fair shake

1. Carolina Hurricanes — Notables: Slavin, Burns, Walker, Gostisbehere, Chatfield

The Carolina Hurricanes have the best defensive unit in the Metro — and it’s not close.

For most teams, losing Pesce and Brady Skjei would be a backbreaking loss to the blue line. But after signing Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere to team-friendly deals, the Canes shouldn’t miss a beat.

Jaccob Slavin headlines the operation, receiving Norris votes for an eighth-straight year after putting together a brilliant season as an elite shutdown defenseman. He’s partnered with Brent Burns who continues to produce on both ends despite entering his age-39 season.

Gostisbehere reunites with Carolina after enjoying success as a trade deadline acquisition in 2022-23, adding another potential playmaker to the mix. Walker’s coming off the best season of his career, and if he keeps it up, will be an absolute steal at $3.6 million annually.

Rounding it out, Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield both finished the 2023-24 season ranked in the top 10 percentile defensively, per Evolving Hockey, and Chatfield was praised for his success with a larger workload in the postseason.

The blue line has been a key component of Carolina’s success in recent seasons and it should be again. Despite inconsistent goaltending play, the Hurricanes held opponents to the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL, thanks largely to their stingy defensive play.

With elite defensemen everywhere you turn and capable playmakers to help on the offensive end, this defensive corps is the crown jewel of the Metro and one of the best groups in the entire league.

Related: Rangers general manager ranked No. 1 among New York sports executives

In this edition, we kick off with news on Mika Zibanejad.

Rangers begin extension talks with Mika Zibanejad

A new report from Larry Brooks says that the Rangers and Mika Zibanejad have begun talks on a new extension.

We can report that there have been preliminary discussions between Drury and Zibanejad’s agent, Monir Kalgoum, who happens to be the center’s brother. Our best information at this point is that Zibanejad is seeking a deal that would be at least commensurate with the one under which Eichel is operating in Buffalo. That would entail a commitment of $10 million per year.

NY Post

Zibanejad, 28, is coming off a season where he was mired in a slump for the first half. This had some questioning if the Rangers would be wiser to move him in a deal for Eichel early on. He came to life around March to finish the season with 50 points in 56 games. In his last two years, he’s recorded 65 goals and 125 points in just 113 games.

There’s little question that Chris Drury would like to retain Zibanejad. Yesterday, he touched on the topic. “Mika is a huge part of our team. I’m not going to discuss his contract or anyone else’s publicly,” he said. “I have a ton of respect for him as a person and a player.”

NHL Rumors Roundup: Where will Dougie Hamilton land?

The clock is ticking on pending UFA Dougie Hamilton’s time in Carolina. In just a few days, Free Agency opens around the league and Canes GM Don Waddell wants to know what Hamilton intends to do.

Waddell still wants to sign Hamilton, although it is unclear what Carolina is willing to pay. After Seth Jones inked an 8 year-deal worth $9.5 million annually, Hamilton must be looking at a similar contract. Remember, this is the same team that traded Calder Finalist Alex Nedeljkovic over his demand for a $3M AAV contract.

Meanwhile, the NJ Devils have rolled out the red carpet for Hamilton. According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald sent out an email with a link bestowing all the plusses of signing with NJ.

We’re told that there might be mutual interest between the Devils and Hamilton, who previously had been linked to the Kraken. That interest could come in the form of a seven-year deal worth an average of $9 million per. The contract would essentially replace P.K. Subban’s when No. 76’s deal expires at the end of the season. It would also create a splash.

NY Post

The never-ending trade of Jack Eichel

The Buffalo Sabres purge continues. 

So far two of three major pieces have been moved with Jack Eichel remaining. It began Friday when Rasmus Ristolainen was dealt to the Flyers and it carried on late into the night. Multiple reports indicated Sam Reinhart had been traded to the Panthers. That deal was finalized Saturday.

So what’s up with Eichel? This one feels like it is about to get ugly. There are a number of questions here and you have to wonder what exactly are the Sabres looking to do here.

To his credit, GM Kevyn Adams has made it clear that he will not be trading Eichel unless he gets what he wants. Which everyone says is still too high, and all we know is that it’s a rumored four pieces. There has been no definitive report as to any specific trade package offered or rejected.

Many believed the Rangers were the most likely and closest to get him. They made an offer that was considered last offseason but ultimately turned down. There was also a rumor that the Rangers were the last place the Sabres want to see him go.

According to a recent report in The Athletic, the Pegula’s who own the Sabres want to trade him out West. It also sounds like they would be willing to accept less in order to keep him out of the East.

Adams relayed yesterday that he has a good relationship with Jack and that he would accept him back at camp. That sounds like the right thing to say, but Eichel and his agent still want out of Buffalo.

“I have no sort of in any way, shape or form hard feelings with Jack Eichel. I like Jack,” the Sabres GM said. “I’ve talked to his agent twice [Saturday]. I understand where he is, but from my standpoint, he is a player on our team and a very good one.”

Expect Eichel’s camp to turn up the heat today.

Zach Hyman on the verge of signing with the Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers spent time with Zach Hyman to court him into coming to play there. It appears that is on the verge of happening. There was some though that a sign and trade with the Maple Leafs was in the cards in order to give Hyman an 8 year-deal, but there’s a disconnect as to what that’s worth.

With a sign and trade unlikely at the moment, it appears Hyman will sign with Edmonton when Free Agency opens on July 28. Max term in that situation is 7 years.

“We’ve been in that situation before at the trade deadline and when you’re in that spot the other GM’s aren’t helping you out. They’re pulling the pin from the grenade and they’re throwing it to you,” Dubas said Saturday. “I know that there’s a narrative that we should just get something, but when you’re saving a team significant dollars on the salary cap that comes with a cost and we’re not going to bend on that.”

Sportsnet

–This article first appeared at The Daily Goal Horn.

Dougie Hamilton skates, out for game one against NYR

Last weekend, reports coming out of Carolina basically had defenseman, Dougie Hamilton on his deathbed. Yes, that’s an exaggeration but it sounded like he would miss the first three games for sure. Lo and Behold, Dougie Hamilton skated today for the Canes.

He will not play tomorrow in game one, but it sure looks like he may get in for game two. Let’s see how this plays out.

“Dougie is getting better for sure, but he’s unfit [to play] so he won’t be in there tomorrow,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said Friday. Brind’Amour said he’s hopeful Hamilton will play at some point during the series.

NHL.com

The Daily Goal Horn Launches!

FullTilt Hockey Network, LLC is proud to announce the soft launch of our new site, The Daily Goal Horn! Please check it out.

So who is in goal for the Rangers and Hurricanes?

David Quinn has been extremely reluctant to name the Rangers starter. Well now, Rod Brind’Amour won’t name one for the Hurricanes. Are we having fun yet?

Projected Starters: Igor Shesterkin (NYR) vs. Petr Mrazek (CAR)

Marc Staal will play, Tony DeAngelo is a game-time decision

Sorry for burying the lede as they say in the business. Marc Staal who left Wednesday’s exhibition contest against the Islanders will play tomorrow. However, Tony DeAngelo who led all players in ice time did not practice today and is a game-time decision.

It’s the playoffs, let the games begin.

Grab yourself a Rangers jersey on Sale Now!

Fanatics is having a major sale of UP TO 30% SITEWIDE use code GOALIE. So gear up for the playoffs with a hot Rangers jersey today.

On defense, it is a little bit harder to envision working in Libor Hajek. My guess is he will take spot shifts for veterans Marc Staal and Brendan Smith during the game.

David Quinn presser notes

David Quinn held his post practice presser and here are the high points.

• Has not spoken to goalie about who is playing
• Confirmed Lemieux and Hajek will dress as extras
• Noted that this will be like a regular game once it starts

Carolina Hurricanes injury news

Over the weekend it was reported that Dougie Hamilton could be in jeopardy of missing the opening qualifiers. Yesterday, after speaking to several sources I heard that both Hamilton and fellow defenseman, Brett Pesce are likely out. That’s a huge blow to the Carolina Hurricanes blue-line.

More New York Rangers news

NY Post reports the Rangers and Islander discussing a “moment of solidarity”

Larry Brooks speculates the Rangers may need to trade DeAngelo

Newsday says Adam Fox eager to play

I break down the importance of Marc Staal for the Rangers in the playoffs

Grab yourself a Rangers jersey on Sale Now!

Fanatics is having a major sale of UP TO 65% SITEWIDE. So gear up for the playoffs with a hot Rangers jersey today.

Dougie Hamilton injury news

Per Chip Alexander, Hamilton has not been at practice since Thursday this week. He was also one of the top players in the league before his injury on Jan 16th.

It initially was believed Hamilton could recover from the injury and rejoin the Canes if they reached the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. The NHL’s suspension of the 2019-20 season because of the spread of the coronavirus added to his recovery time.

Chip Alexander

With a week to go before the qualifiers start on August 1st, it doesn’t appear Hamilton will be ready to go. He will miss at the least the first three games, if not the entire 5 game series, with this injury.

Updated Rangers practice schedule

Earlier this morning I reported that the Rangers will be heading to Toronto this weekend, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. I just received an updated schedule indicating the Rangers will hold one more practice at the MSG Training Facility tomorrow at 11AM.

As we head towards the NHL draft tonight, NY Post beat writer Larry Brooks took to twitter and posted this:

Kovalchuk

Remains unlikely given the state of the team, but told Kovalchuk still has eyes for Rangers.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) June 22, 2018

While the majority of reports from the insiders don’t mention the Rangers and Kovalchuk, Larry Brooks reaffirms what I have been hearing that he still remains interested in the Rangers, even if it may not be reciprocal.

Let’s get through the draft and see where Gorton and the Rangers are with Ilya before we say this one is through.

Calgary trade rumors Flame Out?

As reported here long ago, Rangers have no interest in Dougie Hamilton. Flames believed not to have made Adam Fox available but sure sounds like Travis Hamonic could be had.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) June 22, 2018

If this is the case, then I find it hard pressed for the Rangers to make any deal with the Flames involving Mats Zuccarello or Kevin Hayes.

David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period Magazine just tweeted out some interesting info he heard while at the NHL Awards in Vegas.

Chatter around Awards week on Rangers has club exploring deals on Zuccarello, and teams been calling on Skjei

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 21, 2018

Making Sense of the Rumors

As we draw nearer to the draft there have been many developments around the NHL. The biggest news is that Barry Trotz is set to become the new Islanders coach and that appears to have John Tavares ready to re-sign with his current club soon.

Also, not a done deal, and still a fluid situation, but sounds like Isles may have good news on John Tavares as well.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) June 21, 2018

With the hiring of Lamoriello and now Trotz, I’m fairly certain Tavares re-ups with the Islanders for 8 years and approx 84 million.

— Forever Blueshirts (@4EverBlueshirts) June 21, 2018

If John Tavares is off the table then the big fish the Rangers were hoping to make a run at likely shifts their focus back to a full rebuild. That being the case, the earlier reports that Mats Zuccarello was probably coming back have changed. It makes sense, especially if Zuccarello can be used to obtain Dougie Hamilton from Calgary.

Roy Kvatningen told Forever Blueshirts that the Flames were hot after Zucc at the deadline. If the interest is still there, maybe a deal with Zucc and a late 1st rounder can land Hamilton. That then opens the possibility of using Kevin Hayes, Brady Skjei and the #9 pick for possibly Carolina’s #2 and Jeff Skinner.

Ultimately, the acquisition of Hamilton makes Skjei a rare commodity on the trade market. Edmonton is reportedly looking for a top 4 blue liner so there could be something with them also.

Stay tuned. More to follow.

Interesting. If they’ve committed to full rebuild this makes sense. Also Calgary likes Zuccarello and if they can find a way to get Dougie Hamilton it could make Skjei expendable. https://t.co/XALUJSN949

— Forever Blueshirts (@4EverBlueshirts) June 21, 2018

Rangers looking to make a move?

The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday, March 1st and the Blueshirts have been active scouting and calling teams leading up to it. Top on their list is a right handed defenseman to play top or second pair minutes.

Reports have surfaced the Rangers have contacted the Blues about Kevin Shattenkirk, and are scouting the Kings heavily as well. We also learned that the salary cap will not change for next season, which means the Rangers will have to be very careful when going for certain players.

That being said, Jeff Gorton will not overpay or mortgage the future to just make a move for making a move’s sake.

1 – Kevin Shattenkirk, D (28 y/o, $4.25M AAV)

He is the name that has come up more than anyone else. The Rangers and Bruins remain in hot pursuit for the upcoming UFA blue liner who would be a big upgrade to the Rangers right side.

The Blues have been trying to work a sign and trade, but that isn’t going well. Rumors say Shattenkirk could be looking for 7M per and with the cap not going up, it could be a problem for many teams. However, Boston doesn’t seem scared off by it and could land Shattenkirk by the deadline.

That’s where it will be interesting for Gorton. If his plan was just to wait and sign him as a UFA, it could be in real jeopardy. So does he make a move now and give up players of value? To make matters worse, Darren Dreger reports that many GM’s only see him as a second pairing defenseman at best on a contending team.

2 – Jacob Trouba, D (22 y/o, $2.5M AAV)

I have to believe with the current situation in St. Louis and the Rangers desperate to fix their blue line, Trouba is a target. To be fair, the Jets aren’t actively trying to move him and when they were, they wanted a similar defenseman in return. The Rangers don’t have that.

However, with stud rookie Patrik Laine looking like the real deal, maybe they could be enticed with a package featuring Derek Stepan. The Rangers could also add a prospect defenseman as well, even if it has to be Sean Day. Who knows, maybe the Rangers can extract Bryan Little and turn this into a blockbuster.

Remember the Rangers have made a commitment to Kevin Hayes to play center and have Mika Zibanejad in the fold too. Stepan makes 6.5M and will have a no trade clause kick in this summer. While I admit this is a long shot, Trouba who is a top pair RD is still a target.

3 – Dougie Hamilton, D (23 y/o, $5.5M AAV)

The Rangers really need a true PP QB on the blue line and Hamilton is a right handed fit. He would also improve the top two pairs and at 23 will be a longterm fix.

What will it take to get him? That’s a good question and would have to start with a player like J.T. Miller. That is not a player I want to part with, but how bad do the Rangers want to fix the blue line is the question.

4 – Matt Duchene, C (26 y/o, $6M AAV)

Duchene is an offensive upgrade over Derek Stepan, but Stepan is an all around better player. Still, take your pick…want more goals and a better PP then you go Duchene. Want a team leader who plays both ends of the ice well and kills penalties then you go Stepan.

A swap of the two centers is plausible but if that were the case, a bigger deal could be in the works with maybe Klein and Iginla (COL would have to eat half his salary) switching homes. This is one player that seems to be flying under the Rangers radar but could happen.

5 – Thomas Vanek, RW (33 y/o, $2.6M AAV)

The Rangers were considering him during free agency this summer and it looks like the Wings will move him as a rental. As the Rangers PP continues to be hit or miss (more miss), Vanek’s prowess on the man advantage is something they need and could get cheap.

The consensus by most experts, bloggers, and fans is that the Rangers need a right handed top pair blue liner to play with Ryan McDonagh. Well, rumor has it that there could be one available on the market.

Flaming Out?

As per The Hockey News:

The Flames’ ongoing struggles sparked an increase in the Hamilton trade chatter through November. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos recently reported the Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins were kicking tires on the 23-year-old defenseman. Despite his defensive struggles and $5.75-million cap hit, there’s a belief Hamilton could improve on a team with better coaching. 

We wouldn’t be the first to connect dots on the Rangers and Dougie Hamilton but there appears to be a little more meat to this bone now. According to Kypreos, Hamilton has been available since the draft but his struggles this season seems to be cranking the rumor mill harder.

Elliotte Friedman added that the Flames would be looking for a defenseman in return with “a bit of bite” to his game. Do the Rangers have that kind of a defenseman? If you consider Kevin Klein a moveable option and the centerpiece of the Flames return (along with a player like Oscar Lindberg) a deal could be made.

Is Hamilton worth it?

Despite his recent struggles, we are talking about a 23 year old defenseman with 136 points in 281 games. He is coming off back to back 40 plus point seasons, with 10 and 12 goals respectively. He also has PP QB ability with a good shot from the point and he has 14  PPGs to his resume as well.

Of course, trading a right handed defenseman for another is not optimal but currently they are only playing 2 in the lineup. If the Rangers really want to utilize 3 L/R pairings they could always insert Adam Clendening in favor of Nick Holden. Remember Girardi has a no move clause so please don’t mention him instead.

The bottom line is this…Hamilton is absolutely worth it. Especially if you are moving 31 year old Kevin Klein and getting 8 years younger on the blue line. Hamilton’s 5.75M contract is expensive, but the Rangers I’m sure will be happy to fit it in.