Jake Guentzel scored twice, Dylan Larkin got the game-winning goal at 13:33 of the second period and Connor Hellebuyck backed a stifling defensive effort with 25 saves as Team USA shut down Canada 3-1 in front of a pro-Canada crowd of 21,105 at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday.

After the game began with three fights in the first nine seconds, Guentzel’s first goal tied the game 1-1 midway through the first period; his empty-netter with 1:19 remaining sealed the win.

The three fights “are very indicative of what this means to the players,” Team USA coach Mike Sullivan said. “There’s two teams out there that are very competitive, that have a ton of pride for their respective teams and their countries. For me, when you have an investment like that in trying to win, the way it occurred, that’s an indication of it.

“What an incredible hockey game.”

Team USA defeated Canada in a best-on-best game for the first time in 15 years, dating to the round-robin at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The loss also ended Team Canada’s 17-game winning streak at best-on-best dating back to those Olympics.

Connor McDavid scored 5:31 into the game to give Canada an early lead, but the U.S. checkers shut down the Canadians the rest of the way — and when they didn’t, Hellebuyck showed why he’s the NHL’s best goaltender.

The regulation win gives the U.S. six points and a berth in the championship game. Canada, Finland and Sweden each has two points as the tournament moves to Boston’s TD Garden, where the round-robin competition ends Monday. Canada plays Finland in the afternoon, with the United States facing Sweden at night. Finland topped Sweden 4-3 in overtime earlier Saturday.

The most impactful Ranger was J.T. Miller, who was involved in the third of the three early fights, then was the decoy on a 2-on-1 rush that ended with Larkin’s goal. He hit the post while shooting for the empty net in the final minute but finished with two hits, two blocked shots and was plus-1 in 14:26 of ice time.

“There’s definitely a tone to be set in a game like that,” said Miller, who fought Canadian defenseman Colton Parayko after the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady, were involved in the first two. “Having the brothers do that, it’s just exciting.

“I think that’s a good way to get the team to buy in early, and I thought we played a hell of a game from start to finish.”

Miller saw time on the first line during the third period in place of Matthew Tkachuk as the U.S. worked to hold its one-goal lead. Tkachuk appeared to be injured while spinning to attempt a shot early in the third period.

Defenseman Adam Fox played 13:44. His three shot attempts were all blocked, and he had one blocked shot, one takeaway and two giveaways. Vincent Trocheck, who centered the fourth line, played 10:21, had one shot on goal, one blocked shot and one hit.

Canada was without two of its top-six defenseman. Cale Makar was unable to play because of illness, while Shea Theodore is out for the remainder of the tournament after being injured in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden on Wednesday.

Related: Mika Zibanejad scores for Sweden in 4-3 loss to Finland at 4 Nations

United States 3 – Canada 1

For the second straight game, Rangers forward Chris Kreider was a healthy scratch as Sullivan opted to go with the same lineup that defeated Finland two nights earlier.

Many of the 21,105 fans who packed the home of the Montreal Canadiens booed the U.S. national anthem, as they did before the game against Finland.

Any doubts about the intensity of the U.S.-Canada rivalry were quickly dispelled, with three fights in the first nine seconds – for comparison’s sake, just five of the 890 regular-season games this season have had as many as three fights.

Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers, one of the stars of Team USA’s 6-1 win against Finland, squared off with Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning two seconds after the opening face-off. Those in-state rivals had barely been seated in their respective penalty boxes when Brady Tkachuk and Canada’s Sam Bennett, a teammate of Matthew Tkachuk’s on the Panthers, squared off one second later.

THREE FIGHTS, NINE SECONDS 👊👊👊

WELCOME TO USA VS. CANADA 🇺🇸🇨🇦 #4Nations pic.twitter.com/bd0ohrcliw

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 16, 2025

“It just happened pretty organically,” Brady Tkachuk told ABC between the first and second periods.

There was actual hockey for six seconds, including a long shot by U.S. defenseman Charlie McAvoy that was held by Binnington, before Miller and Parayko began firing punches in the third fight. Miller was also called for cross-checking, giving Canada its first power play, but the U.S. allowed just one shot on goal during the man advantage.

“That was pretty fun,” Miller said of the fights. “It was the coolest experience I’ve ever had on the ice — well, one of them. To hear the building like that; it’s something you never forget. There’s a lot of bad blood, but at the same time there’s tons of respect for the other team.

“It’s just a fun environment to be in. You don’t get this opportunity very often.”

Both teams then decided to play hockey, and Canada grabbed the lead at 5:27 on a goal that showed McDavid at his best.

CONNOR MCDAVID

He gives Canada the 1-0 lead! 🇨🇦 #4Nations

🇺🇸: ABC & @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/sekyQDRjk8

— NHL (@NHL) February 16, 2025

Drew Doughty’s superb pass from his own zone caught McDavid in full flight at the red line. No. 97 blew through the defense, weaved to his right and whipped a high backhander past Hellebuyck for his first goal of the tournament.

But a big hit on McDavid a few minutes later helped lead to the tying goal at 10:15.

McAvoy stepped into McDavid and leveled him in the offensive zone. On the return rush, Jack Eichel carried into the Canadians’ zone and slipped the puck to Guentzel, whose shot along the ice from the lower left circle slipped between Binnington’s skates — it was definitely one he wanted back.

TIE GAME‼️

Jake Guentzel has the equalizer for the USA! 🇺🇸 #4Nations

🇺🇸: ABC & @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/y57KV3bRlX

— NHL (@NHL) February 16, 2025

“He’s a high-stakes player,” Sullivan said of Guentzel, a player he coached with the Pittsburgh Penguins until last season’s trade deadline. “He plays his very best when it means the most.”

The U.S. got its first power play at 12:54 when Sidney Crosby was called for hooking Matt Boldy on a rush up ice. Binnington robbed Guentzel on the best of Team USA’s four shots on goal, and Auston Matthews missed an open short side seconds before the penalty expired.

Guentzel’s tripping penalty at 16:47 put Canada back on the power play. Miller and Trocheck were the first penalty-killing pairing for the U.S., which kept Canada off the board and sent the teams to their locker rooms tied 1-1. Each team had eight shots on goal, but Canada had a 4-0 lead in high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The goalies came up big early in the second period. Hellebuyck got his pad on Bennett’s rip from the right circle on a 2-on-1 break; Binnington responded on the return rush by foiling Matthew Tkachuk from close-in. Not long after, he sprawled out to deny Larkin on what looked like a sure goal.

Things quieted down until the 13-minute mark, when a trio of big saves by Hellebuyck, a bad change by Canada’s defense and a smart play by Miller led to the go-ahead goal.

Larkin makes no mistake! 🎯 #4Nations https://t.co/eUex8GZx9O pic.twitter.com/wUh9JsVGmz

— NHL (@NHL) February 16, 2025

Hellebuyck had gone nearly 10 minutes without facing a shot, then saw three in 10 seconds and stopped them all. After the third stop, Boldy picked off a pass by Crosby and sprung Larkin on what became a 2-on-1 break with Miller because of the bad change on D by Canada.

Miller wisely kept going to the net, taking the lone defenseman with him and leaving Larkin with the time and space he needed to beat Binnington from inside the right circle for a 2-1 lead.

A blocked shot by Miller helped keep the Americans in front after 40 minutes. Doughty had a wide-open opportunity with less than 30 seconds remaining, but Miller sacrificed his body and blocked the shot.

“I thought we defended well, even with the lead, which is hard to do against a team like that,” Miller said. “I thought that even in the third (period), we got up ice and made it hard on them through the neutral zone. We tightened up in the D-zone and broke up a lot of passes.”

With the U.S. clogging things up, neither team generated much offense in the first 12 minutes of the third period before Hellebuyck came out to the top of his crease to deny McDavid. Binnington was largely a spectator until coming up big to stop Brady Tkachuk on a breakaway with 5:49 remaining.

Canada pulled Binnington with more that two minutes remaining but generated little until Guentzel sealed it by taking a pass from Larkin and hitting the empty net.

The 4 Nations Face-Off shifts to Boston on Monday when the United States plays Sweden and Canada takes on Finland. The championship game is Thursday. Team USA has six points and each of the other teams has two apiece, setting up a wild doubleheader on Monday.

The chatter here in Sin City is that Jonathan Marchessault, Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos will reach UFA status Monday. Sam Reinhart is more of a toss up as his agent continues to try and get a deal done with the Florida Panthers.

And Jake Guentzel? Well, the Carolina Hurricanes traded Guentzel’s negotiating rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 third-round draft pick Sunday. The Lightning just freed up some cash after making two big trades Saturday, unloading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Tanner Jeannot, and likely wouldn’t give up a third rounder if they weren;t confident of signing Guentzel before Monday

So, that leaves Stamkos on the outs after 16 seasons, 555 goals and two Stanley Cup championships with the Lightning.

NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun reported Friday that Stamkos’ agent, Don Meehan, texted him that the Lightning captain “will be a free agent on July 1.”

Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Friday, “both sides are interested in getting a deal done.” But the issue, shockingly, is cost and term. It’d be a tough blow if the Lightning lost the franchise icon who scored 40 goals this past season. But that appears how it’s shaking out.

Kane is still speaking with the Detroit Red Wings but appears headed to the open market. And Marchessault and the Vegas Golden Knights want to get a deal done, but it could go down to the wire because of, yes, the dollars and cents (More so the dollars!).

Told that Kane is still talking with Detroit about extension, unclear at this point whether 88 will hit the free agent market on Monday.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) June 29, 2024

Related: Patrick Kane linked again to Rangers ahead of 2024 NHL free agency

Rangers to decide soon if they’ll chase top-end free agents to play right wing

But even if these All-Stars are all available July 1, can and/or will the Rangers try to land one of them? Guentzel and Reinhart are probably the most expensive options. Because of their age, Kane (36), Stamkos (34) and Marchessault (33) could be more affordable, though certainly not cheap.

Then there’s the next level of free agent right wings like Tyler Toffoli, Anthony Duclair and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Any of these forwards mentioned is a better option that Jack Roslovic, who skated alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider after the NHL trade deadline this past season. After meager production, Roslovic, who hits the open market Monday, ended up on the fourth line by the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and Alex Wennberg each getting turns as top-line right wing.

Speaking of Kakko, the 23-year-old was not traded Friday when the Rangers stood pat in the first round of the draft and selected defenseman EJ Emery with the No. 30 overall pick.

“It’s not something we really talked about, we just went about our business,” Rangers director of player personnel and amateur scouting John Lilley explained. “We were comfortable with the way the list was falling as to who we were going to get. So, we just stayed pat.”

If the Rangers want in on the best free-agent right wings Monday, they’ll need more cap space. Especially looking ahead to next season, when Igor Shesterkin (UFA), Alexis Lafreniere (RFA) and K’Andre Miller (RFA) are due major raises. As it stands, the Rangers have a projected $13.695 million in available cap space.

That’s why the most buzz around the Rangers is about them trading captain Jacob Trouba to rid the cap of his $8 million salary each of the next two seasons. Of course, it’s not that simple since the Blueshirts would also need to replace him in the lineup.

The clock continues to tick, now here in Las Vegas, and then back home in New York on Monday.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old forward is coming off three consecutive 30+-goal seasons, finishing this most recent one with 30 goals and 77 points in 67 games split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. He’s a left shot that can play right wing, a spot the Rangers desperately want more production from.

Unless he re-signs with the Hurricanes in the next two weeks, Guentzel will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and one of the most sought-after players this offseason.

There’s no doubt he’d be a dream fit on the top line next to Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who have been searching for a long-term partner since Pavel Buchnevich was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2021.

The Rangers and Drury think so too, reportedly pushing hard to acquire the consensus best-available winger as a rental ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

In other trade buzz, I'm still hearing #NYR are very in on Guentzel talks. Sounds like CAR and VGK could be top competition.

Multiple sources wondered if Drury can get it done without using a top prospect. Perreault still sounds like a hard no, but could he soften on Othmann?

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 7, 2024

Drury reportedly put together a competitive package, but it wasn’t enough, and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas shipped him to the Hurricanes for Michael Bunting, three forward prospects, and conditional first- and fifth-round picks.

Sounds like Guentzel to the Canes is happening. Curious to see what the final package looks like, but I heard this afternoon Carolina had the best offer on the table and it was going to tough for #NYR to beat.

Our gaze now shifts to Anaheim, plus whatever Plan C looks like. https://t.co/b3yjLgjuGc

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 7, 2024

“As far as I can tell, the only way the Rangers were going to convince the Penguins to trade Guentzel to New York instead of Carolina was to include either top prospect Gabe Perreault or two out of three from the young forward group of Will Cuylle, Kaapo Kakko, and Brennan Othmann,” USA Today Rangers beat reporter Vince Mercogliano wrote in his post-deadline recap.

Drury wasn’t willing to meet those demands, and Guentzel joined the Hurricanes, scoring three goals and five points against the Rangers in the second of the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite New York emerging victorious in six games.

The 2017 Stanley Cup champion has a knack for putting the puck in the net, particularly in the playoffs, where he’s scored 38 goals and 67 points in 69 career postseason games. That’s something the Rangers would love to have after getting two goals combined from Zibanejad, Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Adam Fox in a six-game series loss to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Related: Why Tyler Toffoli could be free agent fit for Rangers

Rangers face major obstacles trying to sign free agent Jake Guentzel

Signing Guentzel will be no easy endeavor this summer. Trying to acquire him before the deadline was already difficult, but that pales in comparison to trying to fit him under the salary cap this offseason.

After re-signing Kakko to a one-year, $2.4 million contract last week, the Rangers have $10.05 million in projected cap space, the ninth-lowest in the League, per PuckPedia. Drury can still trade Kakko and get his $2.4 million off the books, but that doesn’t give them much cushion.

The Rangers need to make a decision with defensemen Braden Schneider (expected to sign bridge deal) and Ryan Lindgren (looking for raise and long-term security), who are also due for new RFA contracts. If they both return, that’s likely at least another $6-7 million against the cap.

Alex Wennberg, Jack Roslovic, Blake Wheeler, and Erik Gustafsson are all eligible to be unrestricted free agents July 1, though it’s doubtful New York will bring any of them back.

Still, that doesn’t leave much in the way of cap space. Even in the event that the Rangers buy out the contracts of both Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow, an unlikely move but one that would free up over $7.6 million next season, it still might not be enough to give Guentzel the contract he’s searching for.

Timo Meier landed an eight-year, $8.8 million AAV extension with the New Jersey Devils after posting three consecutive 30-plus goal seasons with relatively similar point totals as Guentzel. Wingers like Panarin ($11.6 million AAV) and Johnny Gaudreau ($9.75 million AAV) landed even bigger deals after testing the open market.

Guentzel may not be the point producer and complete playmaker that Panarin and Gaudreau both were at the time of signing, but he’s likely one of the top two wingers available this summer, which should result in a very pretty paycheck when it’s all said and done. If Guentzel hits free agency, there are going to be plenty of teams pushing hard to land him, and with that in mind, it’s not unrealistic to think his next deal gets close to, if not surpasses, $9 million AAV. He’s coming off a contract that averaged $6 million per.

A Kakko trade, combined with Trouba and Goodrow’s contracts being bought out, frees up about $10 million in cap space for next year. That gives the Rangers a chance at signing Guentzel, but would it really make the team better at that point?

Sure, they’d finally acquire the prolific scoring right wing that the team has clearly been gunning for. However, they’re probably left with more problems than answers.

Even with RFA deals for Schneider and Lindgren and making Zac Jones a regular, you’d still need to sign a defenseman to replace Trouba and possibly another to have as your seventh D-man.

Guentzel swaps with Kakko, but you’d still need another right wing option with Roslovic departing. Then you also need to replace Goodrow, who may not be a consistent source of offense but logs important minutes, playing center on the penalty kill and their top checking line.

The Rangers would be forced to fill most of those holes internally, and while prospects like Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard are intriguing, it would create a lack of depth up and down the lineup and a largely unproven bottom-six for a Stanley Cup contender.

Not to mention, it would stun the locker room to part with Trouba, the Rangers captain, and an alternate captain in Goodrow. Perhaps this Rangers core needs a bit of a shock, but that feels like overkill.

Mind you, that’s just to get under the salary cap for next season. Next summer, the Rangers will still have Panarin’s $11.6 million on the books and will also have to pay up for Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, and K’Andre Miller, assuming they all re-sign.

Shesterkin, who can be a UFA at the end of the 2024-25 season, has a strong chance at becoming the highest-paid goalie in the NHL, while Lafreniere and Miller could both command substantial pay raises as RFAs.

Turning 30 next season, this is likely Guentzel’s last chance at a massive payday. You have to think he’ll be looking for the maximum seven years on his deal (eight if he re-signs with Carolina), something that most elite forwards get on their big free-agent contracts.

The Rangers are in a “win now” window and thus should seek every opportunity to make themselves a Cup contender next season. However, if it puts them in a position where it’s more difficult to extend extend Shesterkin and/or Lafreniere, that’s a really tough pill to swallow and would make it very difficult to contend after Panarin’s contract runs out after the 2025-26 season.

In the grand scheme of things, the Rangers’ best chance at a union with Guentzel was likely the trade deadline. Hindsight is 20/20, but the way the offense dried up in the conference final paints this past season in a much different light than it was viewed in for most of the year.

In retrospect, maybe Drury should have been more willing to part with both Kakko and Othmann in order to acquire the elite right winger with proven postseason success before the trade deadline. And maybe that would’ve been the offensive boost the Rangers needed to get past the Panthers and reach the Stanley Cup Final.

But hypotheticals are just that. Guentzel went to Carolina and was unable to drive them past the second round. Now he’s due for a big payday, one that doesn’t feel worth it for the Rangers considering all the heavy lifting they’d have to do to even make it a possibility.

Tale of the Tape: Rangers vs. Hurricanes

Season series

11/2/2023 – NYR 2 – CAR 1
1/2/2024 – CAR 6 – NYR 1

The Rangers and Hurricanes have split their season series, so far. Chris Kreider has two goals for New York in the two games and Andrei Svechnikov also has scored a pair for Carolina. Brady Skjei, the former Blueshirts defenseman leads all players with three points (all assists). The Hurricanes are 3-for-6 on the power play

The second match up was a nightmare for New York. The Hurricanes dominated the Rangers, winning 6-1, and caused the start of New York’s worst month this season. They posted a record of 5-7-2 in the month of January, lowlighted by a four-game losing streak.

Winner: TBD

Forwards

On paper, the Rangers have the edge in terms of offensive production from their top five forwards. As a team, Carolina has three more goals on the season than New York, but the Rangers have the edge in goal differential by one.

NYR – Top 5 Forwards CAR – Top 5 Forwards
Panarin – 87 pts Aho – 68 pts
Trocheck – 61 pts Guentzel – 52 pts
Kreider – 59 pts Jarvis – 50 pts
Zibanejad – 55 pts Teravainen – 47 pts
Lafreniere – 39 pts Necas – 45 pts

Depending on his status, Jake Guentzel could very well make his Hurricanes debut against the Rangers on Tuesday. He, along with Evgeny Kuznetsov, are two forwards acquired by Carolina at the trade deadline that gives them some serious depth.

The Rangers made some moves of their own. Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic have fit in nicely since being acquired by New York before the deadline. These two teams have great depth at forward, and are very close in terms of production. It is gearing up to be a close contest.

Winner: New York Rangers

Related: Matt Rempe faces suspension for Rangers

Defensemen

New York’s defense is highlighted by the top pairing of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. Fox has 51 points (10 goals, 41 assists) in 53 games, along with a plus-16. Lindgren is right beside him at plus-16, and has been solid defensively all season. They will be without Jacob Trouba, who is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a lower-body injury, leaving a hole on their blue line. Zac Jones has filled in well. But it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the relentless Hurricanes forecheck.

Carolina does not have a single starting defensemen in the negative in terms of plus/minus. Their top two pairs of Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns, along with Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, are among the best in the NHL. Carolina’s experience and depth on defense gives them the edge in this one.

Winner: Carolina Hurricanes

Goalies

With Jonathan Quick getting the start Monday night against New Jersey, expect Igor Shesterkin to start Tuesday. Shesterkin has rebounded nicely after struggling in January. In the month of February, Shesterkin was a perfect 7-0-0 with a .953 save percentage and a 1.72 goals-against average. On the season, he is 27-13-2, and has a .912 save percentage along with a 2.60 GAA.

For Carolina, Frederik Andersen has just returned from an extended stay on the injured list. He was in net in the 2-1 Rangers victory and played well, making 24 saves on 26 shots. He is 6-1-0 with a .904 save percentage and a 2.49 GAA this season. The Hurricanes may elect to go with Pyotr Kochetjov, who is in the conversation for the Calder Trophy this season. He holds a 17-11-3 record with a .910 save percentage and 2.39 GAA.

Winner: New York Rangers

Special teams

Powerplay Penalty Kill
CAR – 26.4% (3rd) CAR – 85.0% (3rd)
NYR – 25.4% (6th) NYR – 83.7% (5th)

The Rangers led the league in power-play percentage for quite some time to start the season. At one point, they were hovering around an incredible 32 percent. They’ve been up and down since, though did score three power-play goals on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. Their PK has been excellent all season and is now fortified with the addition. Carolina has only three power-play goals in its past nine games but maintains a slight edge over New York in both categories. Expect special teams to have a large impact in the game Tuesday and if these rivals meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring.

Winner: Carolina Hurricanes

Coaches

Of course, Peter Laviolette of the Rangers and Rod Brind’Amour of the Hurricanes have history together, as Laviolette coached Brind’Amour to a Stanley Cup championship with Carolina in 2006. Now, they go head-to-head as coaches of teams battling for first place in the same division.

Simply, they are two of the best coaches in the NHL. Each is legit Jack Adams Award candidate this season. It’s splitting hairs as to which is better.

Winner: Tied

Without question, this will be the most important game of the season for both the Rangers and Hurricanes to this point. The two teams are very evenly matched. Should they meet in the playoffs, it could easily go seven games. Tuesday night should be a great battle to determine who wins the season series between these divisional favorites.

A win in regulation by the Rangers extends their lead in the Metro to six points with 17 games to play. A Hurricanes victory in regulation cuts that Blueshirts lead to two points.

Game On!

On Friday, at 3 pm E.T., the buzzer will sound and any chance to improve your roster via trade will pass. Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury missed out on rental winger Jake Guentzel to address their hole on the top six, but there are still plenty of options.

A reunion with Frank Vatrano has always been the Rangers main objective. Now that the Guentzel gambit didn’t pan out, it’s very likely that Drury will need to part with a first-round pick and a B-level prospect to reacquire the speedy winger.

It’s a price worth paying for the 29-year-old All-Star, who has one-more year on his contract with a reasonable $3.65 million cap hit. Plus, Drury doesn’t have to worry about chemistry as he was beloved in the locker-room during his brief stay in 2022.

“Frankie was always an awesome teammate, always an awesome player,” Vincent Trocheck told Forever Blueshirts at All-Star Weekend. “Him being an All-Star is not a surprise based on how he played in the past. It’s more opportunity. He’s a spectacular goal scorer and if you continue to give him the opportunity, he’s going to continue to do great things.”

Can Drury pull this deal off?

Related: Rangers trade board

Rangers need to go all in on Frank Vatrano

On Thursday, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that the Rangers already rejected a bigger trade with the Anaheim Ducks for Vatrano and Adam Henrique due to the high asking price.

“I’ve heard the Ducks offered the Rangers a package deal a few weeks ago that included [Adam] Henrique and Vatrano for [Kaapo] Kakko and a first-round pick,” Kaplan wrote. “The Rangers clearly thought that was too rich for their liking.”

Henrique was moved to the Edmonton Oilers and the Rangers landed on Alexander Wennberg, whom they felt was a better fit. As for Vatrano, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek holds the advantage because he has term and there’s no pressure to move him at this deadline.

That being said, Vatrano’s value is at an all-time high with 29 goals to this point of the season. So Verbeek runs the risk of getting a far less significant return moving him next year.

Currently, the Rangers have $2.9 million in cap space and the Ducks have used up all of their salary retention slots. If Adam Edstrom is included in the trade or sent down, his cap hit of $846,667 makes it $3.7 million which would fit Vatrano in under the cap.

New York and Anaheim could also get creative to involve a third team in order to have them retain a little of Vatrano’s salary to give them some more space, which they could use for recalls or to acquire a depth defenseman.

What are the plan B options?

What if Drury and Verbeek can’t agree to a trade? Where else can the Rangers turn?

Jason Zucker of the Arizona Coyotes is a pending UFA, who could very well be where the Rangers land if they fail to acquire Vatrano.

The 32-year-old has registered 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists) in 51 games to date on a bad Coyotes team. However, when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, Zucker potted 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games.

Another name that the Rangers have had interest in the past is another Penguins winger Reilly Smith.

The 32 year-old has 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 55 games this season. He also won the Stanley Cup last year with the Golden Knights, so he knows what it takes in the postseason. However, he also has one-year left on his deal at $5 million, which likely makes the cost to acquire him prohibitive for the Rangers.

Other names to consider are Tomas Tatar with the Seattle Kraken, who always plays well against the Blueshirts. If you are wondering why not Jordan Eberle, the latest out of Seattle is they are working on a contract extension. Tyler Toffoli of the New Jersey Devils would be an intriguing fit, but it’s extremely unlikely these two teams could get together on that deal.

We are just a few hours away from the deadline closing. What will the Rangers do? We’re going to find out shortly.

On Thursday, the rumor mill was churning that the Rangers were really in on Guentzel. However, up until late Wednesday the Blueshirts were rarely mentioned as a destination. Previous reporting also indicated that highly-touted prospects Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault were not available. Additionally, Kaapo Kakko was supposedly not an option to move either.

Yet, all of sudden, there were talks that a first-round pick, and possibly Othmann or Kakko were heading the other way. It just seemed like an abrupt role-reversal for Rangers general manager Chris Drury. Especially when you consider Guentzel is a rental.

Normally, inter-divisional trades are rare, but he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion and top-notch scoring forward that could put a team over the top. The 29-year-old has scored 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games this season. He’s a pending UFA with an AAV of $6 million, and the Penguins will likely retain some of that cap hit to improve the trade package.

At this time, it appears one of Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas’ former players from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Michael Bunting is part of the package from Carolina that will surely include a combination of pick(s) and protect(s).

Ultimately, the Penguins got what they wanted. And if it was Drury’s plan to get in there to raise the price on a potential playoff opponent, mission accomplished.

.@emilymkaplan speaks on the Jake Guentzel trade news 👀

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/VrxbPxN8Iv

— ESPN (@espn) March 8, 2024

Where do the Rangers go from here?

Forever Blueshirts reported in February that Frank Vatrano has been the Rangers top trade target. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Rangers rejected a bigger trade with the Anaheim Ducks already.

“I’ve heard the Ducks offered the Rangers a package deal a few weeks ago that included [Adam] Henrique and Vatrano for [Kaapo] Kakko and a first-round pick,” Kaplan wrote. “The Rangers clearly thought that was too rich for their liking.”

Is it possible that Drury was also trying to enter the Guentzel sweepstakes to lower the price on Vatrano? If so, the news that the Hurricanes have landed Guentzel may mean he overplayed his hand and will need to give the Ducks a first-round pick and a decent prospect to reel Vatrano in.

Vatrano, 29, has registered 49 points (29 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games this season. He knows the Rangers locker room and fit in nicely when they made a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022. Plus, he has one-year left on his contract with a $3.65 million AAV which means Drury won’t have to try and address this position at the next deadline.

Another option that the Rangers can turn to for depth on the right wing is Jason Zucker of the Arizona Coyotes. Anthony Duclair was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning by the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, removing another option.

As for talks of a reunion with Pavel Buchnevich, the price is expected to be a lot higher than Vatrano’s. That goes up even higher if the St. Louis Blues retain salary.

Vancouver and Vegas won’t be in action again until the new year, as the Rangers start a back-to-back set on Friday versus the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Given the way the team is playing, they could start to create some distance for the Presidents’ Trophy.

While that’s a nice accomplishment, it isn’t the Stanley Cup, which is the only trophy anyone really cares about. In order to win that, the Rangers will be buyers when the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around on March 8.

One name that’s been talked about recently is Jake Guentzel. It’s safe to say that he would be a good fit, but would the Pittsburgh Penguins trade him to a division rival? Let’s try to answer that question.

Related: Blake Wheeler coming on for Blueshirts

Rangers Rumors: Jake Guentzel

When it comes to possible deadline targets, contenders like the Blueshirts are shopping for need in the rental market. That’s basically a high-profile player that will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and the selling team has no hope or desire to re-sign. In the case of Jake Guentzel, he fits the criteria.

The 29 year-old winger is a pending UFA with a cap hit of $6M AAV. He also has a modified no-trade clause, which could help limit the field at the deadline. Regardless, the Penguins will have to eat maybe the entire 50% allowed of his salary for the Rangers to fit him in under the cap.

There’s no doubt in my mind that GM Chris Drury would be interested in Guentzel, who has scored 16 goals and 38 points in 33 games this season to date. He’s a versatile forward that plays well in the rough and tough Metro division that the Rangers will need to survive in order to advance in the playoffs.

However, would the Penguins help a division rival in their quest for the Stanley Cup?

In a recent article for The Athletic, Pierre LeBrun matches the Rangers to Guentzel. He did also stipulate that it would be dependent on the possibility that the two sides could not agree to an extension by the deadline. Another factor is if the Pens are close to a playoff spot around that time. Pittsburgh is currently out of the picture by 3 points for the final wild card.

The Penguins have a new man in charge with Kyle Dubas at the helm. Before the season started, he took a huge gamble in trading for Erik Karlsson and his massive salary, which hasn’t exactly paid off. He also knows he has an aging squad with 9 players 32 or older, including Sidney Crosby (36), Kris Letting (36), and Evgeni Malkin (37).

For some perspective, the last time these two franchises made a deal it was a minor one back in 2013, with the Rangers acquiring Benn Ferriero for Chad Kolarik. However, if the Rangers are willing to give up their first round pick and some prospects, there’s a good chance for a trade.

Michael Peca leaving after one season?

We’ve already talked about the Rangers incredible start to the 2023-24 season and that’s due in large part to Peter Laviolette and his coaching staff. Associate coach Phil Housley, along with assistants Michael Peca and Dan Muse have done a wonderful job improving the Rangers in every facet of the game.

Peca, in particular, is responsible for the Rangers leading the NHL in two important categories: Power Play (31.1) and Face-Offs (54.7). There’s no doubt that he’s an up-and-coming star in the coaching ranks and teams will start to take notice.

In a recent article for NY Sports+, Larry Brooks speculates that if the Buffalo Sabres fail to make the playoffs, it’s very likely the one-time captain of the team could be the next head coach.

The signs are all pointing in that direction for the 49 year-old who led the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final only to fall to the Dallas Stars in 6 games. If it’s not Buffalo, there would likely be a host of teams that may come knocking, making him a very likely candidate to be gone after this season.