However, after a majority of all the top names have been moved this week who’s left?

NHL Trade Bait Tracker

Notable Trades:

Bo Horvat to New York Islanders

Vladimir Tarasenko to New York Rangers

Ryan O’Reilly to Toronto Maple Leafs

Tyler Motte to New York Rangers

Nik Zaitsev to Chicago Blackhawks

Nino Niederreiter to Winnipeg Jets

Dmitry Orlov to Boston Bruins

Vitali Kravtsov to Vancouver Canucks

Ivan Barbashev to Vegas Golden Knights

Timo Meier to New Jersey Devils

Tanner Jeannot to Tampa Bay Lightning

Jake McCabe to Toronto Maple Leafs

Patrick Kane to New York Rangers

Vladislav Gavrikov to Los Angeles Kings

Luke Schenn to Toronto Maple Leafs

Lars Eller to Colorado Avalanche

Shayne Gostisbehere to Carolina Hurricanes

Jakob Chychrun to Ottawa Senators

Jonathan Quick to Vegas Golden Knights

Tyler Bertuzzi to Boston Bruins

Max Domi to Dallas Stars

Nick Bjugstad to Edmonton Oilers

Nick Bonino to Pittsburgh Penguins

— This article also appears at The Daily Goal Horn

Last season, GM Chris Drury made a handful of small to medium size moves to acquire Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte, and Justin Braun. Those players filled holes and helped the team depth that led to an Eastern Conference Final run.

This year, many believe the Rangers will swing for the fences and bring in a legit top six forward for a shot at the Stanley Cup.

Let’s take a look at what the Rangers may do this time around.

New York Rangers trade deadline approach

The Blueshirts are likely to have around $6M to $7M in projected cap space by March 3. If they choose go for the gusto and trade for Patrick Kane, most of that space would be used up and limit them to maybe one more small move.

Kane, 34, has a cap hit of $10.5M and would require the Chicago Blackhawks to retain 50% for almost any contender to make a deal for him. The Rangers are at an advantage here because some other contenders would need to involve a third party to facilitate a trade.

Drury can take on more in salary if he trades current roster players as well. You can look at Sammy Blais ($1.5M), Vitali Kravtsov ($875K), Julien Gauthier ($800K), and Libor Hajek ($800K) as options.

Another thing that still needs to be determined is what route the second-year general manager will take. According to Arthur Staple, he believes that remains to be seen.

The Patrick Kane-Rangers trade possibility still exists and will until he’s either traded or decides to stay in Chicago. But the Rangers have bounced back from a mediocre first 25 games to put themselves in strong playoff position, so general manager Chris Drury may decide depth additions at forward and on defense may be the best course of action at the deadline rather than a home-run swing.

Arthur Staple, The Athletic (subscription required)

My assessment is that Drury will definitely look for a top six right wing and depth on defense and the bottom six.

Breaking down Rangers trade options

According to NHL Insider Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff, he lists the following options for the Blueshirts:

• Patrick Kane, F
• Brock Boeser, F
• James van Riemsdyk, F
• Vladislav Gavrikov, D

When it comes to trade pieces, he rightfully mentions the Rangers two first-round draft picks in 2023 and Zac Jones. One asset I don’t believe is remotely available would be 2021 first round selection Brennan Othmann.

A quick analysis on those names posed by Seravalli has me ruling out Boeser immediately because he’s not a rental. The 25 year-old Canucks forward has two more years on his contract at $6.65M and does not fit the Rangers long term picture unless they’re trading a players like Filip Chytil or Alexis Lafreniere. Maybe if Vancouver would be willing to retain a decent amount of salary for two years, I might consider it.

The most intriguing name on the list is van Riemsdyk, who has the type of game that translates well in the playoffs. This season, the 33 year-old has been limited by injury but with a $7M cap hit, he may be a nice plan B if the Rangers miss out on Kane.

If the Rangers want to add some depth on the blue line, Blue Jackets defender Vladislav Gavrikov looks like a solid fit. The 27 year-old lefty has an affordable cap hit of $2.8M and an upgrade over Ben Harpur.

Although a cheaper rental option on defense is also out there in Dmitry Kulikov of the Anaheim Ducks. The 32 year-old makes a little less than Gavrikov at $2.25M and could probably be had for a third-round pick.

Is Vladmir Tarasenko the best option?

In a recent interview with NHL Network Analyst Mike Rupp with Forever Blueshirts, he really thinks that Vladimir Tarasenko may make the most sense.

Tarasenko, 31, is in the final year of his deal with an AAV of $7.5 million. This season, he’s posted 29 points in 34 games for the Blues and still has an open trade request that became public two summers ago.

The winger is currently on LTIR with a hand issue and is expected to miss at least four weeks. Which means, there should be no impact to his availability come the trade deadline.

One thing to make clear on Tarasenko, is he has a full no-move clause and reportedly was willing to waive it for only a handful of teams that included the New York Rangers. That should help Drury in what should be a very reasonable package that will include at least a first-round pick.

If Drury can get the Blues to retain 50% of his cap hit, it will allow the Rangers to go after a defenseman. Better yet, it could even lead to the fruition of some rumblings I’ve heard of a reunion with Tyler Motte.

Early Trade Deadline Prediction:

• Rangers acquire Vladimir Tarasenko (50% retained) for a first-round pick and Vitali Kravtsov
• Rangers acquire Dmitry Kulikov for a third and seventh-round pick
• Rangers acquire Tyler Motte for a Julien Gauthier and a sixth-round pick

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors: Will Patrick Kane injury impact trade. Read more.

Flyers bench boss John Tortorella rips the NHL All Star Game. Read more.

Here are the latest rumblings around Rangerstown.

Leo Komarov

After reports came out yesterday that the Rangers and free-agent Leo Komarov were close to an agreement, Rangers insider Rick Carpiniello says that may not be true.

As I noted yesterday, Komarov would be a nice piece to add into the Rangers room of youngsters. But based on Carpiniello’s report, it would appear that Rangers GM Jeff Gorton isn’t leaping out of his chair to sign the veteran forward.

James Van Riemsdyk

The New Jersey native is coming off of a 36 goal season with the Maple Leafs, and there have been rumors that link JVR and his childhood team.

Van Riemsdyk is 29-years-old and could be a great piece for the future of the Rangers. He is a guy that can play in the corners and isn’t afraid to set himself in front of the net for a greasy goal. Having a guy like this who has been around the NHL for close to ten years could go a long way with the baby Blueshirts.

Ryan Reaves

The role of the “enforcer” may have gone the way of the dodo bird, but that doesn’t mean that a team shouldn’t have a “tough guy.” And according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Jeff Gorton is interested in one such player.

Reaves is a grinder, the kind of player that you stick on a fourth line and will score an occasional goal or two. If the report is true, there is not a whole lot of downside to bringing in this kind of player. If he performs better than expected, you have yourself a steal in free agency. If he plays worse than expected, he can become a healthy scratch and you won’t be wasting your money on someone sitting in the press box.

One other point here is the Rangers have this kind of player already in their organization. Matt Beleskey, who the Rangers acquired in the deal for Rick Nash, plays a similar type of game to Reaves. Beleskey is under contract for the next two seasons at $1.9 million per year; a reasonable salary for a bottom-six forward. Beleskey has shown that he can produce offensively, putting up seasons of 32 points and 37 points in 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively. With Beleskey being in the organization for the next couple of seasons, the Rangers might as well give him a look for this role before spending money outside the organization.

NYRPDC Day 4

The Rangers held their second scrimmage of the prospect’s camp and it was not short on highlights.

Before we get to the goals, and there were 12 of them in regulation, check out this fantastic save by Adam Huska on Morgan Barron’s penalty shot.

After his delicious deke on Wednesday, Gabriel Fontaine scored with a quick backhand-forehand snipe on a penalty shot.

Brett Howden scored a pair of goals in this scrimmage, showing his offensive prowess that had him score 75 points this year for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.

Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil also got in on the action. Andersson found a loose puck in the slot and wired it past Adam Huska. Chytil got himself an assist, sliding a pass over to K’Andre Miller on a 2v1. Miller stepped into it and sent a rocket into the back of the net.

Miller’s fellow first-rounder Vitali Kravtsov got himself an assist as well, sending a cross-crease pass to fifth-round pick Lauri Pajuniemi for a nice goal.

But the goal of the day, and probably the goal of the camp, came from 2016 seventh-round pick Ty Ronning.

“It was getting late in the rounds and I thought it would be cool, wearing the Rangers jersey. Malik did it a long time ago. I said why not?,” Ronning said. “I just kind of stuck with my guns, did a fake and kind of put it between my legs and it went in. It was cool.” – NYRangers.com

David Quinn is the new man in charge. With that, there may be and should be, a change in mentality and style of play for the New York Rangers.

As Johnluke mentioned in his article on the new coach, accountability and fairness will be enacted into this team. Another new implementation will be the communication. Quinn has a storied history with former players like Kevin Shattenkirk and the kind of personal connection he shares with them.  

Especially with the younger players, communication with young guns Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and even the young defensive core like John Gilmour and Neal Pionk will be crucial.  

Neal E. Boudette of the New York Times elaborated in his story on Quinn, that a change in toughness and strategy may be applied.

“As the Terriers’ coach, Quinn employed a style of play based on puck possession and aggressive forechecking.”

With that being said, there are some skaters on the free agent market, that can fit that kind of playstyle. Of course, if that is the direction.

Patrick Maroon 

Patrick Maroon fits the hard, tenacious and aggressive forward that Quinn is talking about. Another thing he adds is veteran experience on the left side for 24-year-old Jimmy Vesey and 26-year-old Chris Kreider. Last season, he spent time with Edmonton for 57 games, before being traded to the playoff-seeking New Jersey Devils for 17 games. With Edmonton, Maroon played admirably with contributing 30 points (14G and 16A) and holding a plus/minus of +5. At 54%, he held the highest CorsiFor percentage of skaters with 50 or more games with Edmonton. He was also a force while on the ice, registering 119 hits.

His usage and performances weren’t eye-opening once he moved to New Jersey. In the 17 games, he tallied 13 points with three goals and ten assists. His usage was primarily as an aggressive player, seeking to drop the gloves to turn the tides in a matchup.

Maroon also has experience playing under Quinn’s leadership during the 2016 World Championships. Quinn was an assistant coach for the team. Having that prior experience, though for a short while, is definitely a plus.

Coming off of a one-year deal worth around $1.6 million, acquiring Maroon could be for a reasonable price. My expectation would be a little more, at $1.8 million for one year.

James Van Riemsdyk 

The Middletown, New Jersey native grew up as a fan of our beloved New York Rangers. As he is about to nearly hit a decade in the league, coming home may be an option for the soon to be 29-year-old.

Van Riemsdyk provides some quintessential abilities that the Rangers could need in the future. He can score in bunches, with five seasons of 20 goals or more, and netting a career-high of 36 tallies last season. At 6’3″, he is the same height as both Vesey and Kreider, which means that three of the four lines have a long stick to poke and pry the puck away.

In addition to the active stick on defense, JVR is very careful with the puck and maintaining possession. With Toronto last season, he held the highest CorsiFor on the team with 55.6%, beating out 11 other skaters that played more than 70 games. On top of controlling the puck, he can get the puck to the net, with 57.5% of his 248 shots getting to the opposing goaltender.

Ian Cole

On the defensive end, I have expressed my predictions for the lines back in early April. But, I believe one more member can be comparable to Quinn’s coaching style. Kevin Shattenkirk had a great quote on his former and now current coach, which was reported by Colin Stephenson of Newsday.

“He lets you make plays, but you have to make the right plays,’’ Shattenkirk said. “He doesn’t want to take away your creativity at all, but there’s a time and place for trying to be too cute and trying to make the right play at the right time in the game. He’s a defenseman at heart, and he harps on team defense; that’s an area that, for me, he did so much for me in college, to focus on my individual skills and from a team standpoint, making sure the team was sound structurally and in good position and working hard to defend.’’

The Rangers have a plethora of highly skilled puck movers and offensive defensemen. But, what about Ian Cole from Columbus to hold the fort on the back end? Revered for his strong defensive plays and willingness to block a shot, Cole can be a great addition to the blueline. In eight seasons on the NHL level, he has blocked 685 shots, including his career high in 2016-17 with 194, plus an additional 62 in the playoffs. This is something the Rangers don’t really have right now, especially after buying out Dan Girardi last summer. Cole is a defensive minded player that is willing to sacrifice his body, whether it is game one or game 82. This is what this rebuilding team needs to consider. Skjei and Staal led the Rangers in blocked shots with 119 and 96 last season, respectively, which is noticeably less than 2016-17 team leaders. During that season, Girardi, McDonagh, and Klein had 166, 160 and 123 respectively.

Quinn has expressed that he wants to focus on the defensive end. He had a concise quote with WFAN and Mike Francesa via sny.tv, on what he wants to develop with the defensive core.

“I played the position myself, I love spending time on the aspects of playing D. We would do an awful lot of that at BU and the AHL. They are all important positions but if your defense can get pucks out of your end and do it quickly, you are going to have the puck a lot more.”

Most websites will spend the offseason identifying players the Rangers should go after this summer and why. I’ve decided to flip this a bit and pick out 5 players the Rangers should avoid even though they may seem attractive, particularly by some fans.

We will do this in reverse order, ranking them based on least likely to most likely and least attractive to most attractive combined. Let’s begin:

#5 Tyler Bozak

For the last few years, Tyler Bozak has been linked to the Rangers as a possible trade target. The 32 year old center is not flashy but very solid. He is coming off a nice season in Toronto where he scored, 43 points in 81 games.

Those are good numbers for a possible 3rd line center, but that is no longer what the Rangers need. Especially not with the plethora of young talented centers already on the team. Zibanejad and Hayes are likely the early favorites to center the first 2 lines next season. That leaves the Rangers with 3 possible centers going for the 3rd pivot spot in Namestnikov, Andersson, and Chytil. Add in Boo Nieves and Ryan Spooner to the mix and the need to add a bottom 6 center goes out the door.

Of course at the right price in a 4th line role, Bozak could make some sense. Bozak is coming off a contract with a 4.2M cap hit, and will likely get that and more on the market. The Rangers should just cross his name off the list now.

#4 James Neal

James Neal has been a major reason why the Las Vegas Knights inaugural season in the NHL has been a smashing success. The 30 year old has 25 goals and 44 points in 71 contests for Vegas this year. The winger has great size and uses it well at 6’2″ and 221 pounds. There is no doubt that wherever he lands this summer he will have a positive impact for his new team.

The biggest issue is what it would take to a get him here as he is coming off a contract that paid him $5M. That, plus the likelihood of wanting a 4-5 year deal makes Neal less attractive then say signing Michael Grabner back for less. The Rangers should keep him on their radar, but only at the right price.

#3 Paul Stastny

Paul Stastny is a veteran that would immediately slot in as the #2 center giving the Rangers even more flexibility and depth down the middle. He had 53 points this past season and is helping Winnipeg possibly get to the Western Conference Final with 11 points in 11 playoff games.

The big issue aside from his age, is what he would want in his next contract. His current cap hit is $7M, which he won’t be getting from anyone. Would he settle for a 2-3 year deal at 4.5? That might be reasonable if the Rangers really feel the need to have some more veteran experience up front.

Still, I wouldn’t give Stastny the time of day with a player like John Tavares out there too. The only way the Rangers would consider exploring this option is if they lose out on Tavares and want to use a Zibanejad, Hayes, or Namestnikov in a bigger deal.

#2 James Van Riemsdyk

JVR is a name some Rangers fans absolutely salivate over. Let’s start off with the fact this NJ native grew up a Blueshirts fan. Now add in his 36 goals this past season and his huge frame of 6’3″, 217 pounds. What is not to like here? A lot actually.

First off, JVR is going to get paid this summer. His current contract was earning him 4.2M and he should be breaking $6M and at least get 4 years if not 5 on his next deal. Now unless the Rangers are looking to move wingers like Mats Zuccarello or Chris Kreider this summer, Jeff Gorton should not be entering a bidding war for him.

Some would argue that the Rangers are looking at signing Ilya Kovalchuk who is 35 to a tune of maybe $6M a year. While I think he would sign with the Rangers for $5M, the deal at most would only be for 2 years. Plus, with the amount of Russians the Rangers have already here and coming, he may make their transition easier.

Don’t get me wrong, JVR would look great in a Rangers uniform, but adding him will take away playing time from players like Pavel Buchnevich, Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil and Vlad Namestnikov. He may be worth the risk, but Gorton will have to make room to fit him in long term.

#1 Rick Nash

There is a large group of Rangers fans out there that desperately want Rick Nash back. They simply love Nasher and there are many good reasons why. He is a complete player that plays a solid 200′ game in the NHL. Add in his love for being a Ranger and the fact that he will likely sign for A LOT LESS than his current 7.8M salary, makes him really attractive to the fanbase in NY.

The truth of the matter is that Nash, who turns 34 in June, will have a few 2-3 year offers of 3.5 to 4M on the table from other teams this summer. And why will he get those offers? Because some GM’s will have in the recesses of their mind’s the Rick Nash of several seasons ago.

No, the Rangers need to avoid bringing him in because it would be a move backwards in this rebuild. In his last three years, Nash has not scored more than 23 goals (15,23,21) or posted more than 38 points (36,38,34). Let’s not even discuss his disappearing act in the playoffs. In the last 2 postseasons, Nash has played in 24 contests and registered only 10 points.

Let’s put feelings of nostalgia and fandom aside, if Rick Nash were to be signed this summer, which young kid is losing a job to him? Another concern is this, no matter who is coaching the team next season, he is bound to give into the urge of playing Nash on the top 2 lines because he’s Rick Nash. For all of this, I think the Rangers need to give any thoughts of bringing him back a hard pass.