It’s not what NHL goalies typically do any more. And not what Rangers goalies have done since the prime of Henrik Lundqvist.

At 29 years old, Shesterkin has never appeared in more than 58 games in a season. This despite his billing as one of the best goalies in the world and, starting next season, the richest goalie in NHL history after inking a record-breaking eight-year, $92 million contract earlier this season.

He’d only started on consecutive days four times in the NHL, twice after he was pulled the night before. He was, it should be pointed out, a perfect 4-0 in those second straight day starts.

However, current NHL convention these days is to limit the amount of starts your No. 1 goalie makes, and the most logical way to do that is to hand off starts on the second of back-to-back nights. It’s not a terrible plan for the Rangers with Jonathan Quick as a very capable No. 2. And it even worked fine with Jaroslav Halak and Alexandar Georgiev as Shesterkin’s goaltending partner.

But sometimes you’ve got to ride your No. 1. And Sunday night was that time. Coming off a 4-0 shutout win in Columbus against the Blue Jackets and needing every standings point they can get, the Rangers did the right thing and went right back to Shesterkin to make his 50th start of the season.

Yes, it was the right thing to do if even the wrong outcome. The Rangers lost 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers and Shesterkin stopped 20 of 23 shots. He was outplayed by Stuart Skinner, who was terrific in net for the Oilers.

Still, it was the right call by Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. Just not the winning result.

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New York Rangers news

Here are three Rangers takeaways from the disappointing 3-1 loss to the Oilers, including an inability to win three games in a row.

And here’s a breakdown of the winners and losers from the home-ice loss to the Oilers, including the Rangers power play ending up on this list … again.

Former Rangers center Filip Chytil, who’s had four documented concussions in his NHL career, landed in concussion protocol with the Vancouver Canucks after absorbing a hit from behind Saturday.

NHL news and rumors

Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood was livid with Jason Dickinson’s hit that injured Chytil and said that “we’ll get him next year” when the teams next meet.

Pending UFA defenseman Henri Jokiharju said in an interview with the Boston Herald that he’s open to negotiating with the Boston Bruins and bypassing free agency after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the trade deadline.

Mike Reilly was back in the Islanders lineup against the Florida Panthers, logging over 14 minutes TOI after being sidelined four months following a heart procedure.

The Islanders then scored four goals in the third period to upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 4-2.

Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov left that game with an upper-body injury and didn’t return.

The Red Wings pulled even with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the East, two points behind the Rangers with a 3-0 shutout win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Logan Cooley scored the tie-breaking goal in the third period to lift the Utah Hockey Club to a 3-1 win against the Canucks.

Utah will be without the rugged Liam O’Brien, who’s out four weeks with a lower-body injury.

The San Jose Sharks became the first team eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention when the St. Louis Blues defeated the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 on Sunday.

The Winnipeg Jets keep rolling, edging the Seattle Kraken 3-2 in overtime.

Cale Makar scored 34 seconds into overtime to lift the Colorado Avalanche past the Dallas Stars 4-3.

Mikko Rantanen heard mostly cheers in his return to Denver on Sunday, but there were a few boos, too, since he now plays for the Stars. Rantanen had an assist in his game against his old team.

Watch Makar’s overtime-winner against the Stars.

It’s not always for the faint of heart, of course. But having been an NHL reporter since before Twitter (now X) was even created, I’m well-versed in the give and take, that often borders on irrational with Rangers fans.

Such was the case when a simple post by me before the Rangers hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday fired up a certain contingent of Blueshirts Faithful. Apparently, it was blasphemous that I agreed with coach Peter Laviolette’s decision to scratch Juuso Parssinen and insert rookie Brett Berard into the lineup one day after New York’s 4-3 overtime loss in Ottawa.

The first snark arrived quickly in my notifications.

“This is Berard not Bedard” it read, sarcastically referring to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

That was quickly followed by “It’s not the lines dude the team is shot. Berard not going to change anything.”

Then my favorite tweet of the day: “Glad to see we got 2 healthy scratches for Lindgren and Vesey.” That is in reference to Calvin de Haan joining Parssinen in the press box.

That was quickly followed by more vitriol — to be honest, directed more at Laviolette than me — angrily questioning how Parssinen could be a healthy scratch just four games after being acquired in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche! Especially after that great video made the rounds on social showing Parssinen score a sick shootout goal! I mean, this guy’s the next stud! The Rangers are benching a future star! Laviolette doesn’t develop young players!

Well, I guess it was overlooked that Berard is 22 and Parssinen in 24. But that’s not even the point here.

As hysteria mounted over a pretty simple lineup decision, I had a laugh or 10.

Berard brings more speed, energy and grit to the lineup. Parssinen adds more size and many hockey people believe a higher upside that he’s still trying to reach. So, Parssinen played Saturday. Berard played Sunday. Nobody’s locked into a spot here, a little competition is a good thing. That includes Brennan Othmann — the 2021 first-round pick who is getting some run and has been a physical force in the bottom six, but needs to start scoring too. Throw recent healthy scratch Arthur Kaliyev into this mix, as well.

And speaking specifically of Parssinen, he had that fight against the Washington Capitals a few games ago, his most notable Rangers moment. But he’s been largely a non-factor in his first four games. Minimal ice time. Zero shots on goal. On ice for two of Ottawa’s four goals Saturday, largely a spectator on Ridly Greig’s goal midway through the third period that kickstarted the Senators comeback.

The Rangers didn’t exactly scratch Mark Messier here.

But settle down. Parssinen will play some. Berard will play some. The Rangers will find out what they have in their youngsters, while trying to navigate this playoff chase minefield.

See you on X! Look forward to it!

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New York Rangers news

The Rangers have their work cut out for them this week, including a three-game road trip, games against the Winnipeg Jets on the road and Edmonton Oilers at home, and a rematch against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Here’s an understatement by the Rangers: “Our power play has got to be better.” Yes. Yes, it does.

Another understatement? “This one sucks” — the Rangers take after watching the Blue Jackets skate out of MSG on Sunday with a 7-3 win.

Here’s a look back at the winners and losers from that 7-3 Rangers’ loss to the Blue Jackets.

And our three Rangers takeaways from the defeat, including a breakdown of playing at not-so-even strength.

Our latest Hartford Wolf Pack weekly features updates on Chad Ruhwedel, Jake Leschshyn and two new Rangers: Brendan Brisson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

NHL news and rumors

Just as everything appeared to be on track for another Florida Panthers postseason run, word came down Monday that defenseman Aaron Ekblad is suspended 20 games for violating the NHL performance-enhancing drug policy.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff has a solid breakdown of why contract talks broke down between Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins and how exactly the Bruins captain ended up being traded to the Panthers.

Wow. Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour told a local radio station that Mikko Rantanen informed the club he had zero interest in signing with them immediately after they acquired him, and that there were four teams on his wish list to be traded to , if he were to be moved again.

This is how a true pro accepts criticism from his coach. Read here about Jake DeBrusk’s reaction to losing ice time for the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday and then being called out by coach Rick Tocchet — even though the forward’s in the midst of a 22-goal season.

The Athletic reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins never got close to trading Rickard Rackell ahead of the deadline. It’s also reported that they will try to move veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson this summer.

The Seattle Kraken recalled 20-year-old forward Jani Nyman from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League, where he leads AHL rookies with 26 goals.

James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now believes that by signing defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic to a long-term contract, the Devils have put the futures of Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey with the organization in doubt.

Good and bad in the same for the Rangers in their playoff chase. The Ottawa Senators edged the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 with newcomer Dylan Cozens scoring the game-winning goal. Good news for the Rangers is that the Red Wings lost their sixth straight game and appear to become a non-factor in the playoff race. The bad news is that the Senators moved into the first wild card in the East, three points ahead of the Rangers with a game in hand.

Nathan MacKinnon reached 1,000 points in the NHL with an assist on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, part of a 3-0 win for the Colorado Avalanche over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Toronto Maple Leafs grinded their way to a 4-3 shootout win against the Utah Hockey Club.

Tage Thompson scored twice and now has 33 goals on the season, tied for fourth most in the NHL, when the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2.

Consecutive games against the teams directly in front of them in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Consecutive losses lowlighted by stunning breakdowns. One point gained when four were needed.

So much for big brother teaching their little siblings a thing or two at crunch time this weekend. The Senators and Blue Jackets flipped the script on the Rangers.

When push came to shove Saturday with a two-goal lead and 10 minutes to play, the Rangers stumbled badly. Ditto for Sunday, when two short-handed goals in 42 seconds on the same PK to tie the game 3-3 just preceded more stumbles and another wasted opportunity to grab ahold of the playoff race.

There are 18 games to play. This race is far from over, though now the two teams in front of the Rangers have games in hand. But the Rangers are right there. It’s just that this was a statement weekend.

And the statement the Rangers made was not an impressive one.

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New York Rangers news

Here’s a list breakdown of the winners and losers from the Rangers loss Sunday to the Blue Jackets.

And here are three Rangers takeaways from the latest defeat, including a comparison between Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fantilli.

How did the Rangers react to the brutal loss Sunday? “This one sucks” was a massive understatement.

NHL news and rumors

Utah goalie Connor Ingram is seeking help from NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and stepped away from the team for an indefinite period citing issues coping with his mother’s death from breast cancer.

Jonathan Toews told The Athletic that he didn’t like how his career with the Chicago Blackhawks ended so is working toward an NHL return next season.

Pierre LeBrun reported that nine teams were in on Mikko Rantanen ahead of the trade deadline before he was dealt to the Dallas Stars by the Carolina Hurricanes. No, the Rangers were not one of those teams.

Despite seeking Mitch Marner’s permission to be included in a trade proposal to land Rantanen, the Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly are eager to sign the pending UFA to a new contract and keep him in Toronto.

Star forward Roope Hintz is day to day with an upper-body injury after taking a puck to the face over the weekend. He didn’t play against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

Mikael Granlund scored for the Stars in their 4-1 win over the Canucks.

Cody Glass scored in his Devils debut, a 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Newcomers Mark Jankowski and Logan Stankoevn combined for three goals to lead the Hurricanes past the Winnipeg Jets 4-2.

The Los Angeles Kings held on for a wild 6-5 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, who received a hat trick from Tomas Hertl.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette tries to tell you that it’s no bigger than other games his team had to win the past couple months to climb out of the hole they dug themselves to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

In a way, he’s right. The Rangers (31-26-6) must stockpile points against anyone and everyone. But games against your direct competitors for a playoff spot are extra important, and Laviolette and the Rangers know that. Even if the coach tries to downplay it. It’s not just another game.

Neither was the one they just played in Ottawa on Saturday against the Senators. You know, the one they led 2-0 early in the second period and 3-1 midway through the third. And lost 4-3 in overtime.

Lost points can come back to haunt you. But some are worse than others. This was one of them. Tied in the East with the upstart Senators, the Rangers couldn’t close this one out, and to be honest, largely didn’t meet the intensity of their hosts for most of the contest despite the pair of two-goal leads. You can thank Igor Shesterkin for giving the Rangers a chance to win. That is until even he couldn’t bring this one home. The relentless Senators scoring off a pair of scrambles to tie it.

And that K’Andre Miller own-zone turnover that led directly to Brady Tkachuk’s game-winning goal off a 2-on-1 at just 33 seconds of overtime? Egregious doesn’t even do it justice as a descriptive adjective. Appalling. Putrid. Horrendous.

Whatever, it was the final nail in the coffin, death by a thousand cuts, with one final dagger handed over by the Rangers defenseman.

Does Shesterkin share in the blame? Yes, for sure. The tying goals and then a clear look at Tkachuk’s shot that somehow went right between his pads.

But the Rangers were far from good enough Saturday, even if they almost snuck out of Canadian Tire Centre with two points.

So, here are the Blue Jackets coming to town Sunday. Another young upstart team ahead of the Rangers slightly in the standings. Some games are bigger than others. This is one of them. Again.

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New York Rangers news

Here are three things to watch for when the Rangers host the Blue Jackets, including Artemi Panarin seeking goal in fifth straight game.

Breaking down the winners and losers from the Rangers’ brutal OT loss in Ottawa.

Here are our three Rangers takeaways from that latest tough to stomach loss, including no time to mope with Blue Jackets game awaiting. “We have to be ready,” Panarin said postgame.

The Rangers’ AHL affiliate got smoked Saturday. The Hartford Wolf Pack scored the game’s first goal and then allowed seven unanswered in a 7-1 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

NHL news and rumors

Holy Mitch Marner! Reports surfaced Saturday that the Toronto Maple Leafs approached their pending UFA forward about waiving his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade before the deadline to the Carolina Hurricanes that would’ve brought Mikko Rantanen to Toronto. Marner refused, the Maple Leafs restructured their offer to the Carolina Hurricanes and, ultimate, Rantanen was traded to the Dallas Stars.

Marner went out and scored two goals Saturday but the Maple Leafs lost to the Colorado Avalanche 7-4. Valeri Nichushkin had a hat trick for Colorado.

Nathan MacKinnon became the first player to reach 100 points in the NHL this season when he scored two goals against the Maple Leafs. The Avalanche superstar has 27 goals and 73 points in 64 games.

Roope Hintz of the Stars went to the hospital after a deflected puck hit him in the face against the Edmonton Oilers and his status is unknown.

The Oilers edged the Stars 5-4 despite Rantanen scoring in his Dallas debut.

Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves and the Islanders defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2.

Before the game, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said “there will be change” this coming offseason with the Isles looking to build a younger talented core.

The Boston Bruins showed a heckuva lot of resolve, shutting out the Tampa Bay Lightning the day after trading away captain Brad Marchand and two alternate captains, Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle, ahead of the deadline.

Speaking of shutouts, Dustin Wolf stopped all 26 shots and the Calgary Flames squeaked by the Montreal Canadiens 1-0.

Vitek Vanecek picked up a shutout in his Florida Panthers debut, 4-0 over the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers have won six in a row.

Watch Steven Stamkos scores in overtime to put the final touches on his 14th career hat trick in a 3-2 Nashville Predators’ win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Rangers made four trades in the final week ahead of the deadline, the last coming Friday when they acquired forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Erik Brannstrom. It’s a depth trade involving a pair of guys who have NHL experience but are in the American Hockey League right now.

Overall, the Rangers made seven trades during the season, the biggest being their acquisition of J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. Along the way, they shipped out former captain Jacob Trouba, popular younger forwards Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil, rookie defenseman Victor Mancini and three veteran pending UFAs they were not going to re-sign — Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith.

Along with Miller, the Rangers added defensemen Carson Soucy, Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen and Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen, forwards Brendan Brisson and Aube-Kubel, and a slew of draft picks.

“Just trying to thread the needle, trying to make sure we got some assets back for the future, while trying to show the group I still believe in them, which I do,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said Friday.

That belief gets put to the test Saturday, when the Rangers visit the Ottawa Senators in a crucial matinee matchup. The teams are tied with 67 points apiece, but the Senators are percentage points ahead for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference because they’ve played one fewer game.

Right ahead of the Rangers and Senators are the Columbus Blue Jackets, whom the Rangers host Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Columbus is the first wild card, one point ahead of the Rangers and Senators. And don’t forget that the Rangers trail the listing New Jersey Devils by five points for third place in the Metropolitan Division and have two games in hand.

Yeah, this is getting fun. Game on!

WATCH Exclusive 1-on-1 interview with former Rangers goalie Marty Biron on the RINK RAP podcast

New York Rangers news

Here are three things to watch for when the Rangers visit the Senators on Saturday, including the end of the bromance between J.T. Miller and Brady Tkachuk.

Urho Vaakanainen landed a two-year contract with the Rangers, likely the biggest deadline day news for the Blueshirts.

Here are the latest Rangers injury updates ahead of the Senators game and whether to expect newcomer Carson Soucy to be in the lineup.

Speaking of Soucy, the Forever Blueshirts staff handed out trade grades following the Rangers acquisition of the big, physical defenseman from the Canucks.

Our Dane Walsh breaks down how the Mikko Rantanen trade from the Carolina Hurricanes — and some other factors — benefit the Rangers playoff push.

Here’s why the Rangers are “super impressed” with everyone’s favorite fourth-line center Sam Carrick.

NHL news and rumors

To get the lowdown on every NHL trade, not only from the deadline but the entire 2024-25 season, check out the official trade tracker on NHL dot com.

Our John Kreiser assesses the Islanders trading Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche for a pretty decent haul.

Here’s why trading for and extending Mikko Rantanen was an opportunity the Dallas Stars “couldn’t pass up.”

Not only did the Stars land Rantanen, but they signed forward Wyatt Johnston to a five-year, $42 million contract.

There was plenty of emotional reaction after the Boston Bruins traded captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers in a deadline-day blockbuster.

Here’s why the surging Montreal Canadiens didn’t make any noise ahead of the trade deadline.

The League’s top team, the Winnipeg Jets, made one significant move Friday, reacquiring gritty forward Brandon Tanev.

Ahead of their game against the Rangers, the Senators landed center Dylan Cozens from the Buffalo Sabres in a four-player trade that included Josh Norris.

You may have missed this during the flurry of trades Friday, but the Edmonton Oilers announced that forward Evander Kane is out for the season.

James Nichols from New Jersey Hockey Now is spot on with his column stating that the trade deadline was a complete fail for the Devils.

On top of failing to land significant help to their struggling lineup, the Devils learned that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton “will be out for an extended time” with a lower-body injury and that defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler won’t play the rest of the regular season. All this on top of Jack Hughes’ season-ending shoulder surgery.

But wait, there’s more! The Devils were trashed by the Jets, 6-1 at The Rock.

The Detroit Red Wings continue to show they may not be up to competing in the Eastern Conference playoff race as they lost their fifth straight game, 5-2 to the Washington Capitals.

Elias Pettersson lives! The beleaguered center scored his first goal in 16 games to help the Canucks defeat the Minnesota Wild 3-1.

Former Rangers forward was held off the score-sheet but the Vegas Golden Knights easily handled the woeful Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0.

Watch Connor Bedard score the OT winner in the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club

Well, that was interesting, to say the least.

The Hurricanes made a huge splash by acquiring Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche just six weeks ago. In the deal, they traded away Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and a 2025 second-round pick. Carolina was labeled as a true Stanley Cup contender after that deal, but things quickly went south after it became clear Rantanen was hesitant to sign a long-term contract and forego unrestricted free agency at season’s end.

So, the Hurricanes were faced with the question of keeping Rantanen with the risk of letting him walk for nothing in the summer, or trading him ahead of the deadline and salvaging some sort of return. They opted for the latter in this deal, but salvaging is just about the best they could do.

All in all, the Hurricanes trade Necas, Drury, and a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick for Stankoven, Taylor Hall, two first round-picks, and two third-round picks, with 13 games of Rantanen in the middle. To call it a disaster in Carolina is an understatement. Necas had become one of their better players and leading goal scorers, and Drury was becoming a young mainstay in the lineup.

Related: Rangers archrival finally gets it, throws in towel with Brock Nelson trade

Rangers chasing wild card spot, Devils and Hurricanes trending downward

While the primary focus for the Rangers is on securing a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference for the time being, keep an eye on both the Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

Where the Hurricanes were once a huge threat to the Rangers, should they meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again, now many are counting them out as contenders after a severe mishandling of assets. As for the Devils, they’ve looked vulnerable since the New Year and now lost stud center Jack Hughes for the season following shoulder surgery. Then on Friday, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald announced that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out for an extended period with an unspecified injury and Jonas Siegenthaler is done for the season.

That the Devils failed to make a big move ahead of the deadline doesn’t quell concerns that they’re in trouble with a quarter of the season remaining.

The Devils are third in the Metro with 72 points; the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Rangers are chomping at the bit with 68 and 67 points, respectively. Depending on how these last 20 games go, the Rangers sights may not be on just a wild-card spot, but a spot in the top-three of the division, just as former Rangers goalie Marty Biron told Forever Blueshirts earlier this week.

The Hurricanes currently hold second place in Metropolitan Division with 78 points, 11 points ahead of the Rangers, who have points in five of their past six games (4-1-1). Carolina seems more sturdy than New Jersey and should remain in the division’s top three.

The operative word is should. How shaken — if at all — are Carolina’s players that Rantanen wanted no part of being a part of its present nor future. Stankoven is a nice player in his first full NHL season, but not a difference maker right now like Rantanen nor not even in the same league as Necas, who has 21 goals and 70 points this season.

Maybe the Rangers can’t catch the Hurricanes, but they’d sure love to face them — instead of the any of the Atlantic Division powerhouses — in the first round of the playoffs. So, gunning for the Devils is that more important for the Rangers.

The Rangers are navigating a difficult plan, trying to thread the needle of improving the team for this season’s playoff push, setting themselves up to be major players in free agency this coming offseason and deepening their draft capital to help build a better future.

So far, so good. Of course, the Rangers got a head start on this multiple-faceted plan, making a pair of big trades before the New Year and then their biggest trade Jan. 31, when they acquired J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. Three trades have been made in the final week ahead of the deadline, including two on Thursday.

It’s been a well-thought-out plan and execution by Chris Drury and Co. And the Rangers may not be done yet. They’ve been linked to Buffalo Sabres forward J..J. Peterka among others, and after yesterday have a glut of NHL defensemen on the roster. So, the Rangers don’t appear to be done after their latest moves.

Since the Jacob Trouba trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6, the Rangers have acquired Miller, defensemen Carson Soucy, Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen and Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and forward prospect Brendan Brisson, plus several draft picks, one of which was flipped to the Canucks to acquire Soucy on Thursday.

In the process, the Rangers moved out the disgruntled Trouba, a pair of former young core players in Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, young defenseman Victor Mancini and three pending UFAs they had no plans to re-sign this summer — Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith.

They’re improving in the here and now, but most definitely with an eye on the future. Miller and Soucy each have term left on their contracts. Borgen was a pending UFA but signed a five-year contract to stay with the Rangers. Vaakanainen and Parssinen are restricted free agents at the end of the season. Only de Haan is a pending UFA.

The Rangers are also bigger and tougher today than they were a couple months ago, another priority for Drury.

Let’s see what Friday. We’ll have all the latest news and analysis right here at Forever Blueshirts.

WATCH: Marty Biron talks Rangers moves, NHL Trade Deadline and memories of being Henrik Lundqvist’s goalie partner on RINK RAP podcast

New York Rangers news

The Rangers acquired a big, physical defenseman when they landed Soucy from the Canucks.

Earlier Thursday, the Rangers traded Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for Brisson and a third-round pick that they in turn shipped to the Canucks to land Soucy.

ICYMI: Here are our three Rangers takeaways from the 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

Also, we have the winners and losers breakdown from the Rangers’ OT defeat.

Rangers prospects Brody Lamb and Ty Henricks helped their respective teams capture regular-season championships in the NCAA this season.

NHL news and rumors

Late-night reports that the Carolina Hurricanes were trading Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars were dispelled by Darren Dreger on Friday morning. He reported that there is no deal in place and that Rantanen has not agreed to a contract extension with the Stars, which is a must for a deal to go down. Rantanen is a pending UFA at season’s end, who already turned down contract offers from the Hurricanes.

Pierre LeBrun reports that Ryan Donato and the Chicago Blackhawks are trying to hammer out a new contract for the pending UFA. If not, he’s one of the bigger names expected to be traded Friday.

The Islanders finally pulled the trigger and traded veteran center Brock Nelson along with prospect William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for a package that includes prized center prospect Calum Ritchie, a first-round draft pick in either 2026 or 2027 and defenseman Oliver Kylington, who was then shipped to the Ducks for future considerations.

The Edmonton Oilers landed defenseman Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks, notably trading away a conditional 2026 first-round pick.

Justin Brazeau was traded by the Boston Bruins to the Minnesota Wild.

Perhaps Nick Bjugstad won’t be traded before the deadline. The veteran center was placed on IR with an upper-body injury by the Utah Hockey Club.

Some brutal injury news for the St. Louis Blues, who lost defenseman Colton Parayko for at least six weeks following a procedure on his knee.

Former Rangers forward Ryan Reaves was placed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline.

Victor Hedman sustained an injury that forced him out of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. An update could come Friday.

Jake Guentzel had a hat trick and Oliver Bjorkstrad scored in his first game after arriving a trade with the Seattle Kraken to lead the Lightning to a wild 6-5 win against the Sabres.

Evan Bouchard scored in overtime to lift the Edmonton Oilers past the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. The Canadiens picked up a point in the standings and are one behind the Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Cale Makar set a Colorado Avalanche franchise record for defensemen by recording six points (two goals, four assists) in their 7-3 win over the Sharks.

The Columbus Blue Jackets failed to gain any separation as the top wild card in the East when the were shut out by the Florida Panthers 3-0.

Earlier in the day, the Panthers acquired forward Nico Sturm from the Sharks.

More good news for the Rangers in their playoff hunt, the Detroit Red Wings lost their fourth straight game, 4-2 to the Kraken.

And the Boston Bruins continue to be a big disappointment, this time losing 3-2 to the Hurricanes, when Seth Jarvis scored in the final seconds of regulation.

UPDATE THU 2 P.M. ET: Rangers trade Reilly Smith to Vegas for Brendan Brisson, 3rd-round pick

But there shouldn’t be any more major upheaval with the Rangers roster before the deadline. There are Chris Kreider trade rumors, but that might be a difficult needle to thread right now for general manager Chris Drury. Plus, Kreider is sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Keeping an eye on the market for a left-handed defenseman — likely one with term remaining on his contract — is intriguing, but could also prove difficult to make happen. Especially with players flying off the market.

A day before the deadline, the Rangers (31-26-5) are ninth in the Eastern Conference, though tied in points with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card and just one point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the top wild card. This after a frustrating 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, which concluded a winless season series for the Blueshirts (0-2-1).

Right after the deadline, the Rangers play two massively important games. They visit the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon, then host the Blue Jackets at MSG on Sunday. If ever there was a chance to show these upstarts who big brother is, this is it.

In the interim, let’s see what the Rangers’ competitors for a playoff spot do ahead of the deadline, and if Drury has anything else up his sleeve.

New York Rangers news

Here are the winners and losers from the Rangers loss to the Capitals.

And here are three key Rangers takeaways from that OT defeat.

Marty Biron told Forever Blueshirts that the Rangers shouldn’t just focus on grabbing a wild-card berth, but set sights on third place in Metropolitan Division, where the Devils are vulnerable.

Ryan Lindgren’s deeper stats and analytics weren’t great in his Colorado Avalanche debut, but the former Rangers defenseman was praised highly by coach Jared Bednar on Tuesday.

WATCH: Going 1-on-1 with Marty Biron on the RINK RAP podcast on the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

NHL news and rumors

Our John Kreiser broke down what’s next for the New Jersey Devils after Jack Hughes is lost for the season following shoulder surgery.

According to reports, the Devils are close to acquiring defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Anaheim Ducks for a second-round pick and a prospect.

Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes are fielding “compelling” offers for Mikko Rantanen, just in case they decide the move him ahead of the trade deadline and after it appears he turned down offers to sign long term with Carolina.

Lebrun also says that the San Jose Sharks are listening to offers for defenseman Mario Ferraro.

The Sharks did make a trade Wednesday, sending backup goalie Vitek Vanecek to the Florida Panthers for forward Patrick Giles.

This may scuttle trade interest in a top goalie on the trade market: John Gibson left the Anaheim Ducks game against the Vancouver Canucks after a collision in the second period.

The Canucks went on to edge the Ducks 3-2.

The Tampa Bay Lightning swung big, acquiring forwards Yani Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken in a deal that included two first-round picks in return.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got busy and acquired forward Tommy Novak and veteran defenseman Luke SChenn from the Nashville Predaotors for forward Michael Bunting.

Ivan Provorov is staying put with the Columbus Blue Jackets. General manager Don Waddell said it’s unlikely they’ll sign the pending UFA defenseman before the deadline, but they’re not going to trade Provorov either.

Jordan Greenway signed a two-year, $8 million contract to remain with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Utah Hockey Club took care of its own, signing goalie Karel Vejmelka (five years), forward Alex Kerfoot (one year) and defenseman Ian Cole (one year) to new contracts.

The Ottawa Senators rallied for a crucial 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Watch Tim Stutzle score the OT winner for Ottawa.

Goalie Joseph Woll was pulled in the first period as the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2.

Things get a bit harder Friday at Madison Square Garden. They take a step up in class with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming to town. And the Rangers will do so without their best defenseman, Adam Fox, in the lineup. He’ll be watching from the press box nursing an upper-body injury that landed him on IR for a while.

It’s fair to say that the Rangers need to be far better Friday than they were against the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins or even the New York Islanders, whom they thumped 5-1 on Tuesday. The Rangers won that game handedly, despite not getting much from their top players. It’ll be all hands on deck against the Maple Leafs, who are not only good, but motivated since they’re fairly desperate to finish first in the Atlantic Division. Right now, Toronto is one point behind the Florida Panthers but have two games in hand.

Desperate is a word that hasn’t been used often enough when discussing the Rangers on-ice play this season. They could use more urgency and compete in their game, certainly on Friday, but throughout the rest of the regular season.

The Rangers are tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind both the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, who are tied for the two wild-card spots. After the game Friday, the Rangers play a pair of weaker teams — the Nashville Predators and Islanders again — before facing the top team in the East, the Washington Capitals.

That will conclude an important four-game homestand ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. It’s another crucial stretch woven into a string of important games the rest of the way with the Rangers trying to claw their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Make no mistake, a win Friday would go a long way to strengthening the feeling that these Rangers are indeed a worthy playoff team.

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New York Rangers news

The Rangers plan to replace injured defenseman Adam Fox “collectively,” including going with five forwards on the top power-play unit.

After spending the past two months primarily as a healthy scratch, Zac Jones gets his opportunity in the Rangers lineup with Fox injured.

Fox’s upper-body issue spurred our John Kreiser to recall five infamous injuries in Rangers history.

You know who’s playing the best hockey of his young Rangers career? Matt Rempe, that’s who.

Check out Rangers legend Mike Richter and current Blueshirts forward in their new video to promote an NHL-themed clothing line.

NHL news

Reports are that the Carolina Hurricanes will hold onto star forward Mikko Rantanen for the rest of the season even is he doesn’t agree to a new contract ahead of the March 7 trade deadline. Rantanen, who was acquired last month from the Colorado Avalanche, is a pending UFA at season’s end.

Rantanen had a goal and assist to lead the Hurricanes past the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.

Trent Frederic is week to week with a lower-body injury but there are reports stating the Boston Bruins pending UFA could still be traded ahead of the March 7 deadline.

The Washington Capitals are the top team in the Eastern Conference and second overall in the NHL behind the Winnipeg Jets, but general manager Chris Patrick said “anything is on the table” when it comes to their plans ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.

St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn is doing his best to not pay attention to rumors about him being traded ahead of the deadline.

Schenn played his 1,000th NHL game Thursday, a 5-2 win over the Capitals. He and brother Luke are the 10th set of siblings to each play 1,000 games in the League.

Out of respect for a veteran player, the Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly allowing Scott Laughton some input to where he might be traded before the deadline.

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet says the criticism he’s received in Canada over his relationship with the U.S. President Donald Trump has “broken his heart.”

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen is likely out for the season after hernia surgery.

The Canucks let a 2-0 lead slip away and lost 5-2 to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Columbus Blue Jackets pulled even with the Detroit Red Wings for the first wild card in the Eastern Conference after defeating them 5-2.

The Bruins placed forward Oliver Wahlstrom on waivers. Then they went out and dominated the Islanders, only to lose 2-1 when Ilya Sorokin finished with 37 saves for New York.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to do without one of their better players this season, forward Michael Bunting, for “a little while” after he had his appendix removed Thursday.

The struggling Penguins rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in overtime, behind Evgeni Malkin’s four-point night (two goals, two assists).

Watch Malkin score the OT winner against the Flyers.

Speaking of overtime winners, check out this brilliant one by Cole Caufield in the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks.

The Winnipeg Jets had their franchise-record 11-game winning streak end with a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.

The Florida Panthers won a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3, handing the Oilers their fifth consecutive defeat.

Clayton Keller had an NHL career-high five points to lead the Utah Hockey Club to its third straight win, 6-1 over the Minnesota Wild.

Of course, there can only be one winner, and that’s Canada, still the team to beat in best-on-best international play. And it was Connor McDavid with his signature moment on the big stage that capped a simply terrific night for the sport when he scored 8:18 into overtime, lifting Canada to a thrilling 3-2 victory.

The tournament was amazing theater filled with great hockey by the best players in the world. It’s a tasty appetizer for the NHL as the League prepares to participate in the 2026 Milan Olympics.

Now, it’s time to turn the page. Quickly. And get back to the stretch run of the NHL season, where there’s a pretty wild chase for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The New York Rangers know all about that, sitting 11th in the East, three points out of the second wild card.

But there’s a stiff price to be paid from the 4 Nations Face-Off.

That playoff race could be somewhat compromised, as could the long-term chances for serious Stanley Cup contenders. Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported Thursday night that there were many players grinding through the 4 Nations Final with injuries that could keep them out of the lineup with their respective NHL teams moving forward.

We already know about Matthew Tkachuk, who was unable to finish the championship game with an unspecified injury. Auston Matthews was playing through an upper-body injury. Brady Tkachuk had a lower-body issue. Then there’s Charlie McAvoy, who’s possibly out the rest of the season following a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery for an infection. Shea Theodore is week to week after he was hurt in the first game of the tournament.

How about Vincent Trocheck of the Rangers? He appeared to injure his hand/wrist in the 2-1 loss to Sweden on Monday. Trocheck played against Canada but was largely ineffective. The tell-tale sign could be that he only took four face-offs — his specialty — and lost each one Thursday. He logged just 10 minutes of ice time.

Let’s see where it all settles when the four Rangers from Team USA rejoin their NHL teammates in Buffalo. The Rangers resume their season Saturday in Buffalo against the Sabres with a quick follow Sunday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

As coach Peter Laviolette said Thursday, “It comes at you fast.” Twenty-seven games may sound like a lot, but they’ll be gone before you know it — and the Rangers hope to be among the eight teams still standing in the East when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin in April.

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New York Rangers news

After the morning skate Thursday, President Trump spoke with Team USA and wished them well in their game against Canada. Rangers forward J.T. Miller was among those thrilled to hear from the President of the United States.

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said prior to the game that the 4 Nations Face-Off championship contest was “the biggest game I’ve been a part of.”

Back in New York, Igor Shesterkin participated in an entire practice and should be good to go for the Rangers this weekend after sustaining an upper-body injury Feb. 7.

The Rink Rap podcast is posted with this week’s special guest, former Rangers general manager Neil Smith. You can watch the entire interview on YouTube or listen to the audio here.

NHL news

Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game and was named MVP of the tournament after pacing all skaters with four goals in four games.

There could have been a different result in that 4 Nations final if not for the brilliant play of Canada goalie Jordan Binnington, who made three sensational saves against Matthews and one on Brady Tkachuk in overtime, when he stopped all six shots he faced before McDavid’s heroics.

Canada forward Brad Marchand, one of the all-time pests in NHL history, called out the Tkachuk brothers postgame for shooting their mouths off to the media prior to the championship clash — “they got a little bit ahead of themselves.”

The Calgary Flames placed defenseman Tyson Barrie on waivers.

Max Pacioretty is likely out this weekend for the Toronto Maple Leafs after tweaking something in practice Wednesday.

Mikko Rantanen just may be the most attractive player available on the free-agent market this offseason. Here’s a breakdown from the former Carolina Hurricanes capologist as to what his next deal could look like.

Frank Seravalli reports that teams aren’t breaking down the Chicago Blackhawks door to trade for expensive defenseman Seth Jones, despite Chicago’s desire to move him.

With Ryan Pulock set to return from injury this weekend, the Islanders placed defenseman Dennis Cholowski on waivers.