Mind you, it wasn’t the Rangers doing, at least not in a direct sense.

Instead, Brad Marchand, one of greatest agitators in NHL history, decided to troll the Rangers on social media. Marchand posted a photo of former Rangers defenseman Niko Mikkola holding up two fingers at what appears to be a team dinner with “THANKS @NYRANGERS” splashed over the picture.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Niko Mikkola 🤣 pic.twitter.com/YGfQ0HdKdE

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) June 20, 2025

Of course, no Rangers fan needs to be reminded that Mikkola redefined his career when he left New York after the 2022-23 season and signed with Florida as a free agent. In what seems like a flash, Mikkola transformed into a tough — physically and mentally — brute on the back end, a lineup staple during consecutive championship runs.

Give credit to both the Panthers staff and the player himself for the transformation that took place after he left the Rangers. Though, it should be noted that Mikkola was somewhat of a pleasant surprise on Broadway when the Rangers acquired him along with Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.

But really, it’d be a stretch to say anyone saw what was coming in Florida. Right time. Right place.

Bringing it full circle, Marchand’s earned the right to do all the chirping and trolling he wants these days after the 37-year-old finished third on the Panthers with 10 goals in the postseason, including five in the six-game Stanley Cup Final win against the Edmonton Oilers.

That wasn’t Mikkola trolling his former team. Just Marchand doing what Marchand does.

And lest you believe the Rangers were his only target, Marchand called out one of New York’s biggest rivals, as well.

Brad Marchand sent his thanks to the #NJDevils for Vitek Vanecek, Jesper Boqvist & Tomas Nosek via IG story. pic.twitter.com/8v8dj3AtJK

— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) June 20, 2025

TUNE IN to the latest RINK RAP podcast with special guest Pierre McGuire! Watch at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page and Listen Here to the audio-only version.

New York Rangers news

Pierre McGuire firmly believes the Rangers defense corps will improve dramatically next season with assistant David Quinn in charge.

Though their roster is far from that of the rugged Panthers, the Rangers do have the makings of an emerging and impactful identity line with Matt Rempe, Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom.

The Rangers re-signed Matthew Robertson to a two-year contract Friday, another piece of offseason business taken care of.

If you somehow missed it, Rempe signed a two-year contract to stay with the Rangers the other day, as well.

Speaking of Rempe, it says here that the Rangers have a budding identity line potentially with him, Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom.

So what exactly was it Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist said on TNT that makes him “miss the game so much”?

Our Eric Charles looked ahead to the second round of the NHL Draft and two unique talents the Rangers may consider when they select at No. 43 overall. Charles also broke down the games of rugged forward prospects Mason West and Jack Murtagh as possible second-round picks.

NHL news and rumors

Daily Faceoff: It might’ve been a bit alcohol fueled, but Conn Smythe Trophy winner and pending UFA Sam Bennett told a raucous crowd in South Florida that “I ain’t f—ing leaving” the Panthers.

Sportsnaut: Connor McDavid helped fuel the NHL rumors mill by telling the media there’s “no rush” to decide his future with the Edmonton Oilers as he enters the final season of his contract and could become a UFA at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

TSN: McDavid also broke — no pun intended — the news that teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played with a broken hand in the Stanley Cup Final.

Daily Faceoff: Restricted free agent Evan Bouchard made it clear that he wishes to re-sign with the Oilers, saying “I want to be here” on Thursday.

Sportsnet: Reportedly, Jonathan Toews is on the verge of agreeing to a contract with his hometown Winnipeg Jets to return to the NHL after two years away.

NHL.com: The Seattle Kraken acquired forward Mason Marchment in a trade with the Dallas Stars for two mid-round draft picks.

TSN: The Stars moved Marchment after they re-signed pending UFA Matt Duchene to a four-year, $18 million contract.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: (Briefly) former Rangers forward Nick Bonino announced his retirement from the NHL and then was named an assistant under Dan Muse on the Pittsburgh Penguins coaching staff.

NYI Hockey Now: Did Noah Dobson really ask for $11 million annually in contract negotiations with the New York Islanders?

The Athletic ($$): A breakdown of which teams should have interest in RFA defenseman Bowen Byram if he’s traded by the Buffalo Sabres. Yes, the Rangers are included.

Of course, you already know the punchline here.

The Rangers had Mikkola, but let him get away. And now he’s a big reason why the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup last spring and are one victory away from advancing to the Cup Final again this postseason.

To be fair, there wasn’t exactly outrage from Rangers fans or a hue and cry from the media nor others within the game when the Blueshirts let Mikkola walk in the summer of 2023. He was a nice trade-deadline addition in 2022-23, arriving as a secondary piece in the deal that brought Vladimir Tarasenko to Broadway from the St. Louis Blues. He played good minutes down the stretch and was solid against in the first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils.

It’s hard to find anyone in the hockey world who envisioned Mikkola would emerge as a high-level contributor playing 20 minutes a night for a championship team, though. Except that is for the Panthers, though coach Paul Maurice admitted that even they were a bit lucky here.

“The scouts are now saying ‘we knew it all along,’ and they deserve all the credit for that pickup. But his game has developed. We play a pretty simple game and he has a very strong hockey IQ,” Maurice explained before their Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes began this past week.

Typical Maurice dummying down how the Panthers made a great read on Mikkola and then signed him to a bargain three-year, $7.5 million contract, with an average annual value of $2.5 million. They saw something there that the Rangers most definitely did not.

“He is prototypical for our game and what we would like on our blue line,’’ Maurice explained. “And that is, make your read as fast as you can, and close as much ice as you can. … He is really built to play in our system.’’

A lot to like from Niko Mikkola in Game 1… pic.twitter.com/1pIRKPvonr

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) May 21, 2025

That fits with the take from most hockey experts that Mikkola wouldn’t be this good on another team. And that the Rangers weren’t completely misguided at the time, keeping Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller on the left side of their top-four, and letting Mikkola head into free agency.

Of course, watching him flourish with the Panthers, and raise his game to impressive levels during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, must pain Chris Drury and Co. This is exactly the type player the Rangers need right now. They had him. They let him go.

Related: Why Rangers should avoid extension, move on from Artemi Panarin after contract expires in 2026

Former Rangers defenseman Niko Mikkola having another great postseason with Panthers

The Rangers got an up-close view of Mikkola in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, which was won by the Panthers in six games. Mikkola punished his former teammates with his physical play, frustrated them with his long-reach (he’s 6-foot-6), quick outlet passes and smart decision making. He also got under the Rangers skin when he flattened Igor Shesterkin on a short-handed rush during the series.

Like Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Aleksander Barkov and now Brad Marchand, Mikkola embodies who the Panthers are.

“Playoff hockey is in my wheelhouse,” Mikkola said. “I like to play hard, I like to get hit, I like to give a hit. It’s been amazing.”

Mikkola is at it again this spring. He helped the Panthers hammer the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, and then escape a 2-0 series hole to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games during the second round.

NIKO MIKKOLA SNIPE SHOW 🎯

WHAT A RUN FOR THE D-MAN 🤯 pic.twitter.com/q9YM2sCgZ4

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 25, 2025

The rangy defenseman scored two goals Saturday in a 6-2 win over the Hurricanes. The Panthers lead that best-of-7 conference final 3-0, outscoring the Hurricanes 16-4 through three games. In the opener in Raleigh, Mikkola showed off his jets, sprinting from the back of his own zone to join the rush, taking a pass just outside the Hurricanes blue line, creating a 2-on-1. His slick pass was buried by fourth-liner A.J. Greer for a 3-1 lead at the time.

Though his bread-and-butter is excellent defensive play paired with a serious bite to his game, Mikkola can open eyes with his speed and creativity, too. It’s a solid package of skills. A perfect complement for a championship team or serious contender.

That’s why the Panthers are holding their breath after Mikkola took an awkward fall into the boards and left the game Saturday in the third period and didn’t return. It appeared the 29-year-old injured his shoulder.

Niko Mikkola went to the locker room after this tough collision with the boards behind the Florida net#TimeToHunt | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/DiXEWuuXnl

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) May 25, 2025

“We think he’s going to be OK,” Maurice said postgame.

Game 4 of the conference final will be played Monday in South Florida, with the Panthers trying to finish off the sweep. If they do, that’ll give Mikkola time to get healthy before he gets a chance to win his second Stanley Cup ring since leaving the Rangers.

After all, it was just a couple of weeks ago that the Rangers were two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose in six games to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Two recent former Rangers played a big part in knocking the Blueshirts out of the playoffs this year, and helping the Panthers eventually outlast the Oilers in an epic seven-game Final.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola each played all 24 postseason games with the Panthers. Tarasenko had nine points (five goals, four assists) and scored the series-winning goal against the Rangers in Game 6 of the conference final. This is his second Stanley Cup after the veteran forward previously helped the St. Louis Blues win their first Stanley Cup championship in 2019.

Mikkola won the Stanley Cup for the first time Monday. The 28-year-old defenseman had two goals and four points in the run, including scoring a big goal in Game 2 of the Final. He was fourth among Panthers defenseman this offseason, averaging 18:39 in ice time.

The Rangers acquired Tarasenko and Mikkola from the Blues on Feb. 9, 2023, a trade that sent forward Sammy Blais and a first-round pick the other way. Each played well for the Blueshirts down the stretch, and Tarasenko scored three goals in New York’s first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils.

So, they weren’t Rangers for long; but were Rangers nonetheless.

Related: Rangers options if looking to trade Kaapo Kakko, move up in 1st round of 2024 draft

Rangers ties to Panthers more than Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola

Beyond the championship roster, the Rangers have other ties to members of the Panthers organization.

Minor league goalie Magnus Hellberg, who was part of Florida’s Black Aces in the postseason, played a couple seasons in the Rangers organization, including three games for the Blueshirts. And former Rangers first-round pick Bobby Sanguinetti is an assistant coach with Charlotte, which is Florida’s affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Three other former Rangers players play key roles for the Panthers. Former defenseman Bryan McCabe is Florida’s Director of Player Personnel and ex-forward Shane Churla is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Panthers. Their long-time broadcaster Randy Moller, was a Rangers defenseman from 1989-92 and was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Jay Wells, who helped the Blueshirts win the Stanley Cup in 1994.

The Panthers goalie consultant, Francois Allaire, is the brother of Rangers longtime goalie guru Benoit Allaire. And assistant general manager Gregory Campbell is the son of former Rangers coach Colin Campbell, who was also an assistant on Mike Keenan’s staff in 1993-94.

So, there was a bit of the Rangers in that Stanley Cup celebration.

Now, Chris Drury and Co. is charged with making sure next time it is a pure Rangers celebration as the last team standing.

But Mikkola sure picked a doozy of a time to score the biggest goal of his NHL career Monday night.

The 28-year-old shocked everyone when he scored for the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. It was an absolute beauty and it was a clutch goal, too, tying the game 1-1 at 9:34 of the second period. Florida went on to win 4-1 and it now has a 2-0 series lead.

Well, maybe the Oilers shouldn’t have been shocked. Mikkola scored twice in a Nov. 20 game against them this season, so three of his five goals this season were against the Oilers.

Mikkola absolutely buried a slap shot off a drop pass by Anton Lundell off the rush on left wing, beating Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner low and to the glove-hand side. It was a goal-scorer’s goal, potted by a player who had one goal in 41 career playoff games entering Game 2 of the Final.

The former Blueshirt nearly was the goat, as opposed to the hero, for Florida earlier in the shift when he spun a backwards pass in his own end right on goal, where Sergei Bobrovsky made an alert stop. Mikkola was shaking his head after his miscue, coming that close to scoring an own goal and putting his team in a 2-0 hole.

Instead, he kept his composure, rejoined the play and scored the tying goal.

Related: 2024 NHL trade deadline was mixed bag for Rangers

Niko Mikkola played for Rangers, then helped eliminate them in 2024 playoffs

Mikkola was traded to the Rangers along with Vladimir Tarasenko by the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9, 2023, and played very well on the blue line for New York down the stretch of the 2022-23 season. He averaged 18:42 in ice time over 31 games with the Rangers, and had one goal and two assists. Mikkola added two assists in seven playoff games.

The Panthers signed Mikkola to a three-year, $7.5 million contract ($2.5 million average annual value) last offseason. He played all 82 games this season, averaged 20:02 in ice time and had an NHL career-high 17 points (three goals, 14 assists).

During the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers, Mikkola had one assist against his former team. But he had a strong series with his physical play and with how quickly he consistently turned the puck the other way in transition, helping the Panthers end the Rangers season in six games.

In a bit of Blueshirt irony, Tarasenko, who scored the Game 6 winning goal against the Rangers, assisted on Mikkola’s goal Monday. Tarasenko is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and could be an option for a New York return in 2024-25.

As we look ahead to the 2023-24 campaign, PuckPedia, estimated that the Blueshirts will have around $11,762,918 to fill out a roster that has just 14 signed.

Here’s our predictions for what is likely to happen with the Rangers pending UFAs.

Related: Predictions for New York Rangers RFAs

New York Rangers UFAs

Vladimir Tarasenko: A strong man both on and off the puck, the 31 year-old was a nice fit to the Rangers style of play. He registered 50 points in 69 games this season while adding 3 goals and 4 points in 7 playoff matches. Although I wouldn’t rule out a return for Tarasenko, who values how he and his family are treated, once he hits the open market it will be tough for the Rangers to compete. Teams looking at Tarasenko will be contenders with cap space and the possibility of giving him 5+ years at $7 million or more.

Prediction: Rangers will attempt to re-sign him but unless they can shed Barclay Goodrow’s contract, I don’t see it.

Patrick Kane: The 34 year-old forward admitted to not being 100% after the Rangers were eliminated by the Devils. This offseason, he will be looking at what steps to take on his nagging hip injury to be at full strength. As for where he may be suiting up in 2023-24, it’s unlikely to be the Rangers, who have little cap space and key restricted free agents (Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller) to re-sign.

Prediction: Rangers may wait to see what Kane does about his hip and if he’ll be out for a lengthy amount of time. There’s a slim chance they could sign him and then put him on LTIR. In the end, I think Kane becomes a UFA. Is a homecoming with the Buffalo Sabres in the cards? That’s where I think he ends up.

Tyler Motte: The 28 year-old forward was really impressive in his second post trade deadline stint with the Blueshirts. Motte registered 5 goals and 5 assists in 24 regular season contests with the Rangers and is open to a return. If GM Chris Drury is willing to give Motte some security in terms of years on his contract, I believe the Rangers can retain him.

Prediction: The Rangers and Motte will come to terms on at least a 3-year deal with an AAV around $1.25M to $1.55M.

Niko Mikkola: The 27 year-old defenseman played very well for the Rangers since coming over with Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues. Mikkola will certainly draw enough interest on the open market as a 6-4, 210 pounds physical blue-liner.

Prediction: Rangers are unlikely to afford a multi-year deal with an AAV north of $2 million, so he will walk.

Jaroslav Halak: If the 38 year-old backstop feels like he has one more season in him, the Rangers could easily go back to the well liked veteran. Despite a slow beginning where he won only once in 8 starts (1-6-1), he settled down and rattled off 7 straight wins from December to February to help turn both his and the team’s season around.

Prediction: Rangers need to save on every penny, but if Halak is up for another one-year deal at $1.5 million or less, he could come back.

After unexpectedly going to the conference finals last season, the Rangers are out to prove that it was not a fluke. While it has only been two games, they’ve already made a statement and showing clear potential to make a deep run for the Cup.

According to the Rangers, this is only second time in franchise history where they won their first two playoff games by four or more goals. The first time it occurred was in 1994, and when they beat the New York Islanders by identical scores of 6-0.

We all know how that playoff run finished.

New York Rangers making a statement early

Contributions from up and down the lineup

So far, the Rangers have gotten offensive contributions from a variety of players.

Chris Kreider has already recorded four goals by assuming his position in front of the net which has proven to be a weak spot for the Devils. Additionally, Vladimir Tarasenko has two goals, and Patrick Kane, Filip Chytil, and Kaapo Kakko each have one. Ryan Lindgren was an unexpected goal scorer in game one, roofing the puck on the short side.

Adam Fox has six assists through the first two games. K’Andre Miller, Artemi Panarin, Chytil, Kane, Kakko, Mika Zibanejad, and Niko Mikkola have all recorded assists as well.

These contributions are vital to the Rangers’ success, particularly as the playoffs progress. Playoff success is a full team effort, and so far the Rangers are showing promise in this area.

No Quit in New York means a full 60 minutes

A commonality between each of the first two games is that the Rangers sustained a complete effort for nearly an entire 60 minutes.

Even though they went down 1-0 in the first period in Game 2, they outshot the Devils 14-9 and did not lose their composure after allowing the initial goal. Rather, they were able to make a swift comeback on Tarasenko’s goal in the second and proceeded to score four more times to win.

As Braden Schneider mentioned between the first and second periods, the Rangers needed to stick to their game. They were patient and eventually got the end result they were looking for.

“As a whole, I don’t think we’re giving up too many odd man rushes and that bodes well for us,” captain Jacob Trouba noted. “We play our game and over the course of 60 minutes we feel we’ll score enough goals.”

Special teams

Special teams have played a significant role in the first two games. The Rangers were two for three on the power play and four for four on the penalty kill in Game 1. They were two for seven on the power play and three for four on the penalty kill in Game 2. Overall, their power play is clicking at 40% right now and their penalty kill is at 87.5%.

These numbers are excellent, and unlikely to be sustained over the course of four series if the Blueshirts go all the way. However, it is an extremely promising sign that whatever troubles they had on the power play after the trade deadline appear to be figured out.

It has only been two games, but the Rangers are already demonstrating that they can compete in the playoffs. They are setting themselves up for a solid run. The Devils will be looking to cut the Rangers’ series lead in half on Saturday, so it is important that they stick to their game and prepare for the Devils to pressure them.

Note: All stats come from nhl.com

Gerard Gallant expected to pair Mikkola with Braden Schneider and did so out of the gate. However, he’s spent the last several contests with Adam Fox due to Ryan Lindgren’s shoulder injury.

The Mikkola and Fox pairing will stay together until Lindgren returns.

Niko Mikkola has been a solid addition

Mikkola, 26, has 5 assists in 66 games to date. He also has a cap hit of $1.9 million and will be a UFA when this season comes to a close.

At 6-4, 210 pounds, he’s a physical defender that’s averaged 2.065 hits per game since joining the Blueshirts. Prior to the trade, he ranked third on the Blues in hits (96) and blocked shots (68).

Overall, Mikkola has been as advertised and hasn’t withered playing a much heavier workload than intended. In his first 8 games with the team on the third pair, he averaged 16:42 and registered an assist. Once Lindgren was hurt, he was bumped into a top-four role playing 21:26 per game and also adding another assist.

While there have been times he and Fox experienced miscues, they’ve been solid 5 on 5 with 8 GoalsFor and 8 GoalsAgainst. Prior to that, Mikkola had a -3 differential with Schneider. Some of those goals against can be allocated to new team/new system issues.

So the question is, should the Rangers consider re-signing Mikkola? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no.

Rangers should consider re-singing Niko Mikkola

New York’s cap situation for 2023-24 has them at 13 roster players signed with approximately $16.8 million in order to fill out the rest of the lineup.

First and foremost, they need to take care of their key RFA’s in forwards Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and defenseman K’Andre Miller. After they figure that out, they can get to work on the rest of the lineup.

The Rangers already have Ben Harpur secured with a team friendly cap hit of $787,500 to be their seventh defensemen. Re-signing Mikkola would block the path of any up and coming defenders like Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson.

Jones, 22, will be an RFA at the end of this season and will want some assurances that if he re-signs that there’s a spot for him next year. If so, he’ll be looking for an increase over his current $925,000 salary (albeit not much). Unlike Nils Lundqvist, he’s not a first-round pick with a high-ceiling, so demanding a trade might not work out for him.

Robertson, 22, has another season at $797,500 left on his ELC and would fit this team cap wise. However, he’s yet to show that he’s ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman.

So are the Rangers, who are in their Stanley Cup winning window really looking to have a hole on their third pair next season?

The biggest key in re-signing Mikkola is what he’s looking for on his next deal. With the uncertainty of the final salary cap numbers for next season, it could once again impact contracts for players like him.

If the Rangers can get him on a two or three year deal in the neighborhood of $2.5 million per season, it’s worth considering.

–Cap Data via Puck Pedia

–Stats via NHL.com

“Schneider came to ask if I knew Mikkola,” Kakko said via Google Translate. “Of course I immediately connected it to the trade. I went looking for more information and was pretty excited.”

Kakko has been waiting to speak Finnish with a teammate ever since being selected by the Rangers second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.

“We’ve got some Finnish guy over here, so good for me,” Kakko said with a smile after the trade. “Sometimes it’s fun to speak Finnish. I know him already– good guy. We played on the international team one international tournament together.”

Mikkola, 26, will be a pending UFA this summer but there’s already an inkling that the Rangers may look to extend him before the market opens in July. Regardless, he’s happy to be spending some time with Kakko.

“[Kakko] had a big smile when I walked in the locker room,” Mikkola said with a laugh. “We’re both pretty excited.”

Kaapo Kakko wasn’t sure if he would be traded

One of the most interesting tidbits from the Ilta Sanomat interview was Kakko thinking he might be going the other way for Tarasenko.

“I was browsing social media and saw that Tarasenko was coming,” Kakko explained to IS. “I immediately started to see if there would be a call that I could go in the other direction myself.”

The Rangers are highly unlikely to trade the 22 year-old winger anytime soon. This season, he’s in the process of setting career highs with every contest. In 2022-23, Kakko has 11 goals, 17 assists, and 28 points in 53 games.

Kakko also has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $2.1M before becoming an RFA with arbitration rights in 2024.

New York Rangers go Disney

When the Rangers take on the Washington Capitals on March 14, fans can tune into ESPN+ and the Disney Channel to see a live animated version of the game.

It’s being called the “NHL Big City Greens Classic” and here’s a synopsis via the NHL:

The alternate presentation of the Capitals-Rangers game will feature live, real-time volumetric animation of players and teams modeled after characters on Disney Branded Television’s Emmy® Award-winning animated comedy “Big City Greens.” ESPN+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney+ will present the live, animated telecast, while the main telecast will be available on ESPN and ESPN+.

You can check out the trailer in the tweet below.

ESPN, @DisneyChannel & the @NHL team up for NHL Big City Greens Classic

First-of-its-kind live volumetric animation of an #NHL game telecast feat. @Capitals vs @NYRangers

🏒 Tuesday, March 14 at 7p ET@ESPNPlus, Disney Channel, @DisneyXD, @disneyplus

🔗 https://t.co/WywSViZQ5R pic.twitter.com/oZkgQ0owZO

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 14, 2023

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors: Where is Ryan O’Reilly going? Read more.

NHL Rumors: Erik Karlsson going to the Oilers? Read more.

Filip Chytil, who is more than happy to shoot the puck, has been moved up to the team’s top unit. Meanwhile, Vladimir Tarasenko will be featured on the second unit and Trocheck will replace K’Andre Miller.

“Bringing in Tarasenko is going to help our top-six, there’s no doubt about that,” Gerard Gallant said. “He deserves to play on one of the two (pp units). As you saw this morning, there’s two pretty good units… Fil’s got a good set of hands and he’s been pretty hot lately.”

Chytil, 23, is on fire right now with 11 goals in his last 13 games.

PP2: Kakko-Lafrenière-Tarasenko-Trocheck-Trouba

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) February 10, 2023

New York Rangers welcome Vladimir Tarasenko

The Blueshirts are certainly feeling the buzz that was generated by the trade that landed the talented winger on Thursday. No one looked happier than Tarasenko, who will be playing with good friend, Artemi Panarin.

“I talked before a little with Artemi and I happy to join the New York Rangers,” Tarasenko said via the team’s YouTube Channel. “The group guys seem very nice and they gave me a warm welcome. It feels very good.”

HELLO, VLADI pic.twitter.com/fGLEuiEm3w

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 10, 2023

Tarasenko, 31, will be a UFA in July and has 29 points in 38 games this season. For his career, Tarasenko has amassed 553 points in 644 regular-season games all with the Blues. He won the Stanley Cup with them in 2019.

“They wanted me here and I want to be here too,” Tarasenko noted. “It’s a big team. One of my best friend plays here and they have a chance to win the Cup. That’s our motivation.”

The relationship between him and Panarin met playing for Russia at the World Junior Championships in 2011. They’ve been friends ever since.

Not to get lost in the stargazing, defenseman Niko Mikkola will also be making his Rangers debut.

“I’m just going to try and bring my game playing defense hard,” Mikkola said. “Play the simple way. So probably the same role (in St. Louis) and PK.”

Mikkola, 26, will also be a UFA this summer and has notched just 3 assists in 50 games. However, at 6-4′ and 210 pounds it’s not points the Rangers are looking for. This season, he ranked third on the Blues in hits (96) and blocked shots (68) prior to the trade.

Vitali Kravtsov gets another chance

One of the biggest surprises was seeing Vitali Kravtsov not only being reinserted into the lineup, but being given a chance on the second line.

Per multiple reports, here’s how the lines and d-pairs are shaping up:

• Panarin – Zibanejad – Tarasenko
• Kreider – Trocheck – Kravtsov
• Lafrenière – Chytil – Kakko
• Vesey – Goodrow – Gauthier
• Lindgren – Fox
• Miller – Trouba
• Mikkola – Schneider
• Shesterkin
• Halak

“We want to give him an opportunity,” Gallant said. “You’re getting back in and playing with some skilled players to see if it works out. I want to see him put the puck in the net. He’s shown some good spurts but it wasn’t enough. We’ll see what he does.”

Things were looking up for Vitali Kravtsov with the New York Rangers after a series of early injuries and healthy scratches limited him to just 10 of the team’s first 27 games.

In that span, the 23 year-old skilled winger notched just two points. However, beginning on December 15, Kravtsov suited up for every game and played in 17 straight. This allowed the 2018 first-round pick to add another four points to his totals which now stands at six (3G -3A).

However, being demoted to the fourth line didn’t suit his game and he was eventually scratched in favor of prospect Will Cuylle for the last four games. With the Rangers opting to send Cuylle down yesterday, it presented another chance for the former 9th overall pick in 2018 to prove himself again.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors: Will the Rangers go big at the deadline? Read more.

NHL Rumors: Will Patrick Kane leave? Are the Blues sellers? Read more.

GM Chris Drury wasn’t going to sit around a wait for eleventh hour to make a deal to improve their roster at the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3. He also wasn’t going to wait on Patrick Kane to make a decision to waive his no move clause, or possibly shut it down for the season due to a nagging injury.

“It’s something we’ve been looking at for a while,”Drury said. “It gives the two new players a little more time to acclimate to our group, so excited to do it now and get them in the lineup tomorrow.”

Chris Drury on Tarasenko and Mikkola: "It’s something we’ve been looking at for a while. It gives the two new players a little more time to acclimate to our group, so excited to do it now and get them in the lineup tomorrow.”

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 9, 2023

Rangers excited about Vladimir Tarasenko

The Rangers added Tarasenko (50% salary retained) and Mikkola in exchange for a conditional first-round pick (2023), a conditional fourth-round pick (2024), forward Sammy Blais, and prospect defenseman Hunter Skinner.

Tarasenko is likely to be slotted on the right wing of the top line with Mika Zibanejad and his friend Artemi Panarin. The two were enjoying each other’s company at the All-Star Game in Florida last weekend.

“In doing our homework on this deal, I did have a quick conversation with Artemi,” Drury admitted. “We’re excited to have him in the group and think he’ll fit in nicely.”

Reunion szn incoming pic.twitter.com/PJql5aY0a5

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 9, 2023

Tarasenko, 31, will be a UFA in July and has 29 points in 38 games this season. For his career, Tarasenko has amassed 553 points in 644 regular-season games all with the Blues. He won the Stanley Cup with them in 2019.

Mikkola, 26, will also be a UFA when this season comes to a close. In 50 games, he’s registered just 3 assists. However, the Rangers didn’t get him to score. At 6-4, 210 pounds, he’s a physical defender. Prior to the trade, he ranked third on the Blues in hits (96) and blocked shots (68).

Gerard Gallant is expected to play him with Braden Schneider. The Rangers also waived Libor Hajek today, effectively making Ben Harpur the team’s 7th defenseman.

The Blueshirts host the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.

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