Lundkvist, 22, has 4 assists in 8 games this season after registering 4 points (1G-3A) in 25 contests while in New York last season.

“It was a very special situation this summer and I’m happy how everything ended,” Lundkvist said on Friday. “I’m happy for my time in New York too. I have so much respect for that organization. I’m happy they drafted me, believed in me, and let me play in the NHL. I learned a lot from last year, but now I’m very happy to be [in Dallas].”

Nils Lundkvist grateful to Rangers organization

When Nils Lundkvist asked the New York Rangers for a trade last January, both sides kept it quiet until agent Claude Lemieux pushed harder this summer for a deal.

The play worked and GM Chris Drury was able to get a nice return from the Dallas Stars. In exchange, the Rangers received a conditional first round selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional fourth round selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

The conditions per the New York Rangers press release are as follows:

• If the Stars pick in the 2023 draft is in the top 10, the Rangers will get Dallas’ own first round pick in the 2024 draft instead and the pick will be unprotected.
• If Lundkvist produces 55 points cumulative over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Dallas will transfer its own third-round pick in 2025 instead of the fourth-round pick in 2025.

Since the trade, Lundkvist has fit right in and impressed his new head coach Peter DeBoer.

“The kid’s been unflappable since we got him,” DeBoer said. “Offensively, you see the gifts but what I like is how he’s defended. He really hasn’t looked overwhelmed or outmuscled in hardly any situation all year. You forget he’s still a young defenseman.”

Lundkvist simply didn’t see a path forward in New York behind Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, and suddenly Braden Schneider on the right side defense. That’s why he and his agent requested the trade.

The offensively talented Swede lost his spot to Schneider thanks to the rugged defender’s ability to play hard-nosed defense. It’s a knock that Lundkvist doesn’t feel is justified.

“You want to earn your playing time. I feel like I had a solid camp and they believe in me,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been more solid defensively. I also didn’t feel like that was a problem for me in New York. I had a big injury coming to camp the season before and this summer I had plenty of time to work on strength and conditioning. I feel like that’s been the difference.”

In the end, Lundkvist and his agent have spoken highly of the Rangers, but this is the opportunity he’s been looking for. When the Blueshirts come into Dallas today, he’ll have a chance to show them what he can do.

“It’ll be a special game,” Lundkvist admitted. “I know a lot of the organization. I haven’t played that many games there, but you get to know a bunch of the guys and the staff. It’s going to be a fun game.”

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On the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, host Jeff Marek revealed that Dallas had a trade lined up with the Detroit Red Wings for the 30th pick if Lundkvist was still there. The Rangers selected him at 28, using the first-rounder they acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Ryan McDonagh blockbuster.

Stars made offer for Nils Lundkvist last season

Lundkvist, 22, recorded 4 points in 25 NHL games during the 2021-22 campaign. He has two years left on his entry-level contract at $925,000.

After Lundkvist’s trade request went public, including the fact that he asked out in January, there were reports the Rangers had an offer for a second round pick on the table.

Could the Stars have been that team? There’s no clarification on that but it’s possible considering what Elliotte Friedman said on the same podcast.

“Dallas has been trying to make this deal for seven to eight months,” Friedman noted.

In the end, the Rangers were able to get much better than a second round pick. Matter of fact, way better. GM Chris Drury was able to obtain a conditional first and fourth with details as follows:

The conditions per the New York Rangers press release is as follows:

• If the Stars pick in the 2023 draft is in the top 10, the Rangers will get Dallas’ own first round pick in the 2024 draft instead and the pick will be unprotected.
• If Lundkvist produces 55 points cumulative over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Dallas will transfer its own third-round pick in 2025 instead of the fourth-round pick in 2025.

New York Rangers training camp schedule

Today is officially Day 4 of training camp, but the third day of on-ice sessions. Here’s what’s on the docket:

• 9/24 Team B & C Scrimmage (10:00-10:45 AM)
• 9/24 Team A Practice (12:45-2:30 PM)

The Rangers will play their first preseason game against the New York Islanders on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM ET. You can check out MSG Networks full schedule here.

Training Camp news and notes

As training camp progresses here’s a few notable observations:

Penalty Kill Units: The Rangers PK we obviously have some different looks with players like Kevin Rooney, Tyler Motte, and Andrew Copp gone via free agency. Two free agent signings in Vincent Trocheck and Ryan Carpenter are expected to fill in per Gerard Gallant. Kaapo Kakko may also be given consideration.

Defense: Gallant has already stated the top five from last season will all be on the roster for opening night. Currently, Libor Hajek appears to have the inside track to win the starting job with Zac Jones on the outside.

Injury Updates:

• Barclay Goodrow is expected to play in preseason games despite no scrimmages due to recovering from a fractured foot.
• Ryan Lindgren is feeling good after dealing with a lower-body issue in the playoffs.

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On Monday night, GM Chris Drury was able to get a nice return from Dallas Stars counterpart Jim Nill. In exchange, the Rangers receive a conditional first round selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional fourth round selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

The conditions per the New York Rangers press release are as follows:

• If the Stars pick in the 2023 draft is in the top 10, the Rangers will get Dallas’ own first round pick in the 2024 draft instead and the pick will be unprotected.
• If Lundkvist produces 55 points cumulative over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Dallas will transfer its own third-round pick in 2025 instead of the fourth-round pick in 2025.

“They called me in the middle of the night and told me,” Lundkvist revealed to Norrländska Socialdemokraten. “After that the phone rang all at once.”

Nils Lundkvist didn’t see a path forward

Lundkvist played in 25 games last season and was able to register 4 points before being unexpectedly sent down on January 11th. His replacement was 2020 first-round pick Braden Schneider, who has since cemented his spot in the lineup with his physical play.

Ahead of Schneider are captain Jacob Trouba, and Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. Considering the trio in front of him on right defense, the likelihood of beating them out was a steep uphill climb.

“I understand that you have to fight your way up, but I couldn’t really see a way forward for me,” Lundkvist said. “So a trade felt like the best solution.”

Of course, Nils was aware of the backlash he would receive once that information got out in the open. He wanted to make clear that he loved the organization and the decision was solely about finding a better career path.

Still, many dubbed him selfish and not working hard to earn a spot.

“That’s not how I want to appear,” he said. “People can of course believe what they want. But those who know me know that I am not like that.”

The Dallas Stars were looking for a future top four right defenseman to replace John Klingberg and Lundkvist certainly fit the bill.

“Nils is a skilled, right-handed shot defenseman that adjusted to the North American game this past season and has a high ceiling,” said Nill. “We felt that adding a creative player like Nils to our defensive group was necessary, and he has a tremendous opportunity to establish himself as an everyday, impact defenseman at the NHL level.”

Stars GM Jim Nill, NHL.com

Now, he’s off to Texas where he hopes to get there quickly for training camp.

“There hasn’t been much sleep for me and now I’m busy making arrangements to get over there,” Lundkvist explained. “But I’m glad everything worked out. I know I will have to perform to get a Dallas Stars jersey, but they seem to have a lot of faith in me.”

Note: HockeySverige.se also used as reference

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Namestnikov was traded in 2019 to Ottawa for Nick Ebert, who the Rangers let walk, and a 4th round pick. That pick became forward Kalle Väisänen.

Last summer, the Rangers traded Howden to the Vegas Golden Knights for Nick DeSimone and a 4th round pick that became forward Noah Laba. DeSimone signed as a free agent with the Flames this July.

Monday night, Nils Lundkvist was sent packing to the Dallas Stars after requesting a trade out of the organization. In return, the Blueshirts received a conditional 1st round pick in 2023 and a 4th round pick in 2025.

Note: For a breakdown of the conditions click here.

New York Rangers still have Libor Hajek

There was no doubt once the Lightning won the Cup in 2020 who had the advantage in that trade. Ryan McDonagh was an instrumental player in back-to-back championships. Tampa was also foolish in trading J.T. Miller to the Canucks in 2019, but after two consecutive boat parades it’s been forgotten.

Still, there was hope that at least Lundkvist would become a staple on the Rangers blue-line for a decade. Many believed he could help run one of the power play units and be a consistent offensive threat from the back end. After yesterday’s trade, that’s no longer a possibility.

Now all the Rangers have to show for the McDonagh blockbuster is Libor Hajek.

Yes, the Rangers have some prospects in Henriksson, Väisänen, and Laba that could play some NHL games one day. But none are expected to have a significant impact at this time. While we need to see what those draft picks yield from the Lundkvist trade, they won’t be realized for at least three to four years.

So after all the dust has settled, the Rangers basically traded their former captain and a future 99 points scorer for a 7th defenseman.

Clearly not one of Jeff Gorton’s best moves a GM. Although obtaining Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox for basically a song well made up for it.

In the end, this trade was a huge flop for the franchise. Granted, a rebuild was just getting underway and moving McDonagh had a lot to do with cap flexibility. However, adding J.T. Miller was unnecessary and certainly qualifies this as one of the worst moves in the team’s history.

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UPDATE: Trade is now official per New York Rangers

#NYR have acquired a conditional first round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft from Dallas in exchange for defenseman Nils Lundkvist.

The conditions per the New York Rangers press release is as follows:

• If the Stars pick in the 2023 draft is in the top 10, the Rangers will get Dallas’ own first round pick in the 2024 draft instead and the pick will be unprotected.
• If Lundkvist produces 55 points cumulative over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Dallas will transfer its own third-round pick in 2025 instead of the fourth-round pick in 2025.

New York is now slated to have seven picks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville, including two first round picks, one in the second (from Winnipeg) and third round (from Colorado) as well as two six round picks (one from Winnipeg) and a seventh-round selection.

Rangers trade Nils Lundkvist to the Dallas Stars

I have to give Nils’ agent Claude Lemieux a ton of credit on this one.

Over the weekend, I wrote how Lundkvist was taking a big risk by not reporting to training camp in order to force GM Chris Drury into a trade. The overriding thought was that Drury’s track record with trade requests directed his way normally backfire.

There’s a laundry list of examples from his time as GM of the Wolf Pack, but his two most recent were Vitali Kravtsov and Alexandar Georgiev. Both asked to be traded last offseason, with Georgiev finally moved a year later and Kravtsov prepping for training camp.

Well, I couldn’t be more wrong and kudos to Lemieux.

Lundkvist, 22, was taken 28th overall in the 2018 Draft and has two years left on his entry-level contract with an AAV of $925,000.

The former Borje Salming Trophy winner as the SHL’s best Swedish-born defenseman struggled in his 25 game NHL stint last season registering 4 points. However, he has an elite shot and is projected to be a top-four defenseman that can quarterback a power play.

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“We did request a trade when Nils was sent down last year,” his agent Claude Lemieux told Forever Blueshirts via text on September 1. “We hope something can get done in the next few weeks.”

General manager Chris Drury was asked about Lundkvist at the start of rookie camp and didn’t have much to say.

“I don’t really have any update on it,” Drury said per NY Post’s Mollie Walker. “Obviously, we think he’s a real good player. We drafted him. We’ve worked with him the last number of years. We certainly hope he’s here next week.”

UPDATE: Rangers trade Lundkvist to Dallas Stars. Details.

Nils Lundkvist forcing New York Rangers to trade him

In what can only be defined as a huge risk, Lundkvist is opting to stay in Sweden and not report to training camp. It is without a doubt a play to force Chris Drury into a trade.

Lundkvist, 22, was taken 28th overall in the 2018 Draft and has two years left on his entry-level contract with an AAV of $925,000. There’s no doubt that there are interested suitors out there. Some of the most likely candidates are the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and the Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs seem like an obvious trade partner with Nick Bobrov there. He was head of the Rangers European scouting department when Nils was selected before Drury dismissed him last summer. Former Blueshirts GM and now Habs VP of Hockey Ops, Jeff Gorton is there as well. However, the two teams have not made a single trade since these changes were made and I’m not expecting one anytime soon.

Remember when Vitali Kravtsov asked for a trade last September? Everyone had him playing in a Canadiens uniform as soon as that news hit the wire.

Forever Blueshirts was told by someone familiar with the situation that it wasn’t going to be that easy. While Gorton would have interest, it would have to be at a discounted price. What was also relayed to me is that Gorton would be more inclined to acquire one of the prospect defensemen he drafted like Zac Jones, Braden Schneider, or Matthew Robertson.

Obviously, Schneider joined the Rangers in January when Lundkvist was sent down and is deemed an untouchable at this time. Whomever loses out in camp between Jones and Robertson this season may very well be looking for an out next.

Lundkvist play will likely backfire

At the end of the day, I believe this move will likely backfire on Lundkvist. It would probably have been better for him to arrive at camp and showcase his talents to possible suitors.

Right now, his trade value isn’t where Drury wants it to be or else a deal would’ve been done.

The former Borje Salming Trophy winner as the SHL’s best Swedish-born defenseman struggled in his 25 game NHL stint last season. He managed to pick up 4 points before being sent down to the Wolf Pack where those struggles continued registering 15 points in 34 games.

Lundkvist comes equipped with an elite shot and excellent offensive abilities. However, he’s on the small side at 5-11 and 187 pounds, which only exacerbates his issues in the defensive zone.

It will be hard for any GM to give up a top prospect or high draft pick for him just before the season starts. Plus he wants to be traded, and other teams can clearly see there’s no spot for him behind Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, and Braden Schneider. Those factors all drive his value down.

While I understand Lundkvist’s frustration and desire to get a legit opportunity, Drury isn’t the GM to play this game with.

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek when discussing the Kravtsov situation last season pointed out Drury’s track record as Wolf Pack GM. While he was there, several players demanded trades including Sean Day, Ty Ronning, Brandon Halverson, and Ryan Gropp. Their requests didn’t go as they hoped.

“In all these situations Chris Drury basically said ‘kick rocks’, I’m not gonna deal you,” Marek said. “And was comfortable to wait it out.”

I’m not sure you want to play chicken with a guy who has proven he won’t be forced into a move. You can ask Vitali how his trade request went. Not only did he re-sign this summer but showed up to New York a month in advance of camp per Drury’s demand.

Bottom line, I don’t believe Lundkvist is going to be traded before the start of the season. Which means he may be asked to report to Hartford and be suspended if he refuses. More likely than not, the Rangers will loan him to his former SHL team Lulea, where he can play until the next trade deadline hits on March 3.

Then maybe he might get traded.

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In what should be no surprise, Nils Lundkvist will NOT report to New York Rangers camp per his agent Claude Lemieux. When the original story broke regarding the Rangers trying to trade the 2018 first round pick, I spoke with him about the situation.

“We did request a trade when Nils was sent down last year,” Lemieux told me on September 1. “We hope something can get done in the next few weeks.”

As to the why Lundkvist was seeking to be dealt, Lemieux cited a lack of opportunity for the former Borje Salming winner as the SHL’s best defenseman.

Nils Lundkvist won’t be at camp

Lundkvist, 22, was taken 28th overall in the 2018 Draft, part of the package received from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. He has two years left on his entry-level contract with an AAV of $925,000 and will have plenty of teams looking to acquire him.

However, the Rangers aren’t just going to trade him and GM Chris Drury is not known to rush a move. A trade could come before the season starts as both Nils and his agent hope, but Drury’s modus operandi is to take his time until he gets what he wants.

If the Rangers are going to trade Lundkvist before the start of the season, you can safely assume it will be for a similar type prospect. Drury will ask for a highly-ranked player, most likely a center that was selected in the first-round and still has a year or two on their entry-level contract.

Of course, that isn’t set in stone and not many teams are going to be jumping at trading a top center prospect. That’s why I believe this could take much longer and Drury may see more value in saving a top trading chip for the deadline on a rental like Patrick Kane.

Vitali Kravtsov on track

Speaking of a prospect that wanted to be traded last year, Vitali Kravtsov has been in New York training since August and looking ready to show what he can do.

“I think he’s on a great track,” Drury said of Kravtsov, who scored seven goals and dished three assists in 15 playoff games for the Kontinental Hockey League’s Chelyabinsk Traktor. “He chose voluntarily to come here very early in the summer. … So that was obviously a great sign that he chose to do that. Come here, he’s had a great summer training, skating. He looks good. We’re excited to see what he has.“Just from what we’ve seen so far, peeking out my window at practices, he looks really good and we’re excited he’s here.”

NY Post

Kravtsov, 22, had a strong 2021-22 campaign in the KHL. In 19 regular season contests, he potted 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points. During the playoffs, he added 7 goals and a total of 10 points in 15 games.

This coming season, he has a real chance to play top 9 minutes on the right wing for the Rangers.

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New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury spoke briefly with the media today and addressed Nils Lundkvist.

“I don’t really have any update on it,” Drury said per NY Post’s Mollie Walker. “Obviously, we think he’s a real good player. We drafted him. We’ve worked with him the last number of years. We certainly hope he’s here next week.”

One thing Drury did not address was Lundkvist’s request for a trade which was confirmed to us by his agent Claude Lemieux on September 1.

“We did request a trade when Nils was sent down last year,” Lemieux said. “We hope something can get done in the next few weeks.”

Lundkvist, 22, recorded 4 points in 25 NHL games during the 2021-22 campaign. He also has two years left on his entry-level contract at $925,000.

New York Rangers defense and Nils Lundkvist

While the Rangers are hopeful he shows up to camp, that has yet to be decided. As far as what’s known, he’s likely still in Sweden with training camp set to open next Wednesday for the big club.

If he does participate, it will only help his value and chances for a trade before the start of the season in October.

As for the defense, the right side is basically set with Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, and Braden Schneider. On the left, there is one open spot behind Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller.

Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson are both at rookie camp fighting for that spot. Veteran Libor Hajek will also try and make a push for the position.

There was talk that the Rangers may look for a veteran left defenseman on a PTO, but that’s becoming less and less a possibility.

“We’re still actively looking at some PTOs for defensemen,” Drury said. “I think we’re pretty comfortable right now with who we have back there.”

In commenting on the situation, Drury noted that even if something doesn’t pan out they could always make use of the waiver wire early in the season.

At this point, there’s very little on left defense out there unless Keith Yandle is a consideration.

Regarding Jimmy Vesey

When it comes to the battle up front, there’s some flexibility on who makes the bottom six. Enter in former Rangers Jimmy Vesey, who will be at camp on a PTO.

Vesey, 29, registered 8 goals and 15 points in 68 games for the New Jersey Devils last season. According to Drury, it was watching him up close that made him interested.

“The things he was able to do really well for Jersey last year excited us,” Drury relayed per USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano. “Bottom six, big guy, physical player, had a really good year on the PK. He’ll get a chance here to show us what he can do.”

If Vesey makes it, he’s expected to play hard and physical. Of course, the Rangers have players like that in Dryden Hunt and Sammy Blais already. The key for Vesey to make the team will be his abilities to kill penalties.

Something the Rangers got hit hard on when both Kevin Rooney and Tyler Motte left via free agency.

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The New York Rangers rookie camp roster is missing defenseman Nils Lundkvist from it. While that could be by the team’s choice, it harkens back to his trade request from last year that became public on September 1 indicating he may not attend training camp.

“We did request a trade when Nils was sent down last year,” his agent Claude Lemieux told me. “We hope something can get done in the next few weeks.”

Lundkvist, 22, recorded 4 points in 25 NHL games during the 2021-22 campaign. He also has two years left on his entry-level contract at $925,000 which helps his value, but his chances to be moved before the season starts is 50/50 at best.

Rookie camp officially begins tomorrow (9/14) with regular camp soon to follow on September 21. There’s no word as of yet if Nils will attend or stay in Sweden until a trade is done.

Editor’s Note: There’s been some confusion on Nils Lundkvist’s eligibility for this article since he played 25 games. The language on the NHL site reads as follows:

 To be eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, a player cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. Beginning in 1990-91, a player must not have attained his 26th birthday by Sept. 15 of the season in which he is eligible.

New York Rangers rookie camp roster

A quick glance at the rookie camp roster looks like a potential lineup in 5 years. The Rangers have invited 13 forwards, 7 defenseman, and 3 goalies this season and we should see them all in action against the Flyers rookies later this week.

The forward group is led by Brennan Othmann, who is widely considered the organization’s top prospect after being selected 16th overall in 2021. He just completed Flint Firebirds camp and is set on trying to make the Rangers

“I want to keep the pace of play up,” Othmann said. “Keeping that confidence from this camp to Rangers camp is going to be huge.”

Othmann is followed by Will Cuylle and Adam Sykora, both second round picks in the 2020 and 2022 drafts respectively. Other notable names to watch are Adam Edstrom, Bobby Trivigno, and Ryder Korczak.

On defense, Zac Jones is a name that stands out. I didn’t expect to see the third round pick from 2019 on the roster but he’s been in the area training for his big opportunity. He will be competing with Matthew Robertson, a 2019 second round selection for the third left defense spot at camp. Another interesting player to watch on the blue-line is Louka Henault, a teammate of Cuylle’s on the Windsor Spitfires.

“Zac has been thrilled with his first two pro stints with the organization,” his agent Shawn Hunwick told Forever Blueshirts. “Zac is already back in New York preparing for the season with a small group of players.”

In goal, Dylan Garand is the one to watch. The fourth round choice in 2020 is fresh off an undefeated World Junior Championship to win Gold and is showing promise. He will split time with Talyn Boyko (4th rd 2021) and Olof Lindbom (2nd rd 2018).

Below is the full New York Rangers 2022-23 Rookie Camp Roster.

OFFICIAL: #NYR 2022-23 Rookie Camp will run from Weds., Sept. 14 to Tues., Sept. 20 and will feature two games vs. the Flyers at PPL Center in Allentown.

Full details: https://t.co/0CktWOUAqG
Roster ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/bDjFM6lCcx

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 12, 2022

New York Rangers rookie camp schedule

Here is the full schedule for the Rangers rookie camp:

• Wednesday, September 14 – Practice – 12:00 PM (MSG Training Center)

• Thursday, September 15 – Practice – 12:15 PM (MSG Training Center)

• Friday, September 16 – Rookie Game at Flyers – 7:00 PM (PPL Center in Allentown, PA)

• Saturday, September 17 – Rookie Game at Flyers – 5:00 PM (PPL Center in Allentown, PA)

• Monday, September 19 – On-ice testing – 12-3:00 PM (MSG Training Center)

• Tuesday, September 20 – Practice – 12:15 PM (MSG Training Center)

For more information on the Rangers vs Flyers rookie games check here.

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The New York Rangers and Nils Lundkvist are expected to part ways. Whether that happens before the season starts or at the next trade deadline remains to be seen.

With training camp set to open on September 21, Lundkvist is hoping he will be wearing a different uniform. His agent, Claude Lemieux revealed to me on September 1st that they asked for a trade last season after he was sent down in favor of Braden Schneider in January.

“We did request a trade when Nils was sent down last year,” Lemieux said. “We hope something can get done in the next few weeks.”

UPDATE: Rangers trade Lundkvist to Dallas Stars. Details.

New York Rangers have offer for Nils Lundkvist

According to Arthur Staple of the Athletic, the Rangers have at least one offer for a second-round pick dating prior to the 2022 NHL Draft.

As for trades, two sources said that the Rangers have been offered a second-round pick for Lundkvist, an offer that’s been on the table since Claude Lemieux, Lundkvist’s agent, requested a trade before the deadline in March. It’s believed to be a high-second rounder — it was likely for the June draft from a team at the bottom of last season’s standings — and the sources indicated the offer of a second for next year’s draft is still good.

The Athletic (Subscription Required)

It’s likely that the offer, if Staple’s speculation is correct, was for a late pick. Teams with multiple second round selections like the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings or Seattle Kraken seem like probable candidates. Also not to be dismissed are the Montreal Canadiens, who appear to be a logical match.

So the question is simple, should the Rangers take a second round pick for Lundkvist or hold out for more? Considering GM Chris Drury didn’t take the offer then, I think we can safely assume how he’s leaning.

Should the Rangers hold out for more?

Lundkvist, 22, recorded 4 points in 25 NHL games during the 2021-22 campaign. He also has two years left on his entry-level contract at $925,000 which helps his trade value.

Forever Blueshirts has learned that prior to Lundkvist making his way to the Rangers, there was some apprehension about signing his entry level deal. I mean, he was drafted in 2018 and did not ink the contract until June 3, 2021. As to the reason why, that was not made clear.

Regardless, Lundkvist is still a highly regarded prospect that is projected to be a future power play quarterback thanks to an elite shot and great passing skills. In his final SHL season, he won the Salming Trophy as the league’s best Swedish born defenseman recording 14 goals and 32 points in 52 games. That was the most goals from a defenseman as a 21 year-old player or younger in league history.

That simply isn’t something to be dismissed because he stumbled a little out of the gate with limited minutes and a struggling partner in Patrik Nemeth. The Rangers subsequently traded the veteran this summer and now will be moving the youngster he was brought into mentor.

Now back to the question, should the Rangers hold out for more? For me, the answer is yes.

A late second round pick won’t cut it, but one in the early going of the 2023 draft seems fair. Something along the lines of 33-45. Remember, Lundkvist was selected 28th overall (late first-round) and is demanding a trade.

Another option is to trade for a similar prospect that will fill a hole. Which brings me back to the Canadiens. Their current VP of Hockey Ops, Jeff Gorton drafted Lundkvist when he was with the Rangers.

Montreal could swap prospect Jan Mysak, who was a second round selection and help the Rangers center depth.

Mysak, 20, recently signed his ELC and could be a great fit for the Rangers future. Last year in the OHL, he recorded 64 points in 61 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs. He’s expected to play for the Habs AHL team in Laval this upcoming season.

Ultimately, Drury is going to get what he wants and it’s very likely this will not be resolved soon. Lundkvist is a great insurance depth piece for this season and will likely help bring in a prized trade rental like Patrick Kane at the deadline.

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