The New York Rangers are not done dealing, despite barely getting started. Tomorrow at 3 PM ET, the deadline will end any chance to improve via trade.

Currently, Chris Drury has stayed out of the madness on several players he was interested in acquiring.

Montreal’s Ben Chiarot went for a prospect and two draft picks which included a 1st rounder. He also backed away from Seattle’s Calle Jarnkrok, who netted three draft picks that included two 2nd-round selections.

On Sunday, the Rangers missed out on Mark Giordano to the Maple Leafs. Toronto coughed up two 2nd-round picks and a 3rd-round selection.

In fairness, Giordano wanted to play for his hometown team and that was likely a major factor as to why Chris Drury didn’t land him.

New York Rangers need to land Rickard Rakell

There’s no way Chris Drury will sit idle. He’s likely to make another move or two before tomorrow. If all he walks away with is Frankie Vatrano, he’s going to be an upset GM.

Rickard Rakell is still available and remains a top target to fill a hole on the right side. Whether that’s playing on the first two lines, or bolstering the third he is a must get.

As a league source told me,” Rakell is now on a tee for the Rangers.”

Think about it, Colorado has made a move, same for the Bruins. Florida has made two huge trades, and now the Maple Leafs did their move. You have the Blues and Hurricanes telling teams they don’t want to trade a first round pick for a rental, so Rakell is there for the taking.

From what I understand, there’s very limited interest around the league in Vitali Kravtsov. His value is at an all-time low. If Drury wants Rakell a package such as a 1st-rd pick in 2022 and Matthew Robertson would be something Ducks GM Pat Verbeek would go for.

That also brings a little more clarity as to why Drury just signed NCAA defenseman Brandon Scanlin on Saturday.

Rakell, 28, has a cap hit is $3.789 million which the Rangers can take on in full not needing any salary retention. This year, the Swede who is friendly with Mika Zibanejad has 16 goals and 28 points in 51 games. He’s being held out of the Ducks lineup in anticipation of a trade.

Time to make a move Rangers or risk getting shutout.

NHL Rumors Buzz

Could the Minnesota Wild land Marc-Andre Fleury? That and more here.

The New York Rangers remain interested in plenty of potential trade targets, but with the deadline just one day away they are playing it very cool.

Chris Drury brought in speedy third-liner Frankie Vatrano for a fourth-round pick earlier last week. Right now, he’s holding a spot for Kaapo Kakko on the second line as he remains out with an upper-body injury.

Gerard Gallant last updated Kakko and Kevin Rooney’s injury status as week-to-week. It’s possible both could be back after the deadline, but neither has participated in a practice yet.

New York Rangers interest in Andrew Copp growing

Andrew Copp is a name for Rangers fans to start keeping an eye on over the next 24 hours. The 27 year-old is due to become a UFA, and is most likely going to be moved by the Winnipeg Jets.

“Hearing that conversation around Andrew Copp are intensifying,” Elliotte Friedman said on HNIC. “Versatile forward would be very valuable. Boston, Rangers, and Colorado especially are teams interested in him.”

This season, Copp has 13 goals and 32 points in 55 games. The Michigan born forward can play a little center but has been used primarily on the wing. His current cap hit is $3.64M and he will be looking for an increase next season.

There is very little regarding what the Jets are looking for, but one can assume with the cost of other rentals that it could very well be a first-round pick.

Rangers still trying to land Mark Giordano

The next big rental defenseman on the market is Seattle Kraken captain, Mark Giordano. According to multiple reports, GM Ron Francis wants a first-round pick for the lefty.

It’s also being noted that a lot of the contenders vying for his services don’t want to give up a first rounder for the 38 year-old veteran.

Giordano is a Toronto native and will be a pending UFA this summer. He’s registered 23 points in 55 games this season. The word out there is that he would like to play for his hometown team and they want him too. However, the Rangers are very much in play.

“I think the Maple Leafs have some competition (for Giordano) with the Rangers,” Friedman said. “One of things that Kyle Dubas has made very clear that he doesn’t want to trade his 1st-rd pick or prospects for rentals.”

Would Chris Drury opt to give Seattle what they want? If so, I think the deal would’ve been done already. This could come down to the wire tomorrow.

Other notes

Rickard Rakell is still the Rangers top target but there’s no doubt that it will take a first-round pick and more to land him.

Pat Verbeek has already moved two out of three of his big UFA rentals in Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. In return, he’s already received two good prospects and a boatload of draft picks which include a 1st-rd selection from the Bruins, and three 2nd-rd picks.

The cost of Rakell is rightfully where it needs to be and several teams are after him. Chris Drury needs to do his best to land Rakell and bolster the team’s offense. Plus, he doesn’t want the Penguins to land him. A team the Rangers are very likely to face in the first round.

By the way things are way too quiet on Rickard Rakell right now. #NYR, #GoAvsGo, #NHLBruins, #LetsGoPens

— Forever Blueshirts (@4EverBlueshirts) March 20, 2022

NHL Rumors Buzz

Could the Minnesota Wild land Marc-Andre Fleury? That and more here.

The New York Rangers trade buzz is about to become a roar with the NHL Trade Deadline two days away.

Tonight, the team faces off against the Lightning in Tampa before a quick turnaround to Carolina to take on the first place Hurricanes. Regardless of what happens in these next two games, the Rangers could have a different look come Monday when the deadline expires at 3 PM ET.

Rickard Rakell and Mark Giordano top the list

Forever Blueshirts learned on March 4 that the Rangers shifted their priorities to Anaheim Ducks forward Rickard Rakell after realizing the Vancouver Canucks were not serious about trading J.T. Miller.

Rakell, 28, has a cap hit is $3.789 million which the Rangers can take on in full not needing any salary retention.

Prior to this season, Rakell was averaging .73 points per game over the last three years and would bolster a lot of team’s top six. This year, the Swede who is friendly with Mika Zibanejad has 16 goals and 28 points in 51 games. He’s being held out of the Ducks lineup in anticipation of a trade.

According to TFP, the Rangers along with the Penguins, Lightning, Maple Leafs, and Bruins are linked to the winger.

The Rangers are also looking to bolster the defense and Seattle Kraken captain Mark Giordano may be the perfect upgrade over Patrik Nemeth.

Here’s the rub, Forever Blueshirts was told on March 16 that Giordano wants to play in his hometown of Toronto. He has a modified no-trade clause but reportedly told GM Ron Francis he would not get in the way of him making the best deal for Seattle.

In all likelihood he should land with the Maple Leafs, who have LTIR cap space to use with Jake Muzzin out with a concussion. Unless, Chris Drury gives up a first-round pick which seems unlikely.

Giordano, 38, has 23 points in 55 games and is also being held out of the lineup until a trade is made.

Other Rangers trade buzz

Fall back options for the Rangers at forward are believed to be Phil Kessel in Arizona and Andrew Copp in Winnipeg, although the latter has been battling injuries. Blue Jackets forward Max Domi also remains an interesting option.

On defense, should they fail to land Girodano there’s Calvin de Haan in Chicago and Colin Miller in Buffalo.

Here’s what others are saying:

Arthur Staple of The Athlethic (subscription required): The Rangers have prioritized Rakell and Giordano. Alexandar Georgiev was almost traded to the Arizona Coyotes for a low-level goalie prospect before Igor Shesterkin’s injury in January. Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen is available but at a high cost.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post: States Rakell is the top target (if the price fits what Drury is willing to spend for a rental). He also believes that Giordano is the desired left defenseman the team wants.

Shake up for Chicago Blackhawks

“Now all of a sudden you realize no one on our team is safe and we could all be going in different directions in the near future,” said stunned Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews after Brandon Hagel’s trade. Read more about the situation in Chicago here.

New York Rangers GM Chris Drury has thus far been very frugal with the NHL Trade Deadline just 3 days away. Anyone who thought this might be a buyer’s market has been rudely reminded what the high costs of rentals can be.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Josh Manson (w/50% salary retained) from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defense prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second round draft pick. That looked like a steal compared to what the Florida Panthers did.

Montreal moved rental defenseman Ben Chiarot at 50% salary retention for forward Tyler Smilanic, a 1st-round pick in 2023 and a 4th-round pick in 2022.

That wasn’t all.

The Calgary Flames gave up 3 draft picks to acquire bottom six rental center Calle Jarnkrok from Seattle. A 2nd-round pick in 2022, a 3rd-round pick in 2023 NHL, and a 7th-round pick 2024 is a lot, even with the Kraken retaining 50% of his cap hit.

Rangers wisely not overpaying

Chris Drury has been in the trade market for months now, but hasn’t done anything rash. The team’s 16 point cushion for a playoff spot has something to do with it, but they’re at risk of falling to a wild card if they don’t string some wins together soon.

New York was interested in both Chiarot and Jarnkrok, two players that would have bolstered the lineup for a stretch run and postseason action. However, after seeing what prices were paid to get them off the market early I commend the first-year GM for saying no.

Plus, there are still plenty of options on the table for a more reasonable price. Anaheim’s Rickard Rakell is out there, and so is Seattle’s Mark Giordano. If Drury can stay patient, he might be able to get them both without giving up a first round pick or a top prospect.

Playing it that way also comes with the inherent risk that the Rangers could walk away fairly empty-handed come Monday when the trade deadline passes.

Sellers getting their price and more

The Rangers were believed in on Chicago Blackhawks young cost-controlled forward Brandon Hagel. That was until the Tampa Bay Lightning swooped in and gave up a boatload to get him.

Tampa Bay dealt prospect forwards Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk as well as conditional first-round selections in the 2023 and 2024. Yes, they got back two fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024, but that was a lot for a player with promise.

Hagel, 23, has 37 points in 55 games but it was his 2 years remaining at $1.5M AAV that Tampa paid a premium for since they are perpetually cap-strapped.

The Rangers, who will start dealing with cap issues next season certainly saw Hagel as a fit. Yet, at that price, I don’t blame Drury one bit for backing away.

Rangers still in the rental market

Elliotte Friedman noted in his latest podcast that the Rangers are still shopping the rental market. He mentioned that they still would like a left defenseman and that they made a pitch for Alexander Radulov from the Dallas Stars.

From everything I can gather, they really would like to land Rakell at a good price. Another forward fallback option is Phil Kessel with the Arizona Coyotes.

Mark Giordano wants to play in Toronto, but if the Rangers give a better offer he likely won’t stand in the way of Seattle improving themselves. Should that fail to happen there is always Calvin de Haan in Chicago and Colin Miller in Buffalo.

Now, what if all Chris Drury comes away with is Frank Vatrano? I think many will be disappointed even though the speedy forward only cost the Blueshirts a fourth-round pick.

In fairness, we need to see what Rakell and Giordano go for before judging. I also think we need to take it a step further and wait until the offseason to fully grade Drury’s first trade deadline.

If he retains his assets and pulls off a big deal for Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele at the draft, I think fans would be very happy.

NHL Rumors

Hampus Lindholm is likely on the move after contract talks break down. Plus is Claude Giroux heading to Florida? Read more here.

The New York Rangers lost another very close game against an Islanders team that plays north-south playoff style hockey. Their only score came off the stick of Chris Kreider on the PP, but once again they were blanked at even strength.

There is an argument to be made that Ilya Sorkin stole at least one point with a diving mid-air stick stop on Artemi Panarin that would’ve been a goal 999 times out of 1000 tries. However, it still speaks to the Rangers need to add more offensive weapons for the stretch run and playoffs.

Rangers slipping in the standings

Don’t look now, but the Rangers are slipping in the standings. If they don’t get off this win one, lose one stretch of hockey they could be looking at a wild card spot in the East instead of home-ice advantage for round 1.

After last night’s loss, the Rangers are 5-5 in their last 10. They sit in third place with 81 points and are only 3 points up on the Washington Capitals, who have won three straight to bridge the gap.

That’s why it’s imperative that Chris Drury bring in the help this team needs.

Frank Vatrano was a nice start, and he seems like an ideal fit to play on the third line with Filip Chytil. Once Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney return, the lineup will be in better shape.

That will still likely leave Dryden Hunt or Greg McGegg in the lineup and the Rangers could certainly improve further.

Rangers need to add Rickard Rakell

New York have prioritized Ducks forward Rickard Rakell as a top 9 forward to address their lack of depth at right wing. GM Pat Verbeek is seeking a first round pick and if the Rangers want him, they will have to give it up and maybe more.

To me, there’s no question in my mind that they should do it. And before you smash your phone, I suggest you look at what Chiarot and Jarnkrok just landed.

GM Pat Verbeek also hasn’t ruled out re-signing Rakell but noted there’s no new conversations on a contract with the deadline three days away. Verbeek also made it clear he would not let pending UFAs walk for free in the summer.

Bottom line, if Drury does not get right wing that can score at this deadline, it will be a huge negative for the rookie GM.

Here’s a look at potential lines with a healthy lineup and Rakell added:

Kreider – Zibanejad – Lafrenière
Panarin – Strome – Kakko
Vatrano – Chytil – Rakell
Goodrow – Rooney – Reaves

NHL Rumors

Hampus Lindholm is likely on the move after contract talks break down. Plus is Claude Giroux heading to Florida? Read more here.

The clock is ticking for Chris Drury and the New York Rangers to make moves to bolster the roster. As the March 21, NHL Trade Deadline is just 4 days away some Rangers targets have started to come off the board.

Montreal received a boatload from the Florida Panthers for Ben Chiarot. The rental defenseman brought in 4 pieces that included a prospect, and two draft picks which included a first round selection in 2022. I don’t blame Drury for running away from this like he was trying to escape a bear in the woods.

The Seattle Kraken netted three draft picks for bottom six rental center Calle Jarnkrok. A 2nd-round pick in 2022, a 3rd-round pick in 2023 NHL, and a 7th-round pick 2024 from the Flames was quite the haul. Another good avoid by Drury.

Note that both teams retained 50% salary which likely garnered the extra late picks.

New York Rangers trade buzz

It has been a long time since the New York Rangers were in the buyers game at the NHL Trade Deadline. I think many fans have forgotten just how expensive it can be to play the rental game at this time of year.

The Rangers made a shrewd move by acquiring Frank Vatrano from the Panthers. Florida needed to clear some cap space to land Chiarot, otherwise it would’ve cost more than the 4th round pick Drury gave up.

However, as nice a little player as Vatrano is the Rangers need to get real scoring help on the right wing and it’s very likely going to cost them a first round pick.

New York has prioritized Ducks forward Rickard Rakell as that top 9 forward to address their lack of depth at right wing. GM Pat Verbeek is seeking a first round pick and if the Rangers want him, they will have to give it up (and maybe more).

Before you throw your phone or laptop across the room, I suggest you look at what Chiarot and Jarnkrok just landed.

Bottom line, if Drury does not get right wing that can score at this deadline, it will be a huge negative for the rookie GM.

Alex Radulov a possible trade target

Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Rangers have shown interest in Dallas Stars rugged power-forward Alexander Radulov.

Radulov, 35, will be a UFA this summer and makes $6.25M against the cap. A hit the Rangers can take in full with no issue. This season has been a real struggle for the big man with just 3 goals and 18 points in 52 games.

I can’t stress enough how this makes little sense to me. Plus the Stars are pushing for a playoff spot and have already said that John Klingberg and Brayden Holtby are off the table.

Friedman also notes that the Rangers are in the market for a left handed defenseman. We noted last night they are in on Seattle’s Mark Giordano but the Toronto native wants to play for the Maple Leafs.

Two other option could be Colin Miller in Buffalo or Calvin de Haan in Chicago.

The clock is ticking on the Rangers and things are expected to pick up this weekend, well in advance of the Monday deadline. What will Chris Drury do? The GM is expected to address the media today or tomorrow regarding the trade deadline.

NHL Rumors

Mark Giordano wants to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, plus where will Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik land? Read more.

The NHL Trade Market is heating up and the New York Rangers are reportedly in on trying to acquire Mark Giordano from the Seattle Kraken. Two other teams also in the mix are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes.

Florida was believed involved but just unloaded their first round pick and more to acquire Ben Chiarot from the Montreal Canadiens.

Continue to hear Leafs & Rangers & Canes the front runners for Giordano.

We’ll see….

— Ryan Leslie (@ryanlesliemedia) March 17, 2022

Rangers in on Mark Giordano; Rickard Rakell worth a first round pick

Seattle Kraken captain is being held out of the lineup in anticipation of a trade. Giordano also has a no-move clause and will have a say in where he goes.

The New York Rangers interest in Giordano dates back to the offseason, but Forever Blueshirts has learned that the veteran defenseman’s destination of choice would be the Maple Leafs.

Giordano, 38, is a Toronto native and will be a pending UFA this summer. He’s registered 23 points in 55 games this season.

As for Rickard Rakell, Pat Verbeek is seeking a first round pick for the Ducks. If the Rangers want him, they will have to give it up.

Calle Jarnkrok was just traded from Seattle to Calgary for a 2nd-round pick in 2022, a 3rd-rd pick in 2023 and a 7th rd-pick in 2024. Seattle also retained 50% of his salary but that’s quite the haul for a bottom six forward.

Stay tuned as things are really getting going now.

Tomas Hertl stays in San Jose

Tomas Hertl just signed an 8 year extension with the Sharks and is officially off the board. Read more.

There appears to be another Rangers’ potential trade target coming out of Vancouver. While the Canucks may not be trading J.T. Miller, they have several pending UFAs that could be on the move. One of them is forward Tyler Motte.

Motte, 27, has 14 points in 45 games this season with an AAV of $1.225 million.

Rangers interested in Tyler Motte

According to The Fourth Period, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Canucks have been discussing a possible trade. Two other teams believed to be interested in Motte are the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.

Scouts for the Blueshirts have been seen at recent Canucks games despite the fact that they concluded their season series against them on February 27. The Rangers went 0-1-1 this season versus Vancouver.

Motte is a left handed shot that can play either third or fourth line minutes. At 5-10, 192 lbs, he’s able to play a physical style. The Michigan native has 48 blocks and 78 hits on the season.

What a Rangers trade for Rickard Rakell could look like

Tonight’s opponent, the Anaheim Ducks, are an intriguing one, as they have one definite of the Rangers top trade targets. Rickard Rakell was held out of the team’s last game with an “upper-body” issue.

“Let’s be clear on that, I have people texting me and calling me, why are we sitting Rickard Rakell?” coach Dallas Eakins said on Tuesday. “We’re not. He’s injured right now. He’s day to day.”

GM Pat Verbeek did not rule out re-signing Rakell but noted there’s no new conversations on a contract with the deadline six days away. Verbeek also made it clear he would not let pending UFAs walk for free in the summer.

So is a deal on the horizon with the Rangers? The question is what could a trade for Rakell look like?

There’s been some early speculation that Vitali Kravtsov for Rakell could get it done. More recently, it’s believed that Anaheim would like a first round pick.

If the Rangers were trying to make this deal last summer for Rakell, Kravtsov may have been enough but his stock is dropping. That will happen when you can’t crack a lineup that was already weak on the right wing after Pavel Buchnevich was traded. It will decline even further when you demand a trade and bolt home for Russia.

With GM’s around the league leary of making any deals for players in the KHL at the moment, the Rangers would likely have to throw in a second round pick to get it done.

That would be one possible trade scenario.

However, if Verbeek is hellbent on a first round pick it would make sense for Drury to do it.

The Rangers 2022 first round pick will likely be around 27 and with the team’s Stanley Cup window opening, it’s time to do what contenders do and trade those away.

However, it’s being reported that general managers are asking for 2023 first round selections thanks to a general consensus that the 2022 draft class is considered weak. If that’s the case, Drury shipping his 2023 first round pick, which could be high 20’s as well, makes sense.

Plus, the Rangers could use this season’s pick to add another piece to the lineup for a Cup run.

NHL Trade Predictions

The NHL Trade Deadline is 6 days away. Here are five predictions involving five of the top trade bait candidates. Who gets them? Read more.

The New York Rangers are getting ready for a two game home stand that starts on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks and concludes on Thursday versus the New York Islanders.

Tonight’s opponent is an intriguing one, as they have one definite and possibly three trade targets Chris Drury may be interested in. Rickard Rakell, who was held out of the team’s last game with an “upper-body” issue is reportedly the team’s top trade candidate.

Two others are defenseman Hampus Lindholm and forward Max Comtois. The former is likely going to re-sign with the Ducks and the latter needs a fresh start.

To further add to the curiosity, Anaheim made a trade on Monday sending pending UFA defenseman Josh Manson to the Colorado Avalanche for prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second round draft pick (plus 50% salary retained).

Could another deal be on the horizon? This time with the Rangers? We will see, as I doubt Ducks GM Pat Verbeek would want to face a freshly traded player.

New York Rangers face Anaheim Ducks

All season, the New York Rangers have demonstrated an ability to produce wins despite slow starts.

It happened again Saturday against the Dallas Stars, and now the Rangers will look to get on another roll when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

New York is 14-14-3 when allowing the first goal. The Rangers also own 19 comeback wins, tied for the league lead with the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets, and their nine wins when trailing after the opening 20 minutes are the most in the NHL.

New York fell behind 2-0 in the first 4:53 at Dallas but answered with four goals in a span of 5:05 and ultimately won 7-4.

Artemi Panarin scored and collected four assists for his third career five-point game as the Rangers produced an impressive response to a slow start, especially after being outscored 11-4 in lopsided road losses last week against Minnesota and St. Louis.

“I think the one great thing about this team is that it comes from within ourselves,” New York’s Dryden Hunt said. “We have a lot of pride in that room. It was tough to lose those two games — not just losing, but the way we lost. We just had no response, so it was nice to play the way we did.”

Mika Zibanejad scored a power-play goal while Greg McKegg, Adam Fox, Hunt, Patrik Nemeth, Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Strome also scored to help the Rangers improve to 14-6-2 following a loss and avoid three straight regulation losses for the first time this season.

That’s been a staple for us,” New York forward Chris Kreider said. “I think that level of poise, knowing that the other teams got good players, they’re going to make plays, stuff’s going to happen.”

Rangers injury update

After practice on Monday, head coach Gerard Gallant updated the status of two key players: Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney.

“They’re doing their rehab and it’s still week-to-week,” he said. “It’s not going to be this week for sure.”

Kakko, 21, last played on January 21 against the Carolina Hurricanes. Television cameras caught Kakko wincing in a lot of pain and discomfort at the end of the second period as he was flexing his his left arm. He was placed on IR the next day and is still recovering.

Rooney, 28, has 11 points in 51 games this season and has been an integral part of the Blueshirts’ physical fourth line with Ryan Reaves. The injury occurred on March 2 and the Rangers sorely miss his checking abilities.

The Rangers were hoping Kakko would be back this week before the NHL Trade Deadline, next Monday.

Ducks falling far out of the playoffs race

The Ducks are 4-9-2 in their past 15 games since Jan. 29 and 1-5-2 in their past seven road contests in that span.

After opening its five-game trip with by getting outscored 12-4 in losses to Chicago and Nashville, Anaheim dropped a pair of one-goal games to the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders. On Saturday, the Ducks took a 2-1 shootout loss to New Jersey and followed it with a 4-3 setback to the Islanders.

Anaheim’s latest loss occurred as the Ducks tied a season high with 42 shots on goal. The Ducks trailed 3-1 after the opening period and have been outscored 9-2 in the opening period during their trip.

Recently traded Josh Manson, Isac Lundestrom and Adam Henrique scored for Anaheim, which took at least 40 shots for the third time. The Ducks matched their highest total despite playing without Rickard Rakell, whose upper-body injury might keep him sidelined Tuesday.

“It’s a challenge,” Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “We’re a young team as it is, so you look at some of the key guys we have out who play key minutes for us, fill key roles in our locker room.”

Besides missing Rakell, the Ducks are without Ryan Getzlaf (lower-body injury), Jakob Silfverberg (lower body) and Sam Steel (facial injury).

The Rangers are 10-2-1 in the past 12 meetings and scored three times during the third period in a 4-1 victory Jan. 8 in Anaheim.

NHL Trade Bait Tracker

The latest Trade Bait Tracker has been updated. Check out who is the top target for teams with just one week before the NHL Trade Deadline. Read More.

–Field Level Media contributed to this article

It has been a long time since the New York Rangers were in the buyers game at the NHL Trade Deadline. I think many fans have forgotten just how expensive it can be to play the rental game at this time of year.

The last time the Blueshirts were considered buyers was during the 2016-17 season. Just a few days before the deadline, they acquired defenseman Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings giving up two draft picks (2017 3rd rd + 2018 2nd rd). A fairly high price for a rental second pair defenseman. He subsequently signed a 4 year deal that turned out to be one of Jeff Gorton’s worse moves.

During the 2015-16 campaign, the Rangers gave up three pieces to acquire Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes by sending two second round picks (2016 + 2017) and prospect Alexsi Saarela. Staal wound up buried on the third line because Alain Vigneault didn’t know how to deploy him.

Those deals backfired and the team announced a rebuild to recoup assets in 2018.

New York Rangers back in the rental game

Let’s start with the elephant in the room scenario of trading for J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks. Not only is he a top line player, he has one year left on his deal at a reasonable cap hit of $5.25 million.

The ask at this point is so high, that many believe he’s off the table.

Reportedly, it’s a 1st rd pick, a top young player, a top young prospect, and maybe another draft pick. Before you scoff at that, the Rangers gave up Ryan Callahan and two first round picks (2014 + 2015) for an aging Marty St. Louis, who had a year left on his contract back in 2014.

Expensive indeed!

That’s why at the trade deadline, GM Chris Drury is likely to play the rental game. While it will be costly, it won’t gut the team for a single player.

What will it cost the Rangers?

The Rangers are said to be in on several pending UFA’s that include forward Rickard Rakell, and defenseman Ben Chiarot to name a few.

Landing Chiarot is much easier to gauge because there’s recent deadline precedent from last season. The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired defenseman David Savard in a three-way deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. It was complex with multiple players, picks, and salary retention to make it work.

Ultimately, the Blue Jackets received a 1st and 3rd pick for the defensive-minded Savard with just 6 points in 40 games and a -19 rating. That’s what Montreal is looking for on Chiarot, who has 16 points in 51 games and a -19 rating. If any salary is retained, they’ll get it too.

A player like Rakell is a little harder to gauge. The Toronto Maple Leafs paid through the nose to get Nick Foligno from Columbus at the trade deadline last season. Once again, a three-way deal that involved the San Jose Sharks and salary retention. However, the Blue Jackets walked away with a 1st and a 4th rd pick in that deal. (Yes, they got that for Nick Foligno)

Rakell could easily go for a first rounder being a far better offensive player. The Penguins acquired Jeff Carter from the Kings for two conditional picks (2022 2nd + 2023 3rd). Another similar deal saw the Bruins land Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork and a 2nd rd pick.

So for the sake of argument, the Rangers may be able to land a player like Rakell for Vitali Kravtsov and a conditional pick.

In the end, everyone just needs to be ready when the deals start coming through central registry. There should also be no surprises when you see the cost it will take to acquire a rental.

NHL Rumors

Get the latest on Jakob Chychrun, Claude Giroux, and Brock Boeser. Read more here.