The $4.1 million AAV deal kicks in next season and carries through McDonagh’s age-39 season in 2028-29. The veteran defenseman is due back soon for the Lightning, after he sustained an unspecified injury blocking a shot against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 8.

*beep beep*

Mac Truck's locked in for three more years! 👏

🗞️ https://t.co/FKD7n2mCs3 pic.twitter.com/B3p9Z9ysE3

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 4, 2025

This month-long injury absence is a blip on the radar for the ultra-reliable defenseman. McDonagh played all 82 games last season for the Lightning, and 1,025 in the NHL since debuting with the Rangers on Jan. 7, 2011. In that time, he’s averaged 22:32 TOI and owns a cumulative plus-290 rating, that is best among all active NHL defensemen. Not once in 15 NHL seasons did McDonagh finish with a negative plus/minus rating.

“I’ll repeat the same thing I said when I first got traded here along the lines of a top team wanting you to be a part of it and putting their belief in you to, ultimately, achieve what we are shooting for here is the ultimate goal,” he said at the morning skate Thursday when asked why he committed to three more seasons with the Bolts. “When you have that belief shown in you, it motivates you and it encourages you to keep going out and working hard and taking care of yourself to go out and perform at the level that is expected of you and that is what I plan to do.”

Known throughout his career to be an absolute warrior, McDonagh’s blocked over 2,000 shots in the NHL (2,037), third most among active defensemen and third all-time among United States-born players.

“Mac Truck” helped the Lightning win consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 and reach the 2022 Cup Final, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in six games. In 196 postseason games, McDonagh averaged 24:16 TOI and totaled 68 points (12 goals, 56 assists).

With the Lightning (16-8-2) currently leading the Atlantic Division, it appears likely McDonagh will surpass 200 career Stanley Cup Playoffs games this coming spring. Even without McDonagh nor fellow defense stalwart Victor Hedman in the lineup, the Lightning manhandled the Rangers 4-1 this past Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Ryan McDonagh part of best, worst trades in Rangers history

McDonagh’s history with the Rangers is bittersweet. His acquisition in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on June 30, 2009, goes down as one of the best deals in Rangers history. They surrendered underachieving veteran center Scott Gomez, along with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto, for McDonagh, and forward Chris Higgins and Pavel Valentenko.

This was a coup for Glen Sather, then the Rangers general manager, an absolute steal. McDonagh became a force on New York’s blue line, a foundational piece of John Tortorella’s Black and Blueshirts. And when Alain Vigneault replaced Tortorella as coach, McDonagh helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, became team captain the following season, and appeared in consecutive NHL All-Star Games in 2016 and 2017.

However, he was the centerpiece of one of the worst trades of Jeff Gorton’s tenure as Rangers GM on Feb. 26, 2018. As the Rangers started to rebuild, they traded McDonagh and J.T. Miller for three players who never amounted to much of anything on Broadway (center Brett Howden was the best of the group for them) and two draft picks, one of which ended up being first-rounder Nils Lundqvist, who never did much in New York and is now with the Dallas Stars.

Interestingly, that trade tree did ultimately produce Noah Laba, though only after the Rangers swapped Howden to the Vegas Golden Knights and acquired a 2022 fourth-round selection that they used to pick the center.

McDonagh, who also played one season with the Nashville Predators before a second tour of duty with the Lightning, remains largely beloved by Rangers fans — and deservedly so, even if his biggest successes came off-Broadway in Tampa.

“I’ve had a lot of great captains; the guys that stick out are the ones I had when I was first here, [Ryan McDonagh] and [Ryan Callahan],” Miller said Thursday in his first public comments since he was named the 29th captain in Rangers history on Tuesday.

“It was ingrained in me as a young kid what it means to be a captain around here, and I’m super lucky and grateful to represent a group like that.”

The Rangers selected Miller with the No. 15 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. He suited up for the Rangers in the 2013 lockout-shortened season, when Callahan was captain. And he broke out as a lineup mainstay in 2015-16, when McDonagh wore the C. 

Their impact on Miller is felt to this day.

“I tried to be a sponge around those guys, mainly about the way they play, absolute warriors of the game,” Miller explained. “Not exactly ‘rah-rah’ but when it’s time to speak up, it’s time to listen. That’s something I’ll never forget.”

Related: Rangers ‘not going to take any sh**’ this season, and there’s no time for BS

J.T. Miller plans to play with ‘heart on my sleeve’ as Rangers captain

Those lessons learned from Callahan and McDonagh are ingrained in Miller. But that doesn’t mean he had a smooth road to stardom.

Miller spent his first few seasons shuttling back and forth between Hartford of the American Hockey League and Broadway. He had a well-earned reputation as a cocky kid, but struggled to back it up on the ice.

Though he twice scored 22 goals with the Rangers, Miller was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the rebuild in March of 2018. One trade later, he settled in and became a star with the Vancouver Canucks, recording 103 points just two seasons ago.

Now he’s back in New York, starring for his original NHL team and serving as its captain.

When asked Thursday if Miller ever thought he’d one day be Rangers captain when he was in his first tenure with the club, his response came with a smirk.

“Absolutely not. I learned a lot along the way, which was pretty well documented, and I’m thankful for all of the tough times now.”

Miller said he remains friends with Callahan and McDonagh. And in an ironic twist, they were reunited as teammates for a couple of years in Tampa, with McDonagh part of the same trade, and Callahan dealt to the Lightning ahead of the 2014 trade deadline.

As for the present, Miller explained that Rangers coach Mike Sullivan and general manager Chris Drury helped fill him with confidence that he will succeed as Rangers captain.

“I got a lot of advice from Mike and Chris about being yourself, and for me, that means a lot,” he said. “I’m an emotional player; I put my heart on my sleeve. I try to put that on 80-90 percent of the good, but I really appreciate that they believe in me.”

There are 16 former Rangers players set to take part in the chase for Lord Stanley’s chalice this spring, including one, defenseman Niko Mikkola, who won the Stanley Cup last year with the Florida Panthers.

Additionally, three head coaches in the postseason have Rangers ties. Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis finished his Hall of Fame playing career with the Rangers, and took part in several iconic playoff moments with them in 2014 and 2015. Joining him in Montreal is Jeff Gorton, the team’s executive vice president of hockey operations, who was the Rangers general manager from 2015 to 2021, and Glen Sather’s assistant for many years before that.

Kris Knoblauch, coach of the Edmonton Oilers, coached the Hartford Wolf Pack for four seasons and was 4-2-0 filling in for David Quinn when the Rangers coach was on the League’s COVID-19 protocol list in 2021.

Lastly, Scott Arniel spent time with the Rangers as an associate coach under Alain Vigneault. In his first season as coach of the Jets, Arniel led them to the Presidents’ Trophy this season.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Related: Why Rangers were not most disappointing team in NHL this season

Morgan Barron – Winnipeg Jets

The Rangers selected Morgan Barron in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft (No. 174 overall), but the forward did not debut with the Blueshirts until the 2020-21 season. He played in five games that season and scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals. Barron appeared in 13 games for New York in 2021-22 before he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets as part of a package for forward Andrew Copp. Barron has appeared in 70 or more games in each of the past three seasons for Winnipeg and has eight goals and seven assists this season. The Jets open the postseason against the St. Louis Blues.

Colin Blackwell – Dallas Stars

Colin Blackwell played 47 games with the Rangers in the 2020-21 season, and made an impact in the bottom six with 12 goals and 10 assists. The Seattle Kraken scooped up Blackwell in the expansion draft in the summer of 2021, and the forward made his way to Dallas this past summer, signing a one-year deal. In his first season with the Stars, Blackwell has six goals and 11 assists in 63 games. The Stars open the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche.

Pavel Buchnevich – St. Louis Blues

Buchnevich had 79 goals and 116 assists in five seasons with the Rangers, but was traded to the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2021 for Sammy Blais in Chris Drury’s first major move as general manager. Buchnevich became a star once he got to the Blues, recording his only 30-goal season in 2021-22 and scoring at least 20 goals in each of the past four seasons. The 30-year-old forward had 20 goals and 57 points this season for the Blues, who face the Jets in the first round.

Brett Howden – Vegas Golden Knights

Brett Howden made his way to the Rangers from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the return for Ryan McDonough and J.T. Miller ahead of the 2018 trade deadline. He made his NHL debut the next season, his first of three with New York. In 178 games with the Rangers, Howden tallied 16 goals and 33 assists. In the 2021 offseason, the Rangers traded Howden to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he still plays today. He was a part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2023. Howden broke out offensively with NHL career highs in goals (23) and points (40) this season. Vegas skates against the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs.

Ryan Lindgren – Colorado Avalanche

Ryan Lindgren was notably dealt to the Colorado Avalanche before this season’s trade deadline, ending his seven-year stint on Broadway. In his 18 games with the Avalanche, he has not added much offensively (two goals, one assist) but has brought his typical gritty defense with 26 blocked shots and 21 hits. Lindgren totaled 387 games with the Rangers, playing an integral part in multiple deep playoff runs as Adam Fox’s defense partner, and is hoping to go on another long postseason journey with the Avalanche, who play the Stars in the opening round of the playoffs.

Ryan McDonagh – Tampa Bay Lightning

No. 27 on the ice was named the 27th captain in Rangers history at the start of the 2014-15 season following New York’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. McDonagh patrolled the blue line for the Rangers for eight seasons. In the Rangers’ iconic series against the Washington Capitals in the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mac Truck blasted a game-winning goal in overtime of Game 5, kickstarting the Rangers’ comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. The Rangers traded McDonagh and Miller to the Lightning in a blockbuster deal before the 2018 trade deadline. McDonagh won two Stanley Cup championships with Tampa Bay before being traded to the Nashville Predators, and then was reacquired by the Lightning last summer. The Lightning will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the first round.

Dylan McIlrath – Washington Capitals

The Rangers selected Dylan McIlrath with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 draft, but things never worked out for him in New York, in part to a brutal knee injury early in his career. He’s played 92 NHL games (37 with the Rangers) and has not lived up to the expectations that came with being a top pick and prospect, though he’s won two Calder Cup championships in the AHL. The towering defenseman is an excellent fighter and as tough as they come; and this season remained on the Washington Capitals roster all year for the first time in his career, even though he played just 17 games. The Capitals open the postseason against the Montreal Canadiens.

Niko Mikkola – Florida Panthers

Niko Mikkola played every regular-season and postseason game for the Panthers last year, helping them win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In their title defense, he has once again played an important role, appearing in 76 games as a regular on the blue line. Coming over along with Vladimir Tarasenko in a trade with the Blues ahead of the 2023 deadline, Mikkola spent a half-season with the Rangers. He played 31 regular-season games for the Rangers, plus seven more in their first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Panthers face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs this year.

Vladislav Namestnikov – Winnipeg Jets

A Rangers forward for parts of three seasons, Vladislav Namestnikov is in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets. He had 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 78 games this season, the second-highest point total in his NHL career. The Jets open up the playoffs against the Blues.

Neal Pionk – Winnipeg Jets

Neal Pionk played his first two NHL seasons with the Rangers before they traded him to the Jets in the Jacob Trouba deal on June 17, 2019. Since then, the defenseman has recorded at least 30 points in six straight seasons with Winnipeg, including 45 in 2019-20. Despite being limited to 69 games because of injury this season, Pionk had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) and established a career-best with a plus-21 rating. He and the Jets play their first-round series against the Blues.

Ryan Reaves – Toronto Maple Leafs

He played in only 35 games with the Maple Leafs this season, but Ryan Reaves is still an intimidating force when he’s in the lineup. Reaves has racked up an even 1,100 penalty minutes in the NHL, including 55 with the Rangers in parts of two seasons. This season he had two assists and 28 penalty minutes and will see a limited role in the postseason, when the Maple Leafs open up against the Ottawa Senators.

Jack Roslovic – Carolina Hurricanes

The Rangers acquired Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of last year’s trade deadline, and he spent much of his time in New York on a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. He scored three goals and five assists in 19 regular-season games; in the playoffs, Roslovic scored two goals in the opening round and added two assists on Kreider’s natural hat trick in Game 6 against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Second Round. Roslovic went quiet in the Eastern Conference Final, recording only one point in the six-game loss to Florida. In the offseason, he inked a one-year deal with the Hurricanes and put together a solid season, scoring 21 goals and adding 17 assists. The Hurricanes face the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

Brendan Smith – Dallas Stars

Ahead the 2017 trade deadline, the Rangers added Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings for their playoff push. That offseason, he signed a four-year, 17.4 million contract to remain in New York and played 235 games during his five seasons with the Blueshirts. Smith spent time with the Hurricanes and Devils afterward before landing with the Stars for the 2024-25 season. He played 32 games for Dallas in the regular season and has been a veteran presence on the blue line. The Stars play the Avalanche in the first round.

Reilly Smith – Vegas Golden Knights

Reilly Smith, Brendan’s brother, was one of six original “misfits” from the Golden Knights’ inaugural roster who were members of their Stanley Cup championship in 2023. He’s representing the Golden Knights again in this year’s playoffs, two years and two teams later. After spending the 2023-24 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Smith signed with the Rangers. He had 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games before New York sent him back to Vegas ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick and forward prospect Brendan Brisson. Vegas hooks up with Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.

Jimmy Vesey – Colorado Avalanche

Jimmy Vesey has had two separate stints on Broadway in his nine-year NHL career, the first from 2016-19 and the second from 2022-25. The versatile forward totaled 434 games with the Rangers, scoring 78 goals and adding 69 assists. New York sent Vesey to Colorado on March 1 along with Lindgren. Vesey has not played much with the Avalanche, appearing in just 10 games, with one goal and one assist. The Avalanche play the Stars in the first round.

Mats Zuccarello – Minnesota Wild

Mats Zuccarello became as a fan favorite during his nine years in New York. He scored 113 goals and had 239 assists in 509 regular-season games, and suited up for 60 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Zuccarello was also beloved in the locker room; when the Rangers traded him in 2019 as a part of their rebuild, Henrik Lundqvist was famously brought to tears. The Rangers sent him to Dallas, where he appeared in just two regular-season games before an injury kept him out until the playoffs. He signed with Minnesota in that offseason and has spent the past six seasons with the Wild. Now 37 and with more than 900 games of NHL experience, Zuccarello had 19 goals and 54 points this season for the Wild, who get the Golden Knights as a first-round opponent.

Of course, their last visit to Sunrise doesn’t evoke happy memories. Back on June 1, the Panthers skated to a 2-1 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, eliminating the Rangers from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many of their current issues can be traced to that series, from defensive breakdowns, to being out-worked, to their star players being outplayed.

The Rangers do enter their final game of 2024 trying to build off some positives, though. There were plenty of issues with their 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, but the Rangers did hold a 67 percent expected goal share, per Natural Stat Trick, and they badly outshot and out-chanced the Lightning 5v5.

Yet they still lost, and after the Ottawa Senators’ 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, the Rangers (16-18-1) are seven points out of the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.

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New York Rangers news

The Rangers play four games in four different cities — including a home game Thursday against the Boston Bruins to kick off the New Year — this week. Here’s our look at what lies ahead for the Rangers this week.

There’ll be a different look with New York’s top power-play unit Monday. Mika Zibanejad was demoted to the second unit and Alexis Lafreniere bumps up to play on PP1. We’ve got the full story on the big Rangers decision made by coach Peter Laviolette.

Looking back at the Lightning game, John Kreiser broke down the turning point, when former Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh scored a short-handed goal late in the first period.

Top Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault was held off the score sheet and the United States lost to Finland 4-3 in overtime at the World Junior Championship on Sunday. The U.S. and Canada are tied for first in Group A with seven points, each team is 2-0-1-0. Finland has five points (1-1-0-1). Perreault has four points (two goals, two assists) in three games for the United States, which plays Canada on New Year’s Eve in Ottawa.

NHL news

Former Rangers forward Patrick Kane recorded his 1,300th NHL point, when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 4-2. Kane (477 goals, 823 assists) is the second United States-born player to reach the milestone, behind Mike Modano (1,374 points).

In that same game, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 870th career goal, leaving him 25 shy of passing Wayne Gretzky for the all-time NHL record.

Speaking of milestones, Sidney Crosby picked up his 1,034th career assist in a 3-2 win against the Islanders and passed Mario Lemieux for first all-time in Pittsburgh Penguins history in that category.

The Vancouver Canucks received some tough injury news. Star defenseman Quinn Hughes is week to week with an upper-body injury and No. 1 center Elias Pettersson remains out with an undisclosed injury, but could return sometime this week.

Tyler Bertuzzi of the Chicago Blackhawks could be facing supplemental discipline after the forward received a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct in a 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.

The Edmonton Oilers scratched veteran forward Jeff Skinner and then blew a two-goal lead in a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

Watch the highlights from Ilya Samsonov’s first shutout of the season, when the Vegas Golden Knights won their sixth straight game, 3-0 against the Calgary Flames.

Unfortunately for the New York Rangers, they no longer have him – and the Tampa Bay Lightning do.

The Rangers dealt McDonagh, who was in his fourth season as their captain, to the Lightning in March 2018. He was a key to Tampa Bay’s championship runs in 2020 and 2021, as well as their trip to the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning traded him to the Nashville Predators in the summer of 2022 but re-acquired him this past summer – and they’re glad they did.

McDonagh still averages more than 20 minutes of ice time at age 35 — although doesn’t contribute offensively the way he did in his prime, when he’d generate 35-40 points a season. His first goal this season came Saturday night against the Rangers, when his shorthanded tally late in the first period put Tampa Bay ahead to stay in what turned out to be a 6-2 win over his old team at Amalie Arena.

“We’re extremely fortunate that we had a chance to get him back,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said postgame of McDonagh, who had 238 points (51 goals, 187 assists) in 518 regular-season games on Broadway. “I think he’s one of those guys you look at, you can sit in the stands or look from the vantage point of another team and think ‘good, solid player.’ But when you have him in your room, you really understand what you have.”

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways after brutal special teams showing leads to road loss against Lightning

Ryan McDonagh’s goal sparks Lightning to 6-2 win against Rangers

The shortie, McDonagh’s first since 2016-17 with the Rangers, came on a shot off the rush that Igor Shesterkin should have stopped and spoiled what had been New York’s best period in the last couple of weeks. The Rangers outshot the Lightning 17-6 and had 30 shot attempts to 14 for Tampa Bay in that first period. But instead of going into the locker room even on the scoreboard, the Rangers trailed 2-1 because of McDonagh’s goal and spent the rest of the night unsuccessfully chasing the game.

“It’s kind of a back-breaker for the PP,” McDonagh said of his goal and a second shorthanded tally later against the Rangers by teammate Anthony Cirelli early in the middle period.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette felt McDonagh’s goal was a turning point.

“We were really good in the first period,” Laviolette said. “If you look at the way the guys played, the chances and shots and the way we defended, we come in and we’re regrouping and we’re down 2-1. That was tough.

“The start was where it needed to be, but the score didn’t reflect it.”

Mac grabs the go-ahead with a shorty 👏 pic.twitter.com/MDN3mV53XA

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 29, 2024

McDonagh agreed that the Rangers dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes.

“It was a ton of shots against, and obviously not really the recipe we want to play, as far as being consistent and being tough to play against defensively,” he said. “We gave them a lot of looks and kind of struggled in our own zone, and give them credit, they pressured hard.”

Instead, the Lightning put the game away with three goals in the first 8:08 of the second period. McDonagh finished the night plus-1 in 20:12 of ice time – just under his season average of 20:28. He scored the shorthanded goal and blocked a team-high four shots.

Though McDonagh has just 10 points (one goal, nine assists) this season, he leads the Lightning in plus-minus at plus-21. That shouldn’t be a surprise – he is plus-267 in 961 regular-season games and has never finished lower than plus-7 for a full season (50 or more games played). Good things happen when he’s on the ice.

With the Rangers reeling – they are 4-14-0 after a 12-4-1 start and have dropped to last in the Metropolitan Division standings – they could use a player like McDonagh to eat minutes on the blue line in a defense-first role and contribute as a leader. Instead, they had to watch him do those things for a team that looks certain to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs yet again, and perhaps win the Atlantic Division.

Cooper said McDonagh continues to be the kind of steady, consistent contributor every team needs.

“The impressive thing for me is that he gets older by age but his game hasn’t seemed to decline,” he said. “He’s been a stabilizing force for us back there. I think he’s really helped our (defense) corps, and I think our record (20-11-2) is a little bit of a byproduct of that.”

The New York Rangers haven’t been immune to the kind of trade that leaves fans scratching their heads and wondering what their GM was thinking when he made the deal. Sometimes it’s a player they acquired who didn’t produce; other times it’s one whose career took off after leaving New York. And sometimes it’s both.

Either way, they’re the kind of move that fans can’t forget — no matter how hard they try.

Related: Rangers best trades in past 50 years, including Mark Messier

Worst Rangers trades in past 50 years

Here’s a look at the seven worst trades the Rangers have made during the past five decades.

7. Singing the Blues on Buch

The Trade: Rangers acquired forward Sammy Blais and a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the St. Louis Blues for forward Pavel Buchnevich.

Date: July 23, 2021

Why it mattered: Buchnevich, a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, arrived in New York three years later and took a slow but steady path toward NHL success. He was coming off his best NHL season with 20 goals and 48 points in 51 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season — becoming the player the Rangers had been waiting for. But as a restricted free agent that summer and with unrestricted free agency a year away, “Buch” was going to cost the cap-strapped Rangers more money than they could commit.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Chris Drury, who’d just been named general manager, traded Buchnevich to the Blues for Blais, a bottom-six forward, and a draft pick.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, each player continued on the development track he’d been on before the trade.

For Buchnevich, it meant that he became a reliable top-line point producer, one who’s scored 73 goals and averaged nearly a point per game in his three seasons with the Blues. At 29, there’s no reason he shouldn’t continue to put up solid point totals for the foreseeable future.

Blais had been a role player on the Blues’ 2019 Cup-winning team, but never developed into anything more than that and was plagued by injuries during his time with the Rangers. He wound up going back to St. Louis ahead of the 2023 trade deadline as part of the deal that brought Vladimir Tarasenko to New York.

6. Left out

The Trade: Rangers acquired left wing Kevin Stevens from the Los Angeles Kings for left wing Luc Robitaille.

Date: Aug. 28, 1997

Why it mattered: Robitaille is among the all-time greatest scorers in NHL history, but not because of his two seasons with the Rangers. He scored at least 40 goals with the Los Angeles Kings in all eight of his non-lockout NHL seasons when the Rangers acquired him in the summer of 1995, and GM Neil Smith was counting on “Lucky Luc” to give the Rangers an offensive boost on left wing.

But it didn’t happen. After two seasons that saw Robitaille fail to score even 25 goals, the Rangers decided to cut their losses and send him back to L.A. Unfortunately for Smith and the Rangers, the return was veteran left wing Kevin Stevens, a scoring terror with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early 1990s whose offensive numbers had dropped sharply.

Robitaille turned out to be going through a mid-career lull, but Stevens’ issues were more serious, on and off the ice. His 23 goals and 43 points with the Rangers in 1998-99 were his best single-season numbers from 1994 through the end of his career in 2002. A big reason was that the pain pills he took to cope with a serious head injury sustained in the 1993 playoffs turned into an addiction and a long downslide that ultimately led to his arrest on federal drug charges in 2016 (he’s sober today and helps those dealing with addictions).

Robitaille’s scoring touch returned in Los Angeles, where he scored at least 30 goals three more times — then did it again while helping the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 2002. He’s a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.

5. Chasing past glories didn’t work

The Trade: Rangers acquired forwards Jari Kurri and Shane Churla and defenseman Marty McSorley from the Los Angeles Kings for center Ray Ferraro, forwards Ian Laperriere and Nathan Lafayette, and defenseman Mattias Norstrom.

Date: March 14, 1996

Why it mattered: Smith’s love for ex-Edmonton Oilers didn’t end when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994. Unfortunately for him, the same formula didn’t work two years later.

Smith added to his collection of former Oilers ahead of the 1996 trade deadline by bringing in Kurri and McSorley, who had previously been dealt by the Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, as well as enforcer Shane Churla. The deal cost the Rangers three young players and Ferraro, a veteran center who had signed with the Rangers as a free agent in the summer of 1995.

It turned out to be a complete failure, with the three newcomers playing a combined total of 78 games with the Rangers. Kurri and McSorley did almost nothing in New York and were gone before the next season began. Churla played the final 55 games of his 11-season NHL career with the Rangers, managing all of one assist.

Even worse for the Rangers was the success of two of the young players they traded away.

Norstrom became a top-four defenseman who played 11 solid seasons in L.A. and was Kings captain. Laperriere became one of the League’s most effective agitators and played 13 more seasons in the League, eight with the Kings.

Add in the 110 goals scored by Ferraro after the trade, giving him 408 for his career, and this goes down as the kind of trade teams have nightmares about making.

4. A Question of style

The Trade: Rangers acquired left wing Luc Robitaille and defenseman Ulf Samuelsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Sergei Zubov and center Petr Nedved.

Date: Aug. 31, 1995

Why it mattered: Zubov was a steal when the Rangers grabbed him in the fifth round of the 1990 NHL Draft with the compensation pick they received when the Quebec Nordiques signed Guy Lafleur. He led the team in scoring during their 1994 Cup run and had 36 points in 38 games in 1994-95. But the young Russian looked physically overwhelmed in the playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers’ “Legion of Doom,” so Smith decided to make some changes.

He got the size and nastiness he wanted on the blue line by sending Zubov to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Nedved for Robitaille and Samuelsson, a defenseman who never saw an opponent he didn’t want to bash.

Unfortunately for Smith, the NHL was shifting away from big, slow defensemen like Samuelsson, who contributed little offensively in his nearly four seasons with New York. The new model was skilled players such as Zubov, who was traded by the Penguins to the Dallas Stars the following summer and went on to a Hall of Fame career that was built on his ability to move the puck and generate offense.

To make matters worse, Robitaille looked little like the player who’d had eight 40-goal seasons with the Kings before a lockout-shortened 23-goal showing in Pittsburgh in 1994-95. In the summer of 1997, the Rangers sent him back to L.A. — and his scoring touch returned. Talk about a trade where nothing went right!

3. A New Year’s dud

The Trade: Rangers acquired center Bobby Carpenter and a second-round pick in the 1989 NHL Draft from the Washington Capitals for center Mike Ridley and forwards Kelly Miller and Bob Crawford.

Date: Jan. 1, 1987

Why it mattered: Phil Esposito was one of the greatest goal-scorers in NHL history, so it’s not surprising that a young player who could put the puck in the net would pique his interest after he became the Rangers general manager in 1986. Carpenter, the first player to jump from high school to the NHL, had the first 50-goal season by a U.S.-born player when he scored 53 times for Washington in 1984-85. His offensive numbers were down in 1985-86 and again in the first half of 1986-87, but he was still just 23 when the impulsive Esposito started 1987 by bringing him to New York. It didn’t look like the price was unduly high. Though Ridley was coming off a 65-point rookie season in 1985-86 and had 36 points in 38 games in year two, he had no pedigree as an undrafted center from a Canadian college. Miller, a ninth-round pick in 1982, didn’t look like he’d be anything special, and Crawford’s 36-goal season with the Hartford Whalers in 1983-84 looked more and more like a fluke.

However, whatever offensive skills Carpenter owned didn’t make the trip. After five straight seasons of at least 27 goals and 56 points, Carpenter couldn’t find the net with radar after coming to the Big Apple. He managed all of two goals and 10 points in 28 games with the Rangers before Esposito, in another bout of impulsiveness, sent him to Los Angeles for future Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who lasted two seasons before retiring.

Carpenter went on to an 18-year career that saw him evolve into a solid checking center who helped the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup in 1995, though he never showed the kind of scoring touch that had attracted Esposito. To add insult to injury, Ridley became one of the League’s best two-way centers during the next decade, finishing with 10 seasons of 20-plus goals, and Miller grew into a reliable middle-six forward. The Rangers paid a huge price for Espo’s impulsiveness.

2. M is for Miss

The Trade: The Rangers acquired centers Brett Howden and Vladislav Namestnikov, defenseman Libor Hajek, a first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2019 draft from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Ryan McDonagh and center JT Miller.

Date: Feb. 26, 2018

Why it mattered: Nine years after the Rangers got McDonagh in one of the best trades in team history, they sent the defenseman to the Lightning in one of the worst.

McDonagh’s terrific two-way play was a big reason the Rangers were among the best NHL teams for much of the 2010s. But by 2017-18, things were falling apart — and GM Jeff Gorton was in rebuilding mode, so he sent McDonagh and center JT Miller, a talented 2011 first-round pick who never quite seemed to fit in New York, to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had beaten the Rangers in Game 7 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final.

It looked like Gorton had gotten quite a haul. In addition to the draft choices, Howden was a 2016 first-round pick, Hajek was a highly regarded young defenseman and Namestnikov had already scored 20 goals in 62 games for the Lightning that season.

Instead, the deal turned into a disaster. McDonagh played a key role in helping the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, then helped them oust the Rangers in the 2022 Eastern Conference Final. He’s still an effective defenseman in his mid-30s. Even worse, Miller has blossomed into a 100-point scorer with the Vancouver Canucks, who acquired him from the Lightning in 2019. Meanwhile, none of the players or picks the Rangers received has made any significant impact in the NHL.

The big swing and miss helped turn Gorton into a former Rangers GM by 2021.

1. Hodge Podge

The Trade: Rangers acquired forward Ken Hodge from the Boston Bruins for forward Rick Middleton.

Date: May 26, 1976

Why it mattered: John Ferguson’s first trade as general manager was one older Rangers fans are still trying to forget.

The scene had been set six months earlier, when the Rangers and Bruins made perhaps the biggest trade in NHL history at that time, with the Rangers getting Esposito, still a high-scoring center, and defenseman Carol Vadnais from the Bruins for center Jean Ratelle and defensemen Brad Park and Joe Zanussi. Espo’s scoring touch diminished in New York, and after the season he went to Ferguson, who got the GM job in January 1976 after Emile Francis was fired, and pushed for the acquisition of Ken Hodge, his longtime right wing.

Ferguson, who was trying to remake the Rangers, was willing to help Espo by bringing in his old linemate. The Bruins wanted 23-year-old Rick Middleton, who had scored 22 and 24 goals in his first two NHL seasons. “Nifty” was talented but flashy — not Ferguson’s kind of player. Hodge, nine years older, was.

To say the trade was a disaster would be putting it kindly. Hodge managed 21 goals and 62 points in his only full season with the Rangers. By the middle of 1977-78, he was in the American Hockey League and never played in the NHL again.

Middleton took a couple of seasons to find a fit in Boston, but he began a streak of seven straight 30-goal seasons in 1978-79 and scored 40 or more from 1979-80 through 1983-84. He helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Final three times (they lost all three), had two 100-point seasons and finished his career with 448 goals and 998 points in 1,005 games. The Bruins retired his number in 2019.

The Rangers traded Middleton’s future for Hodge’s past. It’s a formula that almost never works; in this case, it was a disaster.

Two of the most successful eras in team history — the run to the Stanley Cup in 1994 and the first half of the 2020s when the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy last season and reached the conference final twice in three seasons – have been keyed by deals that brought important pieces to the Big Apple.

So, let’s start there, with the positive.

Related: 5 iconic Rangers play-by-play calls by Sam Rosen

Best Rangers trades in past 50 years

Here’s a look at the seven best deals the Rangers have made in the past five decades.

7. Lowe tide

The Trade: Rangers acquired defenseman Kevin Lowe from the Edmonton Oilers for forward Roman Oksiuta and a third-round pick in the 1993 NHL Draft.

Date: Dec. 11, 1992

Why it mattered: When your team hasn’t won a championship in more than 50 years, there are worse ideas that bringing in players with championship pedigrees. Landing Mark Messier from the Edmonton Oilers in October 1991 was a great start, but it wasn’t enough to bring the Stanley Cup back to New York in the spring of 1992. However, with the Oilers still in selloff mode, Rangers general manager Neil Smith continued shopping at their clearance sale for the next two seasons.

He added to his collection of ex-Oilers midway through 1992-93 by bringing in Kevin Lowe, a five-time Cup winner whose defensive skills were invaluable in the Oilers heyday but weren’t as useful on a team that was in tear-down mode. Lowe sat out the first two-plus months of the 1992-93 season in a contract dispute but quickly signed after the deal was made.

In addition to his still-formidable defensive skills, Lowe brought leadership and a veteran championship presence to a defense corps led by young, offense-minded players like Brian Leetch and Sergei Zubov (who became Lowe’s regular partner). Playing mostly with Lowe was a big reason that Zubov finished the 1993-94 season with a team-high 89 points. Lowe also overcame a shoulder injury to play all but one playoff game on the run to the Cup.

The price turned out to be cheap. The Oilers hoped Oksiuta would help replace some of the talent they were shipping out (including Esa Tikkanen and Craig MacTavish to the Rangers). He did put up good numbers in in the AHL but managed just 87 points in 153 NHL games before eventually returning to Russia.

6. Getting Gartner

The Trade: Rangers acquired forward Mike Gartner from the Minnesota North Stars for forward Ulf Dahlen, a fourth-round pick in the 1990 NHL Draft and future considerations.

Date: March 6, 1990

Why it mattered: Second-year GM Smith had the Rangers on the upswing as the 1989-90 NHL trade deadline was approaching. But he knew they needed a “home run hitter,” a player who was a threat to score any time he was on the ice. Smith had his eye on Mike Gartner, one of the league’s fastest skaters and best goal-scorers. He landed him in exchange for Ulf Dahlen, a solid player but not in Gartner’s league as a scorer.

Gartner arrived and did exactly what he was acquired to do — put the puck in the net. He scored 11 times in 12 games after the trade to complete a 45-goal season, then pumped in at least 40 goals in each of the next three seasons. No player in team history had put up those kind of numbers on such a consistent basis. He was a big reason the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1991-92 and earned the first Game 7 win in team history in the spring of 1992.

But the Rangers missed the playoffs in 1992-93, and new coach Mike Keenan wasn’t a big fan of Gartner, whose goal numbers dropped in 1993-94. Keenan went to Smith and said he wanted Gartner gone; Smith sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for longtime Edmonton Oilers star Glenn Anderson during a wild spree of deals before the 1994 NHL Trade Deadline. Anderson went on to help the Rangers win the championship that spring, scoring two game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup Final.

Ironically, Gartner’s play with his new team nearly got him a chance to exact some revenge on his old one; he helped the Maple Leafs reach the Western Conference Final before losing to the Vancouver Canucks. Gartner retired in 1998 with 708 goals; he’s in the Hall of Fame and was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017.

Dahlen’s career wasn’t too shabby — he finished with 301 goals in 14 seasons. But he wasn’t Gartner, one of the most dangerous players in Rangers history.

5. The McDonagh heist

The Trade: Rangers acquire defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Doug Janik along with forwards Chris Higgins and Pavel Valentenko from the Montreal Canadiens for center Scott Gomez and forwards Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto.

Date: June 30, 2009

Why it mattered: Plucking a talented young defenseman from a longtime rival would make any general manager smile. Perhaps the only thing better is ditching a bad contract at the same time.

That’s what Rangers GM Glen Sather did in the summer of 2009.

Two years earlier, Sather had signed center Scott Gomez to a big-money, long-term contract. But after a disappointing 2008-09 season, Sather wanted to make a change as well as pare his payroll. In what was regarded as mostly a salary dump, the Rangers sent Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens for four players, including a young defenseman named Ryan McDonagh who had been their top pick in the 2007 NHL draft but wasn’t developing as fast as they’d expected.

Chris Higgins, a veteran forward from Long Island, was regarded as the best part of the return for the Rangers. But that changed as soon as McDonagh arrived during the 2010-11 season.

McDonagh was a perfect full-service defenseman. He generated offense, devoured ice time, was a plus player in every season with the Rangers (at least plus-11 in the first seven) and eventually served as captain. He was a key contributor in the run to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and fueled the Rangers’ success during the early and mid-2010s. The only thing he didn’t do in New York was win the Stanley Cup, though he did so twice after being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2017-18 season.

Meanwhile, Gomez never scored more than 12 goals in any season after leaving the Rangers before he retired in 2016.

4. Czech mate

The Trade: Rangers acquired forward Jaromir Jagr from the Washington Capitals for forward Anson Carter.

Date: Jan. 23, 2004

Why it mattered: Jaromir Jagr spent the 1990s piling up points and scoring titles, and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992. He was still an elite player in the early 2000s — but by now was also one of the League’s highest-paid stars. The Washington Capitals acquired him in 2001, but they missed the playoffs in 2001-02 and were bounced in the first round a year later.  Washington fell apart in 2003-04 and decided at midseason that Jagr and his huge contract were expendable. The Rangers, headed for a sixth straight non-playoff season, were happy to take him for the low price of Anson Carter, a versatile but unspectacular forward.

The payoff came after play resumed following the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season. Playing primarily on a line with Michael Nylander and Martin Straka, Jagr had what remains the greatest offensive season in Rangers history. He set still-standing team records for goals (54) and points (123), missed his sixth Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring leader by two points, was a First-Team All-Star and voted by his fellow players as winner of the Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now the Ted Lindsay Award) as the League’s outstanding player. The only thing that went wrong was a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the playoffs and was a major reason the Rangers were bounced by the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

Jagr, who was named captain, followed his record-breaking showing by recording 96 and 71 points in the next two seasons, helping the Rangers make the playoffs each time. But by then, Jagr was 36 – and Sather opted not to re-sign him. Instead, Jagr played in Russia for three years before returning for six more seasons in the NHL, including a 27-goal, 66-point showing in 2015-16 that helped the Florida Panthers win the first division title in their history.

Though his Rangers tenure lasted just three seasons, the future Hall of Famer (he’s still playing in Czechia) made a huge impact during his short time on Broadway.

3. Fox comes home

The Trade: Rangers acquired defenseman Adam Fox from the Carolina Hurricanes for their second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2020 draft.

Date: April 23, 2019

Why it mattered: Fox grew up in Jericho, New York, as a Rangers fan and was determined he would play only for them. That’s what he’s done, even if it’s meant a couple of detours along the way.

The Calgary Flames chose Fox in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft before he headed to Harvard. He opted not to sign with the Flames, who traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes after his second season in college. Fox elected to return to school for a third season and was named ECAC Player of the Year. With the possibility that he could become an unrestricted free agent, the Hurricanes decided they didn’t want to lose him for nothing and traded him to the Rangers for two draft picks.

Calgary and Carolina’s loss was the Rangers’ gain. Fox was among the top NHL rookies in 2019-20, then won the Norris Trophy as the League’s top defenseman the following season. He was a First-Team All-Star again in 2022-23, a Second-Teamer last season and has averaged 73 points during the past three seasons. He’s never been worse than plus-18 in his five seasons and has averaged at least 23:27 of ice time in each of the past four.

At age 26, Fox is entering his prime. There figures to be at least another Norris Trophy and a few more postseason All-Star teams in his future. If the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in the next decade, expect Fox to be a major reason.

2. The Mark of “Z”

The Trade: Rangers acquired center Mika Zibanejad and a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft from the Ottawa Senators for center Derick Brassard and a seventh-round pick in 2018.

Date: July 18, 2016

Why it mattered: It’s hard to conceive now, but in a swap of two players drafted with the No. 6 overall pick five years apart, the Rangers were giving up the more productive player. Brassard, the sixth player taken in 2006, was 28 and coming off his two best NHL seasons with the Rangers, including a 27-goal, 58-point effort in 2015-16. Zibanejad, the No. 6 pick in 2011, had been something of a disappointment to the Senators, never scoring more than 21 goals or 51 points in four seasons. How disappointing? The Rangers even got a second-rounder in the bargain.

But GM Jeff Gorton saw something that perhaps the Senators didn’t — and he was right.

Zibanejad has grown into one of the best two-way centers in the NHL. He’s averaged more than a point per game during the past six seasons, and scored 41 goals in just 57 games in 2019-20 and 39 goals and 93 points in 2022-23. Zibanejad is a big reason the Rangers have had one of the most lethal power plays during the past few seasons, is a threat to score as a penalty-killer and is a combined plus-70 in the past three seasons. At age 31, he should have several more productive seasons ahead of him.

And Brassard? He never had more than 18 goals or 38 points while playing with nine more teams before retiring this summer.

1. The Captain arrives

The Trade: Rangers acquired center Mark Messier and future considerations (defenseman Jeff Beukeboom) from the Edmonton Oilers for center Bernie Nicholls, forwards Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk, and future considerations (defenseman David Shaw).

Date: Oct. 4, 1991.

Why it mattered: The Rangers had improved in their three seasons with Smith as GM, finishing on top of their division in 1989-90 (their first title of any kind in 48 years). But Smith knew they were still a long way from competing for the Stanley Cup, and that he had to bring in a star player who could also be a leader.

As the start of the 1991-92 season, he got his man — and then some.

Mark Messier was already a five-time Cup champion with the Oilers when Smith rolled the dice and gave up high-scoring center Bernie Nicholls as well as two young  forwards, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk, and defenseman David Shaw, for “The Messiah,” who proved to be everything they could have asked for from the moment he made his debut in the home opener.  “The Captain” won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1991-92, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy. Two years later, he scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final when the Rangers ended their 54-year title drought. Among his teammates was Jeff Beukeboom, who turned into much more than a throw-in by becoming Brian Leetch’s partner on the top defense pair.

Meanwhile, the Oilers began a slide that lasted for the better part of 35 years. None of the players who went the other way were major contributors.

Messier was already a Hall of Famer before he arrived in New York. What he did with the Rangers turned him into a hockey immortal. He is “The Captain” forever.

So, here’s a shoutout to Talkin’ Rangers on X (formerly Twitter), who designed a fun post asking fans to create the best possible starting lineup with a $20 budget in relation to the financial values for each player assigned in the graphic. The players available are Rangers from 2010-present.

Build a New York Rangers Lineup using $20 #NYR pic.twitter.com/A9VfYHBQFb

— Talkin’ Rangers (@talkin_rangers) July 25, 2024

Fans must fill six spots — center, left wing, right wing, two defensemen and a goaltender — with a variety of players whose value ranges from most expensive ($5) to least expensive ($1).

Think this is so easy? Good luck trying to play general manager and spending that 20 bucks in the most effective way.

Related: New York Rangers all-time best free agent lineup

Taking turns building best Rangers lineup since 2010

Four members of the Forever Blueshirts staff took a whack at this and each admitted it’s nearly impossible to build a perfect starting six with the dollar-value restraints. Interestingly, not one player was included on each of the four lineups. Three players appeared in three lineups.

After this fun exercise, perhaps, at least a few of us came away with more admiration for what Chris Drury and other general managers contend with in building their rosters.

Jim Cerny, executive editor

C: ($4) Mika Zibanejad

LW: ($5) Artemi Panarin

RW: ($1) Ryan Callahan

D: ($5) Adam Fox

D: ($4) Ryan McDonagh

G: ($1) Jonathan Quick

This was a fun exercise, one where I have eight solid possibilities staring up at me from my scratch pad. Henrik Lundqvist is my goalie in seven of the eight options. But the very last option I seriously considered, slotted in three-time Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Quick for a buck and that really let me load up elsewhere in the lineup. There’s risk here not going with the best goalie, which Quick is not at this stage of his career, but every one of my options come with risks – even one or two that include Jacob Trouba for $1 on defense! By starting Quick, I am able to achieve my main goal of having a top D pairing of Adam Fox and Ryan McDonagh, which might be as good as any defensive combo in Rangers history. And it allowed me to keep two more expensive options – Mika Zibanejad, who is clearly the best center here, and Artemi Panarin, the best and most consistent point producer in this group. The best value by far is Ryan Callahan for $1. His name is all over my scratch pad, a no-brainer at that price for all he brings to the table.

Lou Orlando, staff writer

C: ($2) Derick Brassard

LW: ($5) Artemi Panarin

RW: ($1) Ryan Callahan

D: ($5) Adam Fox

D: ($2) Marc Staal

G: ($5) Henrik Lundqvist

After much deliberation, I chose to go big on three of the four $5 players and fill the remaining three spots with some value picks. While Quick was tempting for just $1, I couldn’t deny myself one of the elite Blueshirts goalies of all-time. You can’t go wrong with either Shesterkin or Lundqvist, but I went with “The King,” partially out of nostalgia but because he was elite for over a decade — I know exactly what I’m getting with him. Except for maybe Jaromir Jagr, I’m not sure Hank ever played with a forward quite as dynamic as Artemi Panarin, so I made sure to lock down the elite scorer and playmaker. Derick Brassard isn’t quite as flashy, but he’s a beast in the postseason and a reliable top-six guy. Then, I just couldn’t turn down Ryan Callahan at $1, the definition of a 200-foot player and the first Ranger I ever fell in love with. Marc Staal will be the reliable safety net on the blue line that allows Adam Fox to do his thing offensively. All of that in front of the greatest goalie in Rangers history? Yes, please!

Related: Rangers new addition ‘dynamic,’ Chris Kreider raves

Nick Palmer, staff writer

C: ($4) Mika Zibanejad

LW: ($3) Chris Kreider

RW: ($4) Rick Nash

D: ($5) Adam Fox

D: ($3) Dan Girardi

G: ($1) Jonathan Quick

Having Quick as a $1 option is the biggest steal on the board, and allows you to spend lavishly on your five skaters. Quick, in his prime, is arguably the best goaltender here. But even if he plays as he did last season, posting a 2.62 goals-against average and the way he helped carry the Rangers through the first half of the year, that still brings incredible value. Fox and Girardi will take the blue line, even though we know they’re both right-hand shots. I’ll take that liberty, believing Girardi could slot in on the left. Fox’s playmaking abilities and offensive skill with three straight 70+ point seasons combined with Girardi’s shot-blocking prowess (he blocked 2337 shots in his career) as a stay-at-home partner make for a formidable pairing. The special teams unit will be lethal with Zibanejad leading the way, and the forward group relying on Nash’s ability to shield the puck in the offensive zone. Once Nash fires the puck toward the net, Kreider’s power-forward identity with a six-foot-3 frame will be used to crash the crease and create opportunities for Zibanejad and Nash, as well as for himself. This will be a solid team that creates greasy goals, and gorgeous ones.

Dane Walsh, staff writer

C: ($4) Mika Zibanejad 

LW: ($3) Chris Kreider 

RW: ($1) Ryan Callahan

D: ($4) Ryan McDonagh

D: ($3) Dan Girardi 

G: ($5) Henrik Lundqvist 

This may be my early 2010s nostalgia getting the best of me, but if I had $20 to pick a starting six for the Rangers, I find it hard to beat this one. Taking the duo of Kreider and Zibanejad and adding in Captain Callahan creates a perfect first line. If Callahan were in his prime, he would be a great fit here. Always so reliable, always willing to grind for pucks, and could chip in offensively. Playing with Kreider, one of the best Rangers of all time, and Zibanejad, who is not too far behind, makes for a solid forward group. On defense, I had to go with the iconic McDonagh – Girardi pairing. These two played countless games together for the Rangers and were the top defensive pair for years. This was an easy decision. And, of course, I had to have “The King” in net. I grew up for nearly two decades knowing no Rangers goalie other than Henrik Lundqvist. There’s no better goalie to have as the backstop for this lineup. Two former captains, three great Ranger veterans, and perhaps the best Rangers goalie of all time. I think it’s a great starting six.

However, it does mark a fitting, anticlimactic end to the infamous trade of Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, with Henriksson being the last remaining piece in the Rangers organization from that 2018 deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On February 8, 2018, Rangers president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton released a letter to their fans, warning that the team would seek to acquire young talent and potentially part ways with familiar faces as the upcoming trade deadline, setting the course for a rebuild after a string of successful seasons and deep playoff runs.

They ended up trading several key players, including McDonagh who had served as captain for the previous four seasons, and Miller, who was an exciting forward and former 15th-overall pick.

This particular deal saw McDonagh and Miller shipped to the Lightning, who were pushing to make a Stanley Cup run. In exchange, the Rangers received Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, and two early draft picks — the Lightning’s first-rounder in 2018 and a second-rounder in 2019. New York took Nils Lundkvist with the first-round pick and selected Henriksson 58th overall with the second-rounder.

Six years later, not a single piece from the trade package remains in the Rangers organization. It remains a black mark on the Rangers’ rebuild, arguably the worst move in general manager Jeff Gorton’s tenure, and one of the worst trades in Rangers history.

Related: Early look at 2024-25 Hartford Wolf Pack roster, including Brennan Othmann

Trading Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller to Lightning in 2018 one of worst in Rangers history

Unable to pry away prized young talent like Brayden Point or Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay, Gorton built the deal around Hajek, a former second-round pick with exciting upside as a 20-year-old defenseman. But Hajek never sniffed his lofty expectations.

Given numerous chances to seize playing time and a permanent spot in the Rangers defense corps, Hajek never played more than 44 games in a single season across five years. The Rangers let him go after the 2022-23 season, and he has not played a game in the NHL since. He played 110 games as a Blueshirt, managing just 12 points and a minus-9 rating.

Namestnikov had four and a half years of experience at the time of the trade, all with Tampa Bay. The 27th overall pick in 2011 had already set NHL career highs in the 61 games prior to the trade, scoring 20 goals and 44 points. He scored two goals and four points in his subsequent 19 games with the Rangers, and to this day, has not scored 20 goals or 40 points since.

Early in the 2019-20 season, the Rangers dealt him to the Ottawa Senators for an unremarkable return. Namestnikov played 99 games with the Blueshirts and scored just 13 goals and 35 points. He’s stayed in the League but bounced around frequently, closing out this past season with the Winnipeg Jets, his sixth different team since leaving the Blueshirts.

Howden won a Stanley Cup ring and enjoyed a two-goal performance in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. It just so happens he did it for the Vegas Golden Knights last season.

Of the five players in this package, Howden had the best career with the Rangers by default, playing 178 games with New York, scoring 16 goals and 49 points. Advertised as an exciting two-way forward, the 27th overall pick in 2016 ended up being a solid fourth-line center in New York but was dealt to Vegas in the summer of 2021, finding success in a bottom-six role there.

For a little while, there was some hope that Lundkvist would be the pize of this trade, after the defenseman drew attention with some nice offensive play in the SHL. Given 25 games of run as a 21-year-old with the Rangers in 2021-22, Lundkvist managed a goal and four points, failing to do enough to stay in the lineup. The Rangers traded him to the Dallas Stars that offseason, getting a first-round pick in return which was flipped ahead of the 2023 trade deadline to the St. Louis Blues for Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola.

Henriksson failed to garner the same hype and, after struggling in the AHL for two seasons, has elected to return to the SHL.

The return for McDonagh and Miller resulted in a combined 412 games at the NHL level with the Rangers and just 100 points produced. No one from the trade has played for the Rangers since 2022-23, with Hajek being the last one.

Meanwhile, McDonagh played a major role in the Lightning’s three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, getting his name engraved on the Cup in 2020 and 2021. After two seasons with the Nashville Predators, he’s returning to the Lightning next season after a recent offseason trade.

Miller wasn’t able to stick in Tampa long enough to hoist the Cup. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2019. Nonetheless, he’s become one of the League’s top offensive centers, scoring an NHL career-high 37 goals and 103 points this past season.

👏 J.T. 👏 MILLER 👏 pic.twitter.com/6M3hvLOlMX

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 27, 2024

It’s pretty clear cut — New York got the short end of the stick on this trade.

There are still loose ties in the organization from the trade tree. The fourth-round pick Ottawa gave up for Namestnikov was used to take forward Kalle Vaisanen, who signed late this season and played three games for Hartford.

The fourth-rounder from Vegas in the Howden deal was used on Noah Laba, who has yet to sign an entry-level contract. Laba just wrapped up his second season at Colorado College and was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Defensive Forward of the Year as well as All-NCHC First Team.

The Rangers’ fire sale in 2018 resulted in a lot of big-name players being shipped out. Along with McDonagh and Miller, Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, and Mats Zuccarello were all traded as Gorton tried to accumulate draft picks and young talent.

While the Nash trade netted them Ryan Lindgren and helped the Rangers move up to select K’Andre Miller 22nd overall in the draft, it’s hard to feel like the Rangers got the return value they should have from the talent they parted with.

Fans need to look no further than the colossal failure of the trade with the Lightning, as Henriksson’s departure marks the final blow, cementing it as one of the worst trades in Rangers history.

The question we look to answer is if that call was the right one.

Ryan McDonagh trade tree

On February 26th, 2018 the Rangers traded McDonagh and JT Miller for Vladislav Nemestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, 2018 1st round pick (Nils Lundkvist), and a conditional second round pick (Karl Henriksson).

Looking back at the trade five years later and with the dust settling on the draft picks, it’s easy to call this one a complete bust.

As McDonagh was winning Stanley Cups in Tampa and Miller developed into a superstar with the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers were slowly selling off the assets they acquired in that deal.

It began in 2019 when Namestnikov was traded to Ottawa for a fourth-round pick (Kalle Väisänen) and Nick Ebert, who the Rangers let walk.

Meanwhile, Brett Howden was turning into a nice fourth line center, but the Rangers opted to trade him to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2021 for Nick DeSimone and a fourth-round pick that became Noah Laba. New York watched Howden skate with the Cup this summer, as they hope Laba develops into a roster player one day. DeSimone signed with the Calgary Flames as a free agent and never played for the Rangers.

Multiple reports noted former GM Jeff Gorton insisted prospect defenseman Libor Hajek be included in the trade. Despite getting numerous opportunities, Hajek never showed the ability to be an everyday NHL defender. The Rangers did not tender a qualifying offer and let the 25 year-old become a UFA this summer.

Finally, the most valuable asset acquired was first-round selection Nils Lundkvist, who is no longer with the Blueshirts. With the emergence of Braden Schneider and the logjam on right defense, he was sent packing to the Dallas Stars after requesting a trade in September of 2022. In return, the Blueshirts received a conditional first-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in 2025.

That first round-pick along with Sammy Blais and Hunter Skinner was used prior to the trade deadline to acquire Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues in February.

Unfortunately, the gamble resulted in a first round exit to the New Jersey Devils in May.

Very little to show for trading their captain

So what do the Rangers have to show for trading McDonagh and Miller?

After the storm that blew through this trade tree, the Rangers are left with prospects Karl Henriksson, Kalle Väisänen, Noah Laba, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2025.

That’s not much to show for their former captain and a player that registered 99 points two seasons ago.

While this will go down as the worst move of Gorton’s tenure as GM, it’s easily offset with the acquisitions of Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. Both those players were basically obtained for next to nothing in assets.

Of course, the players remaining could contribute to the roster in the future. Maybe that fourth-round pick in 2025 turns out to be a gem? It’s just hard not to see this as complete flop for the organization.

At the end of the day, fans are left looking at this trade tree with extreme disappointment. Many will also be wondering if the Rangers rushed this move. What if they had been more patient before selling off assets in the rebuild, could they have done better?

We will never know.

Resources:

NHL Trade Tracker