A 4-0 win over the beleaguered New York Islanders on Monday at The Garden pulled the Rangers even in points (66) with the idle Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. However, the Rangers technically remain in ninth place since they’ve played one more game than the Red Wings, who host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

The Rangers are one point up on the Ottawa Senators, who’ve played one fewer game than New York and have a slight edge in points percentage as a result.

Listen, these things are going to fluctuate over the next several weeks, just as they have the past couple months. But one thing’s clear, the Rangers are right in the thick of this race. And truth be told, you must consider them to be favorites to land a playoff berth — whether one of the two wild cards or even third place in the Metropolitan Division.

That’s right. The Rangers are not out of the top three in the division. They’re six points behind the wobbly Devils, who just lost Jack Hughes to injury. Plus the Rangers have a game in hand. Hmmm.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Rangers have won two in a row, defeating two of the League’s weaker teams, the Nashville Predators and Islanders. But they did prove to be far superior, not allowing a goal over their past six periods of play. Plus, they’ve won four of five and seven of 10.

Big tests await, though. The first-place Washington Capitals come to MSG on Wednesday. Then there’s two crucial weekend games against the Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, the first wild card in the East. Next week begins with a road contest against the League-leading Winnipeg Jets and includes a visit to the Blue Jackets to close out a three-game road swing.

Plenty of peaks and valleys ahead in this wild playoff race.

Subscribe to the Rink Rap podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

New York Rangers news

Here are three key Rangers takeaways from their latest shutout victory, including Artemi Panarin’s significantly improved play.

We’ve also got the winners and losers breakdown form the Rangers 4-0 win Monday, including two more bench minor penalties that land in the loser’s column for Blueshirts.

In case you missed it, here are the winners and losers from New York’s 4-0 win Sunday against the woeful Nashville Predators, including a special 800th NHL game for Jonathan Quick.

The Rangers believe they’re “trending in the right direction” after a slow start following 4 Nations break.

“Fiery” Brett Berard made quite the impression in his return to the Rangers lineup Sunday against the Predators.

Here’s a look at the Rangers week ahead, that includes two crucial weekend games against the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

NHL news

Hold on a second, Jake Evans may not be traded ahead of the deadline Friday. Reports are that the pending UFA forward is making progress on a new contract with the Montreal Canadiens. This one may go down to the wire Friday.

The Athletic is reporting that John Gibson may consider lowering his 10-team no-trade list in order to facilitate a trade by the Anaheim Ducks ahead of the deadline.

With much uncertainty about their salary cap situation and the health of forward Evander Kane, the Edmonton Oilers are in a somewhat of a limbo before the deadline. Captain Connor McDavid said Monday he’s hopeful that the Oilers will be able to add “reinforcements” for depth purposes.

Daily Faceoff reports that the Dallas Stars are working on an eight-year extension with forward Wyatt Johnston.

Olli Maatta signed a three-year contract to remain with the Utah Hockey Club.

The Athletic reported that the Blue Jackets are close to finalizing a contract extension with rugged forward Mathieu Olivier.

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled veteran goalie Tristan Jarry from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League and demoted the overmatched Joel Blomqvist.

The Penguins also placed defenseman P.O. Joseph on IR with an undisclosed injury.

The Washington Capitals ended a three-game losing streak with an exciting 5-4 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators, who dropped one point behind the Rangers in the East standings.

That Capitals-Senators game featured a star-studded fight between Brady Tkachuk and Tom Wilson.

TOM WILSON AND BRADY TKACHUK DROPPED THE GLOVES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/4Y05DsMlSA

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 4, 2025

The Canadiens won their fifth straight game, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime.

Watch Mike Matheson score the OT winner for the Canadiens.

Days after being traded by the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones deal, Spencer Knight made 41 saves in his Chicago Blackhawks debut, a 5-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings.

Jones had a strong debut for the Panthers in their 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The San Jose Sharks ended a 0-5-3 slide with a 3-2 shootout win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Late Friday night, Ryan Lindgren was among those meeting with the media at Madison Square Garden trying to explain the disappointment of a painful 3-2 Rangers loss that evening to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lindgren and the Rangers woke up Saturday tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, still four points out of a playoff spot.

Then came the news that Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey were traded by the Rangers to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and two draft picks. Not a shocker since Lindgren and Vesey are pending UFAs and neither was going to be re-signed this offseason. But still, another significant trade to alter the Rangers core moving forward.

After that, results poured in from around the League, almost each one bad for the idle Rangers’ playoff chances. When the dust settled, the Rangers found themselves tied for 12th in the conference, though still four points out of the second wild card and now six in arrears of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first wild card. But they were passed by the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Flyers pulled even with 62 points.

So, yeah, one day, 24 hours, a lot of change. But the Rangers can flip things on their head with a win against the woeful Nashville Predators on Sunday and the narrative changes again.

Subscribe to the Rink Rap podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

New York Rangers news

Here’s a breakdown of what’s next for the Rangers after swinging the four-player trade with the Avalanche.

The Forever Blueshirts staff hands out trade grades for the Rangers after the deal with the Avalanche.

Speaking of trades, Neil Smith told Forever Blueshirts in an exclusive interview that there’s one deal in 1996 he regrets more than any other from his tenure as Rangers general manager.

Igor Shesterkin’s good buddy Ilya Sorokin was credited with a goalie goal Saturday, and the Islanders netminder made sure to chirp the Rangers slick stick-handling goaltender afterward.

Here were our three Rangers takeaways from the 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Friday.

NHL news

The Rangers and Avalanche weren’t the only ones making a sizeable trade Saturday. The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick.

And that’s not all. The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Predators for a second-round pick in 2026.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand left their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury. There was no update on his condition postgame.

The Bruins went on to edge the Penguins 3-2 for an important road victory.

Not only did the Vancouver Canucks lose 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken, but defenseman Quinn Hughes left the game after “he tweaked something.” Hughes had just recently returned from injury, so this is a major concern for the Canucks.

Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is expected to make his season debut when they visit the Penguins on Sunday. He’s been out following sports hernia surgery.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing streak when Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto and Josh Norris each returned from injury for a 5-3 victory against the San Jose Sharks.

The Edmonton Oilers also ended a five-game skid with a 3-1 road win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Look who’s rolling now — the Montreal Canadiens. They won their fourth straight game and moved past the Rangers in the East with a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 884 to move within 11 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals 3-1 for their eighth straight win.

Nico Hischier picked up his 400th NHL point and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Utah Hockey Club 3-1.

Brock Nelson may be on the trade block — or not — but he scored twice to lead the Islanders past the Predators 7-4.

Watch Ilya Sorokin “score” a goalie goal against the Predators.

The Columbus Blue Jackets paid tribute to fallen teammate Johnny Gaudreau to make their 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the 2025 Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium even more special.

Watch the highlights from the Blue Jackets’ outdoor win against the Red Wings.

So, despite looking like dog poop for the first two games out of the break — even though they miraculously won one of them, 5-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday — the Rangers (28-25-4) are in in a good spot with 24 games to play following their 5-1 win against the Islanders on Tuesday.

The Rangers were not as good as the final score indicated, though they did some things very, very well. Igor Shesterkin again was excellent, finishing with 36 saves. And the bottom-six forward group were game changers, especially the fourth line which accounted for three goals.

And how about defenseman Urho Vaakanainen? He logged nearly 21 minutes TOI and notched the first three-point game of his NHL career.

Plus it was a pretty heroic effort by the D-corps, which was down to four healthy defenders after Adam Fox (upper body in third period) and K’Andre Miller (lower body in second period) left with injuries. It got so dire at one point when Braden Schneider was hobbled following a blocked shot, that center Mika Zibanejad took a shift on defense.

All hands on deck and the Rangers grinded out a win and perhaps knocked the Islanders out of playoff contention. Their archrivals have lost four straight and are leaking goals against in a bad way lately. The Islanders are seven points out of the wild card in the East and sit in 14th place.

Of course, now all attention is on Fox and Miller. The Rangers really can’t afford to lose one of them for any stretch much less each of their top two defensemen.

The Ottawa Senators are the only team in this wild-card chase that plays Wednesday — they’re looking to end a four-game skid against the first-overall Winnipeg Jets, who’ve won a franchise-record 10 games in a row.

More are in action Thursday; and the Rangers are back at it Friday at home against the tough Toronto Maple Leafs.

Stay tuned. It’s getting really interesting.

Subscribe to the Rink Rap podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

New York Rangers news

Here are three Rangers takeaways from the win on Long Island, including career nights for Jonny Brodzinski and Urho Vaakanainen.

It was a big win Tuesday, but it might be a costly one for the Rangers, who await word on injured defensemen Fox and Miller.

Gabe Perreault tops our weekly Rangers NCAA prospects report. The sophomore forward from Boston College reached and passed the 100-point milestone in his collegiate career.

NHL news

In light of the Fox and Miller injuries, here’s a look at the top NHL defenseman expected to be traded ahead of the March 7 deadline.

The Rangers aren’t the only team dealing with injuries to key players. The Maple Leafs first lost defenseman Chris Tanev with an upper-body injury in their game against the Boston Bruins. Then star forward William Nylander skipped overtime against the Bruins because “something was bothering him.”

Despite that, the Maple Leafs staged a wild comeback and defeated the listing Bruins 5-4 in OT.

Roman Josi left the Nashville Predators’ 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers when his head hit the boards after a check from behind by Sam Bennett.

Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson was being evaluated postgame after crashing into the boards in the third period of a 4-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Joel Eriksson Ek is week to week with an upper-body injury for the Minnesota Wild.

Seth Jones had plenty to say after the Chicago Blackhawks latest loss, 2-1 to the Utah Hockey Club. The frustrated defenseman, who’s on the trade block said, “We haven’t made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team, and it shows.”

Far less frustrated is John Tavares of the Maple Leafs, a pending UFA who said that he’d “love” to sign a new deal with Toronto ahead of the trade deadline.

The time may never be better for the middle-of-the-road St. Louis Blues to trade goalie Jordan Binnington after his star turn at the 4 Nations Face-Off for Canada. It’s an intriguing option. Did anyone say Edmonton Oilers?

Andrew Copp is out for the season following pectoral surgery. So, what do the Detroit Red Wings do now?

The Red Wings rallied from two goals down to beat the Wild 3-2 and remain in sole possession of the first wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 30th goal for the 19th time in his NHL career and moved within 12 goals of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record, but the Washington Capitals lost to the Calgary Flames, 3-1.

Kirill Marchenko scored twice to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets past the Dallas Stars 6-4.

Two teams heading in opposite directions. The Tampa Bay Lightning won their sixth game in a row, 4-1 over the Oilers, who’ve lost four straight.

The Philadelphia Flyers exploded for a 6-1 win against the sinking Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s the Final that the NHL wanted all along. And it comes in hot, five days after Team USA won a thrilling and engaging 3-1 prelim game against Canada in Montreal last Saturday.

We’ll see if there’s a spot for Chris Kreider in the U.S. lineup. But Adam Fox, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck will represent the Rangers on Team USA, in what should be an intense contest in front of a pro-U.S. crowd Thursday.

And back in New York, the Rangers will ramp up their practice intensity, two days out from returning to game action against the Buffalo Sabres.

Let’s see if Igor Shesterkin will take part in the full practice or not. That could give us insight as to to whether he’ll start Saturday or remain sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Subscribe to the Rink Rap podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

New York Rangers news

Our Rangers notebook included Igor Shesterkin participating in part of practice and Peter Laviolette not shedding light on Brennan Othmann receiving NHL opportunity any time soon.

Former Rangers general manager Neil Smith told Forever Blueshirts that he’s confident the Blueshirts will make the playoffs this season, but explained why he doesn’t believe they’ll go very far this spring.

Speaking of Neil Smith, he joined the Rink Rap podcast this week to discuss the current state of the Rangers, the NHL Trade Deadline, and the 4 Nations Face-Off. He also shared a bunch of stories, including which trade he’d like a mulligan on from his tenure as Rangers GM.

J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider shared their takes on the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between the United States and Canada.

John Kreiser hands out report cards for each of the six Rangers players who participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off, ahead of the championship game Thursday.

NHL news

Mike Lange, one of the true legends of NHL broadcasters and a true friend of Forever Blueshirts, died Wednesday at 76. Lange called each of the five Stanley Cup championships for the Pittsburgh Penguins over his distinguished 46-year career.

Seth Jones said he has not requested a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks, but the defenseman has discussed the possibility with general manager Kyle Davidson.

Here’s a breakdown of top defensemen who could be dealt prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7.

Brock Boeser spoke with reporters and said there’s no update on contract talks with the Vancouver Canucks nor a possible trade ahead of the deadline.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are hopeful that captain Boone Jenner will be cleared to play his first game of the season Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks after missing the first five months following shoulder surgery. The Blue Jackets could also get top goal scorer Kirill Marchenko and defenseman Dante Fabbro back from injuries, as well.

Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry looks set to return to the lineup Saturday against the St. Louis Blues after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

Former Rangers center Alex Wennberg declared himself healthy and ready to return for the San Jose Sharks when they play the Calgary Flames on Sunday. He missed the past four games with an upper-body injury.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin said that he has no plans of playing in Russia once his NHL career ends (his contract runs through 2025-26). He said he plans to retire as a Pittsburgh Penguin.

Brett Pesce of the New Jersey Devils and Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres were invited to Boston by Team USA as possible replacement players if the U.S. falls below the minimum amount of eligible players due to injury or illness for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada.

The United States expects each of its three banged up forwards — Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk — to play Thursday against Canada in the 4 Nations Final.

Kevin Weekes reported that the NHL recently met with a group looking to bring an NHL expansion franchise to New Orleans.

NHL Roundup: Rangers trade Buchnevich and buyout DeAngelo

The New York Rangers placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on unconditional waivers Friday for the purpose of buying out his contract.

The buyout is for one-third of the remaining contract because DeAngelo is younger than 26. The Rangers will pay him $883,334 in each of the next two seasons while carrying cap hits of $383,334 in 2021-22 and $883,334 in 2022-23, according to Cap Friendly.

The St. Louis Blues acquired Pavel Buchnevich from the New York Rangers on Friday in exchange for fellow forward Sammy Blais and a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

There’s only so much cap space to go around,” GM Chris Drury said about the trade. “I feel pretty good with our depth at winger with some recent early draft picks we’ve had, with some veterans we’ve signed.”

Sabres begin house cleaning with Ristolainen trade

The Buffalo Sabres acquired a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (14th overall), a second-round pick in 2023 and defenseman Robert Hagg from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. No salary retained.

To line up those draft picks, the Sabres gave up Ristolainen, who was the No. 8 overall pick in 2013. In 542 games with Buffalo, he had 245 points (46 goals, 199 assists) — good for sixth among defensemen in club history.

Hagg, 26, had 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 236 games since the Flyers selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft. In 34 games last season, he tallied five points (two goals, three assists).

Oliver Ekman-Larsson traded to Canucks

The Arizona Coyotes traded captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday in exchange for three players and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, multiple media outlets reported.

Vancouver will send center Jay Beagle and wingers Loui Eriksson and Antoine Roussel as well as its first-round pick to Arizona, according to the reports. The Coyotes will also retain 12% of OEL’s cap hit.

Seth Jones traded to Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks made a big move prior to the NHL Draft. They landed defenseman Seth Jones in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, multiple reports said Friday.

Jones signed an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $9.5 million per year.

The package to Columbus includes Adam Boqvist, the 12th overall pick and a 2nd round pick in the 2021 Draft, plus a first in 2022.

Jones, who will turn 27 before the upcoming regular season, is the latest young talent to leave Columbus without interest in staying on a long-term deal, following former Blue Jackets Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky two years ago. Reports indicated Jones did not want to sign a long-term deal with the Jackets.

Taylor Hall staying in Boston

Taylor Hall played his cards right at the trade deadline. He used his no move clause to his advantage and landed on a team he wanted to be with. Now, he and the Boston Bruins have worked out a new deal.

Yesterday, the Bruins announced a 4 year contract for Hall with an AAV of $6 million.

“The Bruins are excited that Taylor wanted to remain a Boston Bruin and we are thrilled to have signed him to a multi-year contract,” GM Don Sweeney said in a statement. “He is an impact player that brings speed, scoring, skill and two-way commitment to our lineup. He fit seamlessly into our locker room and will be an integral part of our organization’s goal to compete for the Stanley Cup.”

–Field Level Media contributed to this article

Apologies for getting this out a little late but yesterday was busy with all the expansion related new. In this edition, we kick off with the hometown New York Rangers.

NHL Rumors: Latest on the New York Rangers

St. Louis based reporter Andy Strickland caused quite a stir over the weekend. He reports Rangers center Ryan Strome is drawing interest from around the league. The Ottawa Senators are just one of the teams interested in acquiring the 28 year-old center.

There’s been little information beyond this on the matter.

Ryan Strome (protected by #NYR) drawing decent amount of trade interest. Ottawa among those teams. #goSENSgo

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 18, 2021

Strome is signed for next season and is on the Rangers protected list. It’s very likely that his name came up in discussions leading up to yesterday’s trade freeze. One potential idea is that the Rangers are still involved in the Jack Eichel trade chatter; which is all what Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic believes. Another possibility is that some other center like Sean Monahan from the Flames is a trade target.

The Rangers sent a 7th round pick to the Lightning to acquire the early negotiating rights to Barclay Goodrow. He was left unprotected, which means the Kraken can also negotiate with him. Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting the Rangers have engaged Goodrow and progress was made. I doubt the Rangers let him hit the open market on 7/28.

Sounds like the Rangers & Barclay Goodrow are already closing in on a contract. Not sure if it’s done yet, but trending in that direction.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 17, 2021

Late yesterday, Elliotte Friedman stirred up the trade talk surrounding Pavel Buchnevich again in his latest 31 Thoughts Blog. According to the top NHL Insider, Chris Drury may be shopping him around due to the potentially big payday he has coming.

NHL Rumors Roundup: Gabriel Landeskog unprotected

The Avalanche made it official by not protecting Gabriel Landeskog. All that really means is the Seattle Kraken can begin early negotiations with the pending UFA. He is unlikely to sign before July 28th. But where could the upset captain of the Avs go?

“I think that Gabriel Landeskog is very well aware that St. Louis would be interested,” Elliotte Friedman said on his latest podcast. “He’s very tight with Ryan O’Reilly. They’ve kept in touch..through the whisper network of the NHL he know St. Louis is interested.”

Depending on how the Blues handle Tarasenko, they could definitely get it done. Also mentioned as interested would be the Kings and Predators

Blue Jackets pulling Seth Jones off the table?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are not liking the offers they are receiving for Seth Jones. Multiple reports indicate that they have informed teams that they DO NOT have to trade him this offseason.

Jones, 26, is scheduled to become a UFA next summer. Teams that are reportedly interested are the Blackhawks, and Avalanche. The Flyers were all in but Jones would not negotiate an extension. That caused Philadelphia to move on and acquire Ryan Ellis.

Predators aren’t done making moves

The Nashville Predators leading up to yesterday’s trade freeze moved forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Kings and Ryan Ellis to the Flyers. Is GM David Poile done?

“My vision was a highly competitive team competing for and winning the Stanley Cup, and it hasn’t happened,” he said after trading Ellis. “If I believed that that was going to happen with this present cast, I would not be making these trades.”

Both Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansson are being left unprotected. It’s unlikely the Kraken will select either player, so look for one or both to be moved this offseason.

Blues leave Vladimir Tarasenko unprotected

Apparently up to four teams were interested in taking on Vladimir Tarasenko at his full cap hit. Frank Seravalli notes he isn’t sure why a deal could not be consummated.

It is possible that the deals to take on his full cap hit involved the Blues having to actually incentivize the acquiring club to take him on. That could mean even sending back a first round pick for taking Tarasenko and his $7.5 million cap hit off their hands.

Obviously this was not something that interested St. Louis. This saga is far from over.

Word is at least four teams were interested in Tarasenko at full cap hit. Others involved with retained transactions.

Not sure why a deal didn’t get done, but the relationship is irretrievably broken. We’ll see if #SeaKraken take him – or where this goes next. https://t.co/kNw3oYyc7z

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 17, 2021

Several teams have expressed interest in Jones, with the Flyers certainly leading the charge. It is believed the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets have also inquired, at some point, on Jones’ availability.

The Fourth Period

Seth Jones is available

Jones is coming off a season where he recorded 28 points in 56 games. Trading him as a rental at the next NHL Trade Deadline will result in the lowest return possible. However, a move at the Draft would maximize the package.

Of course, the return would have to predicated on if Jones would be willing to negotiate a contract with the acquiring team. Otherwise, the package would only be slightly better than a deadline rental.

“Whatever happens is going to be what’s the absolute best for the Blue Jackets franchise, period,” Davidson said. “That’s just how it works. Doesn’t matter if it’s Seth Jones or Joe Smith, the player has the right through the (collective bargaining agreement) to do what they feel is necessary for them and their careers.

Aaron Portzline, The Athletic

The Rangers are overloaded on the right side

Are the Rangers really interested in Seth Jones, or is this just a case of due diligence?

The biggest issue is the fact he is another righty. Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox are all but cemented as the top two on that side. You don’t trade for Jones to play him on the third pair. The only other possibility would be to play Jones or maybe Trouba on the left side to accommodate.

For me, this is likely a case of Chris Drury doing some due diligence to see what the Jackets are asking for. Aside from Jones being to cost prohibitive in terms of his next contract, the trade package would likely require K’Andre Miller going the other way. That is quickly becoming a big no for the Rangers.

I believe Drury wants know the trade demands because the team most likely to land him is a divisional rival. The Philadelphia Flyers are said to be the top landing spot for Jones, and that’s where I believe he ends up.

Flyers closing in on Seth Jones

Flyers after Jones. Read more.

The New York Rangers season ends this week and with it, fans now look to the draft and the offseason as the biggest moments coming up for the franchise. Since the letter was released just a few months ago, fans and analysts have been discussing and debating about which players they want to target in the draft, which players they feel should be signed, if trades should be made and so on. Going forward, the Rangers could follow many paths on their road back to becoming Stanley Cup contenders; but one team in particular sticks out as a model and that’s the Nashville Predators.

Now, why the Predators? Well, it’s simple. They have built the best defense in the NHL, they have some of the best depth in the league at the forward position, without a true number one center or true superstar, and they have a slightly older goalie who still puts up fantastic numbers. This is a formula the Rangers can pull off and one that could ultimately pay off at the end of this retool.

GOALTENDING

Anthony J Causi

If we start from the net out, its simple: The Rangers still possess one of the most elite players to ever play the position in Henrik Lundqvist. Even though he is getting up there in age for an NHL player, Lundqvist has proven that he can steal games and that if he is in net there is a chance for his team to win night in and night out. At this point in his career, he can be considered an all-time great. From the Predators side of things, they have Pekka Rinne, who is also on the older side but is still a great goalie capable of making a big stop at the right time. Part of the reason the Predators are cup favorites this year is the play of Rinne.

DEFENSE

Moving on to the defense and that’s where this year’s draft comes heavily into play. The Nashville Predators did an absolutely excellent job of drafting, as well as making key signings and trades, to create the best defense in the NHL. A blueline consisting of a top-four of Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis is nothing but spectacular. Also, a point to remember is that the Predators at one point had Ryan Suter, Seth Jones, and Shea Weber. One they lost to free-agency but for the other two, they got back players that were better fitted for their team. You can never have too many good defensemen; whether to actually have them play for you or to use as trade chips.

Barring some extreme luck or a trade that none of us see coming, the Rangers will most likely not pick in the top-three but will most likely have a mid-first-rounder and two at the end of the first round. With those three picks, there will still be some nice prospects available. Specifically on the defensive end.

With the Rangers first pick falling in the middle of the first round somewhere, possibly top ten, they should look at one of these three defensemen: Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson or Bode Wilde. All three have immense potential to be elite defensemen in the NHL.

Evan Bouchard

Bouchard is 18-years-old, captain of the London Knights, and has 87 points (25G, 62A) in 67 games this season. Those are ridiculous numbers for a defenseman to have. The cherry on top here is that Bouchard began performing better once he was given more responsibility and some of his star teammates were traded away at the deadline. The kid can play. Curtis Joe of eliteprospets.com had nothing but good things to say about the young man from Oakville, Ontario.

“A highly intelligent all-around defenceman that plays with poise and can shift the pace of play in a multitude of ways. Showcases smooth four-way skating ability and loves to get involved in all situations – especially when that situation happens to be an up-ice rush. Has a polished offensive skill-set which includes well-timed passes and a sneaky, erratic shot. Goes with the high percentage play and makes smart decisions. Could work on strength behind his shot. Defensively active, cutting off lanes and always staying in excellent positioning. Reads cues well in all three zones and seems to stay a step ahead. All-in-all, a well-rounded defender with great hockey sense and work ethic.” – EliteProspects

That sure sounds like a solid piece for the Rangers defense going forward and here’s a sweet highlight video of Bouchard tearing it up for the London Knights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksi13vyhK40

Bode Wilde

Bode Wilde is, pardon the pun, a wild card. As Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) said when he was on the podcast just a few weeks ago, he could turn into the next P.K. Subban; an intense, electric and elite puck-moving defenseman, or he could turn into a player like John Moore who failed to really put it all together. Wilde played for the U.S National Development Team this past season and is committed to the University of Michigan in the fall. He has a fantastic shot and great on-ice vision and would be a worthy addition to the Rangers blueline.

The 18-year-old is a high risk, high reward pick but it could pay off in spades for the Rangers if they select him. Here’s Steve Kournianos’ report on Wilde:

“A defender with arguably the highest upside of any of his talented NTDP teammates, this [Michigan]-bound blueliner is a phenomenal skater with a blistering shot. Big, thick defensemen that look graceful while carrying the puck simply don’t grow on trees, and you’d probably hear more about him if his draft year wasn’t loaded with cornerstone-type defenders. Wilde is one confident teenager, maybe sometimes to a fault, as doing “too much” with the puck is something he’ll have to limit. Especially considering how talented the NTDP forwards are. Still, he is perfectly capable of playing a variety of roles with aplomb — power play quarterback, crease-clearer on the penalty kill, and even neutralizing top opponents. Wilde loves to hammer the disc thanks to a heavy shot, and he has the ability to either create his own shot from up high or finish in a speed rush to the net. Once he crosses center, he is as close to the complete package as they come, and his size and right-handed shot make him an extremely tantalizing prospect with star potential. Wilde’s risk-taking can put his mates in jeopardy, so you’d like to see him go through stretches when he puts a premium on sound positioning and is willing to refrain from deep attacks every single shift.” – TheDraftAnalyst

Finally, he’s a nice highlight reel of Wilde’s recent play in the NTDP:

Noah Dobson

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Noah Dobson has shot up the rankings this year as he’s proved he can be an all-around defenseman and can be counted on to be one of the leaders on his team. He’s a great two-way defenseman, he eats up minutes and he is extremely reliable in his own end. Playing for Acadie-Bathurst Titan this season, he put up 69 points (17G, 52A)  in 67 games. Clearly, he has the offensive instincts to go with his solid defensive play. Curtis Joe of eliteprospects.com had nothing but good things to say about Dobson:

“A talented two-way defenceman that can play in all situations and stay productive. Uses his edges well and is, for the most part, a very smooth skater; however, as he gets stronger and adjusts to a more up-tempo style of hockey, he will need to work on his speed in gap-closing. Offensively, he utilizes his keen sense of awareness to be in the right spot at the right time, every time. Soft hands and a deadly shot accentuate his ability to get creative, on occasion. Rock solid defensively, his strong positioning severely limits time and space for the opposition. All-in-all, a well-rounded, reliable, and consistent defenceman that can log a lot of ice time and provide his team with a stable presence on the back end.” – EliteProspects

Dobson, like Bouchard and Wilde before him, would be an excellent addition to the Rangers blueline and here’s another highlight video for you all to check out on Dobson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZFszNblc-I

Moving on to the bottom two picks the Rangers have in the first round and one big name keeps sticking out, that name is K’Andre Miller; and if reports are to be believed, he could turn out to be the best skating North American defenseman to come out of this draft. Miller played for the USNTDP this past season and is committed to the University of Wisconsin this coming fall. While he doesn’t have the crazy numbers that Bouchard or Dobson have, he skates extremely well and is extremely smart with the puck. An interesting fact about the guy is that he’s a converted forward. Steve Kournianos, has a nice report on the 6’3”, 200-pound D-man:

“Talented two-way defenseman with top-pairing upside who is committed to the University of Wisconsin. A strong skater with very good speed, Miller generates a lot of power into his stride and is starting to beat both opposing forwards and defenders to the outside. His stick and body positioning in the neutral zone are exceptional, and you can count on Miler to intercept more than a handful of cross-zone passes that he quickly transitions into rushes the other way. His ability to make clean passes on either his forehand or backhand, plus the manner in which he sharply pivots his way into bigger openings might explain how such a big and physical defenseman is only a few years removed from being a forward.

 

 

Watching Miller smother in one end and skate effortlessly in the other makes me think his learning curve is not steep at all — he plays a clean, composed game in his own zone and looks fantastic when he’s unbridled. Miller can be physically intimidating, and his strong lower half makes rubbing out forwards of any size look easy. One thing to consider is that this group of NTDP defensemen is deep with offensively-gifted puck movers, so it’s natural for a cerebral kid like Miller to focus on his defensive-zone play and act decisively with the puck only when the opportunity makes sense. This type of approach reduces haphazard tendencies to a bare minimum. Choosing your favorite draft-eligible defensemen from this year’s version of the under-18 NTDP is a lot like being asked to pick your favorite child, but don’t be surprised if a less-heralded kid like Miller has the best NHL career out of any from his defense corps.” – TheDraftAnalyst

Everything about this kid sounds like he’s got the complete package to be a great NHL defenseman and if the Rangers can grab him with either of their two late first-round picks, they absolutely must take him. Draft boards actually have Miller going anywhere from 15-25 so it will be interesting to see if the Rangers could grab him.

And of course here is a highlight video:

So we’re now down to our final pick of the first round for the Rangers. Who is the final target? Well… not a defensemen so it’s time to talk forwards.

FORWARDS

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At first glance, you might call me crazy to relate the Rangers to the Predators here but they are actually closer than you think. Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris are not number one centers, but rather they form a 1A/1B tandem in Nashville. Neither is the elite of the elite, à la Sidney Crosby or Conor McDavid, but they have good chemistry with their wingers and know how to get the job done.

Now Mika Zibanejad is on the same level that Johansen and Turris are and he might be better than the both of them individually. He also has wingers that he has good chemistry with in Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Now, going off the assumption that one of Filip Chytil or Lias Andersson turns into a second or possible first-line center, the Rangers will have great center depth while they continue this retool. Kevin Hayes can always slot over to the middle and Boo Nieves is the clear fourth line center for this team as soon as next season. He showed nice promise in that role this season.

Beyond Kreider and Buchnevich though, the wings are a bit rough in New York. Yes, Mats Zuccarello is a great playmaker but he may not be here much longer. Ryan Spooner has been a nice surprise but he is not a top-six long-term solution. The Rangers don’t have a Viktor Arvidsson type guy or a Filip Forsberg type guy. The Rangers need to finds a Forsberg/Arvidsson type player in the draft or try to find someone like Eeli Tolvanen at the bottom of the first-round. Will they trade a pick and Zuccarello for a younger more skilled winger? Possibly, but assuming they keep the pick there a few options for skilled forwards to choose from.

Two that immediately come to mind are Dominik Bokk and Akil Thomas. Both are high ceiling guys who, that if they develop properly, can be great players as the Rangers continue this rebuild. Thomas has put up the better number of the two players since he plays in juniors but Bokk is already playing against men in the SHL. Both developmental strategies can work for younger players.

Akil Thomas

Looking a little deeper at Akil Thomas we see a guy who plays natural center so he doesn’t fit the wing comparison here but he has spent time on the wings during his time in juniors. The 2016-17 was his rookie year in juniors, he plays for the Niagara Ice Dogs in the OHL, and he put up 48 points in 61 games. This year he put up 81 in 68 games so just about a 40 point increase. He’s trending in the right direction.

Thomas is a smaller player at 5’11” and 170 pounds, but he more than makes up for his lack of size with his skill and speed. But don’t just take my words for it, check out some highlights of Thomas below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN5LRkWfZLM

Dominik Bokk

As for Bokk, he is the bigger wild card of the two players here. The Hockey News prospect podcast had a featured segment on Bokk last week and spoke about how he will not be a full-time NHL player soon but he has all the tools to become a very effective player in the near future. His stats don’t pop off the page but sometimes that’s not the whole story. Bokk played in the SuperElit league in Sweden prior to joining the SHL (think AHL and NHL, respectively). Playing against men can only help him going forward.

As always, here are some highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va1sa9XV-9w

Thomas and Bokk would be risks in the first-round, but with three picks in round one, the Rangers can afford to take a chance on one of these guys if they’re available. Best case scenario, one of them is the next Eeli Tolvanen and becomes a steal at the end of round one. Worst case, the Rangers have another depth forward in their system.

All-world defense, a hall of fame worthy goalie and amazing depth at the forward position. Can the Rangers build like the Predators did? It’s possible, and it’s just one way the Rangers can navigate this retool going forward.