It’s trade deadline season, which means a couple of things around Rangerstown, some new and some old. What’s new is that the Rangers, for the first time really in the Henrik Lundqvist era, are set to be major sellers with an eye towards the future (I’m not really counting the Gaborik/Brassard deal because it turned out that Brass and co. were quite the additions). Not so new is what’s fun about this time of year: daydreaming of trades that will likely never come to be and convincing yourself with each passing day that actually they will.

With that in mind, I did a super annoying thing and resurrected an months-old staff email thread on a completely different topic and asked two open-ended questions – who is your dream deadline trade partner, and who do the Rangers end up wrangling away from them? This week we’re doing Ryan McDonagh, but, unless the Rangers steal our thunder by making an actual trade, we’ll hopefully have more for you coming from other angles as well.

All that said, here’s el jefe, Dave:

Marner and a pick, although I see that as unlikely. If it’s truly Tampa, I’d love to grab Point or Sergachev, also not happening. In the realistic sense, I see the Rangers getting a package of Koekkoek and a prospect (Cal Foote?) from Tampa. As for Toronto, there’s a lot to choose from there, but I just want to avoid Zach Hyman.

Becky had similar yearnings for a trade with Toronto and said this:

William Nylander  straight up. I would love more from Toronto, but McDonagh a) hasn’t had a great season and b) has been publicly outed as being injured, which hurts his trade value. Toronto would be smart to take McDonagh, as he is a veteran presence for a very young defense (sans Roman Polak, who is injured) and would be well suited to a Mike Babcock team. The Rangers would get a skilled, very young (21!) center who could mature in to a core team player, and fill a hole that has been empty since the Stepan trade.

Rob started off with a caveat by saying he isn’t as attuned to trade markets or prospects as some (which is also where I’m coming from to be honest) but his answer bears repeating:

Even though there’s “smoke” around McDonagh to the Lightning, I’d prefer to deal with Toronto, if only because I want to avoid a sour grapes scenario of watching the Lightning win a Cup with McDonagh and Stralman helping to anchor their defense.  If we’re speaking in terms of dream return, then I’d absolutely love to get Mitch Marner and a draft pick (which probably won’t be a first rounder).  I’d also take William Nylander (now we’re really talking dreamland), of course.  If they’re insistent on it being Kasperi Kapanen or Josh Leivo, you have to push to include another piece or two (probably a good AHLer and a mid-round draft pick) to make the deal palatable.  Dave has used the Yandle deal as a measuring stick, which works (though I’d argue McDonagh, at his best, is the more complete player; a bona fide #1 defenseman).

Josh took a big picture approach and had this to say:

I personally think all deals will be dependent on who we get for the rentals. While ideally Nash/Grabner get us early picks + prospects I would like to see Holden/DD and any other of the “depth” we have to get us multiple late picks. Instead of a 4th I would like a 5th and a 7th, those kinds of deals.

It is no secret that the Rangers’ biggest needs prospect wise is on defense and wing. For that reason, I can’t imagine McDonagh being traded without a true defensive prospect returning, or a little nudge from the NHL guaranteeing Dahlin. I also can’t see a reverse type deal where Zucc gets us a young defenseman and Mac gets us a young winger because when was the last time a winger returned a good young defenseman? Seems like only a center for wing type deal. If we are ok with being reckless, I would like to see McD to Dallas with salary retention in a deal involving Heiskanen. I think Heiskanen can become a top pair defenseman and he can join the Rangers next season. Dallas gets an immediate upgrade on their defense and they’ll be able to essentially keep the same team intact for next season as well as their big UFAs are Hamhuis/Lehtonen/Roussel.
Now of course you’re all wondering what my thoughts are (right? please say yes) so I’m going to echo what everyone else has said, barring Josh, and point to either one of Mitch Marner or, preferably, William Nylander. We’d be giving up a captain who even before the letter has been the bedrock of the Rangers defense (all apologies to Dan Girardi, but let’s be honest here) in return for an electric, cost-controlled young player who will become a member of the Rangers core for years to come. Likely not going to happen but a sucker can dream right?

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