Glen Sather is renowned for his usually small circle of trading partners. That circle often includes clubs where a connection to either former staff (Maloney, Phoenix) or teams where Sather has history such as Edmonton. Perhaps there is an opportunity for Sather to revisit his former club once again.

The Oilers are crying out for defensive help while the Rangers need an injection of pure skill. Clearly, there is at least the opportunity to feel each other out to help one another. While it is highly unlikely the Rangers would trade one of their core defenseman – and it is equally unlikely the Oilers would want to trade down too far in the upcoming draft – the Rangers do have significant resources on the blueline. Resources that could perhaps prize the first overall pick from the Alberta club.

At the very least, Sather should ring Edmonton and ask what the cost of acquiring the pick is. It can’t do any harm to ask. If rumours of Edmonton’s long standing fondness for Toronto’s Luke Schenn are true, then the Rangers could certainly better any offer centering around Schenn.

The Leafs blueliner is indeed talented but his career to date is underwhelming. The Rangers could offer a young defenseman with a better body of NHL work (and a pick and other ‘pieces’) and try and get the first overall pick and then select prospect Nail Yakupov.

It is undoubtedly an unlikely scenario, but the potential is there for the Rangers to at least explore making a bold move such as acquiring the 2012 first overall pick. While many people recognise the need for the Rangers to upgrade in the skill department, perhaps acquiring such a young unproven but elite NHL prospect isn’t the way people may think best.

The theory is food for thought for Rangers fans. Perhaps Sather, a savvy dealer, has looked in to it. Perhaps he doesn’t consider a prospect (even one considered NHL ready) to be the best option to upgrade the skill on the Rangers. However, given both the Rangers and Oilers current resources, standing, and immediate organisational futures, it seems at least plausible that such a move could benefit both parties in the future.

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