Rangers a “team to watch” for Tomas Hertl

Per Frank Seravalli, the Rangers are a “team to watch” when it comes to Sharks forward Tomas Hertl. Hertl has been a potential target since last season, and discussion points on social media have really picked up this season. The Sharks are bad, and the Rangers have a clear hole that Hertl can fill.

The acquisition cost for Hertl is still a major question. As a pending UFA, he’s a pure rental, which likely means the Rangers won’t part with anything significant to them to land him. The “to them” is important here, as there are clear differences in player value between fans and the team. However, Hertl will be one of the premier forwards available at the deadline, so he won’t be cheap.

If the “apparent return for Claude Giroux” –this term is used loosely and based off that Yahoo article linked in the 7 Thoughts post— is Vitali Kravtsov and 2 second round picks, then it’s safe to assume something comparable is needed for Hertl. Giroux probably costs a bit more since Hertl comes with injury concerns.

The Rangers are going to get linked to many players in the coming weeks, and Hertl is the first of many that will be linked to the Blueshirts. The same article mentions Ben Chiarot as a potential target for the Rangers, but that one I don’t really buy.