The Rangers coaching drama is in full swing, with John Hynes being added to the rumor mill. While that is ongoing, the Rangers are still in offseason mode and likely looking to shed a contract or two. All signs point to a Barclay Goodrow trade as the easiest path to clear cap space, but pulling off a trade like this is more difficult than you might think. Goodrow’s contract is a bit rough, but believe it or not, the Rangers may not need to attach a pick to move him.
To be clear, it’s unlikely the Rangers want to part with Goodrow. He’s a glue guy, and the Rangers seem to be lacking those in the locker room at the moment. A Goodrow trade is only due to the salary cap, as his $3.64 million contract is going to cause problems when the Rangers look to fill out the roster, including re-signing K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere.
There are rumblings that the salary cap ceiling may go up more than $1 million. The players would need to exercise a clause in their end of the CBA, and one of the trade-offs might be an 84 game regular season. We likely won’t have any additional information for a few weeks, which would likely delay a Goodrow trade unless Drury is given an offer he can’t refuse.
Something else that may slow down a Goodrow trade is the current state of flux for a number of NHL teams. The Leafs just announced a new GM. Pittsburgh announced a new President of Hockey Ops, but is still without a GM. Many teams are without a coach, including the Rangers. Given the type of player he is, a Goodrow trade is likely dependent on where certain people land.
What we do know is Goodrow is viewed as an asset to playoff teams. This, his ability to play any forward position, and coming off a pair of 10-goal, 30-point seasons actually gives him some decent trade value across the league. This is different than the Marc Staal trade, where he was visibly slow and having issues with the Rangers, plus carried a significant cap hit. Goodrow’s $3.64 million cap hit is an issue for the Rangers, but other teams can fit that in.
A Goodrow trade to Edmonton?
The Edmonton Oilers are your classic “stars but nothing else” team. They have tremendous skill up front, but little to no depth anywhere else in the lineup. It played a major role in them getting bounced by Vegas in the second round.
But like the Rangers, Edmonton doesn’t have much cap space available. They also don’t have many draft picks this year or next. Edmonton can be a potential landing spot in a Goodrow trade, but it will be tough to make it work without Edmonton clearing space elsewhere (Cody Ceci? Buyout Jack Campbell?).
Dallas Stars
Like Edmonton, Dallas was lacking roster depth to complement their high octane offense. Dallas has more cap space than Edmonton with fewer spots to fill, so this may be a match. Jim Nill and Peter DeBoer. Nill has been with Dallas forever, and it looks like this team is on the cusp. DeBoer had success in Vegas where depth wasn’t a concern (outside of injuries, of course).
Goodrow’s ability to play center would likely intrigue Dallas, as they are a little thin there with both Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on the wing. They have the mid-round draft picks in 2024 to make this work as well.
Washington Capitals
The Caps are going to try to get one more Cup run before Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and TJ Oshie turn to dust. They have cap space and a need for bottom six wingers. The appeal of a guy who has been there before and is a 16 game performer is also there.
With plenty of mid-round picks, this can be a decent match. But, and there’s always a but, Washington is in the same division. That shouldn’t matter for a player like Goodrow, but it’s tough to gauge Chris Drury’s thought process. He specifically targeted Goodrow for a reason, and to see that unfold with another team in the division might not go over so well.
Truth be told, a Goodrow trade doesn’t really need to happen immediately. The Rangers will likely want to land on a decision with their coach first. Then they will likely need to wait out the salary cap announcement. If the cap is higher than the $83.5 million ceiling that is expected, then a Goodrow trade may not even be necessary.
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