3 Rangers trade deadline predictions

It’s almost silly season, with the NHL’s trade deadline just two weeks away. We have a general idea of what trade chips the Rangers may dangle for their clear roster needs. While most rumors are trash, it’s hard to ignore how many are tied to the Rangers. It’s time to be bold and make some Rangers trade deadline predictions.

The only things we “know for certain” are that the Rangers are in need of a scoring winger and center depth. The scoring winger is critical to getting Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider going. Center depth is critical to lineup balance and creating four lines that can win 16 games. Remember, a lineup isn’t always set in stone. Depth matters. Options matter.

Prediction 1: The Rangers will make a move before Wednesday

The last few deadlines have seen Chris Drury make his first move well before the trade deadline. Whether it’s Vladimir Tarasenko (last season) or Frank Vatrano (two seasons ago), that first move has been at least two weeks before the deadline.

This year feels a bit different, as the Rangers have two things going against them. First is the very clear need for each of these roles, so they are dealing from a position of weakness that GMs will try to exploit. Second is the cluster of teams on the bubble, muddying the deadline waters and limiting options.

That said, we are making bold Rangers trade deadline predictions. The teams that are out of the race will start dealing soon. There are fewer scoring wingers out there (Tarasenko, Jordan Eberle) than centers (Adam Henrique, Alex Wennberg, Tommy Novak, etc), so we may see a winger trade before a center trade. Strike before the market sets itself on wingers, then figure out which center fits the best at the ideal cost.

Prediction 2: The Rangers will try to address two needs in one trade

It’s not often that teams address multiple needs with one trade deadline move. However the way the pieces are lining up for the Rangers, it may benefit them to attempt such a deal. The benefits are obvious. In addition to making one move instead of multiple moves, the overall value of players like Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, and their 1st round picks may be too much for rentals. This allows them to get full value of their chips.

Whether it’s Henrique/Vatrano, Wennberg/Eberle, Pinto/Tarasenko, Nyquist/Novak, Buchnevich/Blais, or anything else you can think of, there are ways to make this work. And if you’re reading Buchnevich/Blais and wondering what that thought process was, it was to see if you’re reading. That would break Rangers social media in ways I can only dream of.

Obviously moves like these complicate trades, but it is something that can be pulled off. A player like Jones, for example, could have more value than for a 3C rental, but not enough for a 1RW rental, while Robertson might be flipped. It’s situations like these that make for more creative trades.

Prediction 3: Neither Matt Rempe nor Adam Edstrom will be in the lineup after the deadline

This is not a prediction that is indicative of Matt Rempe or Adam Edstrom. They have looked good, and they appear to be solid 4th liners of the future. However the Rangers are building for a Stanley Cup run. They already have one rookie in Will Cuylle. Do they want another one in the lineup in a key role? Two? Likely not.

Rempe and Edstrom will likely be returned to Hartford for their playoff stretch. Should the Pack be eliminated while the Rangers are still in it, they’d be back up as black aces However it does appear this is an extended preview and tryout for both for next season.

Assuming the Rangers address both 1RW and 3C needs, that would move Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski down to the 4th line. We know Barclay Goodrow isn’t coming out of the lineup. It would be detrimental to both Rempe and Edstrom to sit in the press box after the deadline. Hartford would get much needed reinforcements and allow the Rangers to either keep Alex Belzile or recall Tyler Pitlick to serve as bench depth.

The salary cap does matter too. Belzile and Pitlick have lower cap hits than Edstrom and Rempe. The Rangers may not have a choice in returning them to Hartford if they wind up right at the cap.