What would a dual Henrique/Vatrano to the Rangers trade look like?

It seems that the Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano to the Rangers rumors won’t go away. It’s been mentioned seemingly everywhere. The Rangers have been tied to both since the Elias Lindholm/Sean Monahan trades, and despite my best efforts to introduce logic to the equation, these rumors don’t go away. Sex sells, I guess.

Since these Henrique and Vatrano to the Rangers rumors won’t go away, perhaps it’s time to see what a realistic price for the Rangers might look like. The Athletic’s Ducks writer seems to think it will be some combination of Kaapo Kakko, Brennan Othmann, and/or Will Cuylle, which basically eliminates any credibility.

Remember what trade chips the Rangers will look to use

When discussing this dual Henrique and Vatrano tot he Rangers hypothetical, we have to keep two things in mind from the Rangers point of view. The first is what the Rangers’ trade chips will look like, as it doesn’t really make sense to trade from the current roster. It just creates more holes, something they shouldn’t be doing.

Dave note: Vatrano is left handed, not right handed. Don’t be like me folks, get some good sleep. It’s important.

The second, and this is the tough one, is to keep in mind the goals for this season and next, especially since Vatrano has another year left on his contract. Vatrano certainly fills a need as a right-handed winger, as the Rangers have a plethora of left-handed wingers. Please do not confuse that with LW/RW. It is just noting handedness.

Acquiring Vatrano would be an acknowledgement that the Rangers don’t believe Kakko is ever going to be a 1RW, which is fine. It’s also an acknowledgement that they don’t think Othmann will jump right to that spot next season either. Again, that’s fine. This would show forward thinking if the price is right.

The price, mind you, is not going to be Kakko (creates a hole this year), Cuylle (same thing), or Othmann (top prospect). Those guys aren’t untouchable by any means, but if they are used to bring Vatrano to the Rangers (and Henrique), then it’s a colossal waste of assets. If the decision has been made that none have long term Rangers futures, then maximizing their return is the goal. Vatrano isn’t that.

Bringing Henrique and Vatrano to the Rangers will be on Drury’s terms

Remembering what the Rangers trade chips look like, a deal that brings Henrique and Vatrano to the Rangers will be on Drury’s terms, or he will go elsewhere. Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, and the Rangers 1st rounder this year are the most likely chips on the table at the moment.

That doesn’t mean dealing from a position of strength, like left-handed winger (again handedness, not position), is out of the question. The Rangers have Kakko, Cuylle, Perreault, Alexis Lafreniere, Brett Berard, and Adam Sykora in the organization. There just aren’t enough spots for all of them. But is dealing one for a rental the best path? Probably not, unless there’s something we aren’t seeing in a guy like Berard or Sykora.

Once we eliminate whatever that Ducks writer was thinking, we can start to find a realistic return for both Henrique and Vatrano. Naturally the 2024 1st is the starting point, something I think Drury would part with. The unfortunate part is the Ducks have a decent enough blue line with good young talent. Zac Jones would be a bit redundant, and Matthew Robertson likely doesn’t move the needle enough.

Would the Rangers really part with Adam Sykora, who isn’t even 20 years old yet? He seems to be the most at risk, at least right now, as it still seems unlikely the Rangers deal from the active roster to bring Henrique and Vatrano to the Rangers. Perreault is a non-starter.

Perhaps it’s Brett Berard? He’s by far the Pack’s best offensive player at 5v5 and he’s certainly a pest on the ice. The Rangers likely only deal him if they think Sykora can replace what Berard brings to the lineup.

Does something like Berard and a 2024 1st for both make sense? Possibly. Might need Robertson as a sweetener though, especially if there’s salary retention. If it’s Henrique and Vatrano to the Rangers, that’s probably the best package Verbeek will get.

Is it enough?