Going into the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, there were plenty of rumors that the New York Rangers were one of the teams most interested in Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel. Guentzel would end up with the Carolina Hurricanes, only to inevitably lose to the Rangers in the playoffs. The Rangers eventually lost to the Florida Panthers, and we will never know if they would have beaten the Panthers with Guentzel in the fold. That’s not for us to discuss today, but more why the Rangers didn’t make the move, and why the Rangers trade prospects too late.

With the Guentzel trade, rumors had it the Penguins were asking for Brennan Othmann, or even Gabe Perreault. At the time, I was staunchly in the “don’t trade Perreault, do trade Othmann” camp.

I found myself in small company when it came to being willing to move Othmann. The logic was that Othmann would have provided years of talent, whereas Guentzel would have provided a few months, then signed elsewhere. At the time, I got the logic. Now? I think teams should trade any prospect they don’t deem generational (if they’re in win-now mode). 

Look around the league and it isn’t difficult to understand why I have this opinion, though many here at BSB were fine with moving the kid. The Rangers trade prospects far too often and that’s a separate issue, but this time they held onto Brennan Othmann in hopes he would be a middle six player for the long haul. Instead, he’s gone 37 professional games without a goal. Mike Sullivan seems completely over him, and it’s for good reason. Othmann just hasn’t been very good. 

Now the Rangers will get little to no value from a player that could have been a significant piece in a trade just a year or two ago. This is a prime example where the complaint that the Rangers trade prospects too often doesn’t hold any teeth, as unfortunately too many prospects just don’t make it.

Look at Brad Lambert of the Winnipeg Jets, Pavel Mintyukov of the Anaheim Ducks, or a plethora of players throughout the league who have fallen out of favor with their respective organizations. For every home run prospect, there seems to be 15 who just don’t work out. With that kind of volatility, why take the risk?

Here’s where I want to be clear that I’m not proposing being a madman. If there’s a generational prospect, of course hold onto them. If there’s a prospect teams don’t value at all, there’s no point in moving them. But if there’s a valuable prospect who grades as a potential middle six player or second pair defenseman, how is that not an expendable prospect? 

The goal for contending teams is to win the Stanley Cup. I recognize there’s the additional goal to be a consistently contending team, but a Stanley Cup is a Stanley Cup, and quite simply trading a guy who tops out at 55 or even 65 points in the NHL is not someone you can’t replace. 

Even then, should you trade a Brennan Othmann, your system is bound to throw you a surprise like a Will Cuylle or Noah Laba. 

All of this is to say, when the Rangers inevitably become contenders again, I will be staunchly in the “trade the prospects” camp. I’d much rather take the risk of losing a future talent than failing to put the chips in on a potential Stanley Cup season.

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