Ever since Gerard Gallant decided to make Alexis Lafreniere a healthy scratch in the final game of 2022, lots of chatter picked up about the Rangers potentially moving their former first overall pick. Since that game, Lafreniere has continued to struggle which has only increased the conversation regarding him and his future with the Rangers. Like many fans, I’ve tried not to get too caught up in all the flashy headlines. It makes little to no sense for the Rangers to look to trade the young star unless it was really worth it, or if Lafreniere himself asked for one. Even then, is Lafreniere an established enough NHLer to really even dictate such a request? Hopefully that’s a question we never have to answer but the fact of the matter is, despite all the rumors that continue to pop up, it would be shocking to see a player of his caliber traded so early into his NHL career. There’s always going to be pressure on a first overall pick to make an immediate impact but honestly, the Rangers shouldn’t be in too much of a rush regarding his development. We talk endlessly about the Rangers cap situation, we know how little room there is in the budget for big contracts therefore, it could be a blessing in disguise that Lafreniere hasn’t truly broken out yet. Not to mention, with Panarin and Kreider still in their prime, there really isn’t pressure for him to be THE guy in New York just yet.
As far as this season is concerned, and even next season to an extent, Lafreniere is without a doubt a big part of the team’s success, but is not the end all be all of it. As long as Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider are still around (which they’re going to be for the next three or four seasons), they are going to be the main guys leading the way for any immediate Rangers playoff run. In a perfect world, Kreider or Lafreniere himself would move to the right side so he can see top six minutes but again, the Rangers already have four of their six forward positions locked in and from what we’ve seen from Kaapo Kakko recently, that fifth spot could very well be solidified too.
So as far as the short term is concerned the Rangers have a couple of options. It’s quite clear Lafreniere has lost his confidence and unfortunately, until he can shake that, he is going to remain on the third line. The only options the Rangers really have with getting him into the top six right now is to move Kreider to the third line or force Lafreniere to the right side and neither of which seem likely. Long term, it’s reasonable to assume Kreider will fall to the third line with Lafreniere hopefully having developed into the star we were expecting him to be by then. On the flip-side of the coin though, what if he doesn’t? Lafreniere is now nearing the end of his entry level contract and doesn’t have as much to show for it as most first overall picks have at this point in their careers.
That being said, there are very few situations where I could see the Rangers considering trading him but for the sake of hypotheticals, an idea came to mind that would be a dreamlike scenario for the Blueshirts…
Alexis Lafreniere to the Toronto Maple Leafs for William Nylander.
Now I know what you’re thinking; this would never happen… But could it? The Rangers would be stupid to trade Lafreniere but if they were really to consider it, the trade would have to be worth it and William Nylander is certainly worth it. The Leafs on the other hand, have their own problems with remaining compliant to the salary cap and in a couple years, they have Auston Matthews’ contract extension to worry about. It seems that throughout William Nylander’s entire tenure with the Leafs there has been chatter surrounding him and his potential future with the Leafs. We saw it after his entry level contract when he ended up holding out for more money and it’s continued to be a recurring topic of conversation throughout the years. It’s also no secret that if the Leafs do not get out of the first round of the playoffs this year, changes are going to be made and it’s just a matter of who, what and when.
So let’s start with the obvious answer to the easy question: why should the Rangers want William Nylander? Aside from the fact that he is an elite, top-six right winger, who is on pace for a career year, Nylander would be a perfect solution to the Rangers void on the right side. They have Kaapo Kakko who is finally clicking perfectly with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad but until Vitaly Kravtsov proves he is capable of contributing consistently in a top-six role, the Rangers need someone that can slot in on the opposite side of Artemi Panarin. With how good of a playmaker Breadman is, the ideal candidate for this role would be a natural goal scorer and Nylander absolutely fits that description. With 161 career goals in almost 500 games, Nylander would be a tremendous addition to the Rangers group of forwards and can truly help them be among the league’s best.
Now there are some hiccups with this hypothetical.. For starters, Lafreneire should under no circumstances be traded for a rental nor should he simply be moved for just anyone who prefers the right side. (Patrick Kane would fall into both of those categories) While Nylander doesn’t come to mind as a rental, they would run the risk of him becoming one as he only has one year left on his contract after this season. The important thing to consider in relation to this whole trade for Nylander hypothetical is what kind of player he really is. William Nylander is much more than just a top line right wing fix. He is right in his prime at 26 years old and has put up 40 or more points in all but one season where he has played more than 50 games. The one year he didn’t was when he held out for his contract and didn’t sign until December of that year. In recent history, Willie has three seasons around the sixty point mark and one with over eighty points. This isn’t just some guy who plays a position Lafreniere doesn’t, this is a guy who very well could be a better hockey player than Lafreniere long term and definitely is at this point in time which just so happens to be when the Rangers are trying to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup. We all know that these next couple seasons are really when the Rangers window is open. Once Panarin, Trouba, even Kreider are off the books or nearing the end of their current deals, that window could very well be shut or at least require retooling. If next season is the best chance this team has at a cup, why not risk it with a guy like William Nylander?
Now you’re probably saying to yourself yeah alright that sounds good and all, but how would this work? Nylander makes just shy of seven million dollars so you’d likely have to shed some cap space one way or another which would require Barclay Goodrow to approve of a trade. You probably wouldn’t be able to package him with Lafreniere to Toronto as nine out of ten times, guys with no movement clauses have the Canadian teams on their no fly list. On top of that, you’d have to bank on guys such as Chytil, Miller and Kravtsov to accept qualifying offers or sign VERY generous contract extensions if not include one of them in the move as well. (Not Miller) Even under all those assumptions, the salary cap would be just as tight as it would without bringing in someone like Nylander so this isn’t by any means a simple move.
The larger problem with this is the fact that Nylander only has one year left after this season and would become an unrestricted free agent afterwards. We don’t know for sure what his asking price could be for a potential extension but you have to assume it’s going to be a significant pay raise. If he hits free agency, he could realistically ask for a Panarin type of contract, if not a more expensive one which will certainly exceed the Rangers budget. The one positive is that if the Rangers made this trade, let’s say during the offseason, they would have a full season of trying to work out a realistic contract extension with Willie but it wouldn’t be easy. That being said, this hypothetical is without question a serious gamble that would take lots of cap juggling and even then, is pretty unlikely. Not only are you risking losing Nylander for nothing after one season, but you’re putting the futures of Lafreniere, Chytil, Kravtsov and possibly more on the line, banking on them to settle for qualifying offers and eventually trading Trouba with no salary retention. On top of that, you have to think that it’s going to cost more than just Lafreniere to get William Nylander and former Soo Grey Hound Tim Gettinger probably won’t be enough to sweeten the pot for Kyle Dubas.
Given the fact that the Leafs are in a similar situation as the Rangers, this is a trade that likely wouldn’t be possible until the off-season. The Leafs will also look to be buyers at this year's trade deadline so trading Nylander would only make sense in the off-season and probably only if the Leafs get knocked out of the first round again. If that’s the case, then perhaps the Rangers could package Lafreniere with some picks and prospects to make a push for Nylander but again, the risks are about as high as the reward in this scenario. With all things considered, trading Lafreniere does not make much sense but if it’s something the Rangers were to do, you have to get a William Nylander in return.
Just imagine going into next season with these lines?
Panarin - Chytil - Nylander
Kreider - Zibanejad - Kakko
Othmann - Trocheck - Kravtsov
Vesey - Literally - Anybody
Lindgren - Fox
Miller - Trouba
Anybody - Schneider
Chris Feldman
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