With the NHL Trade Deadline quickly and quietly approaching, the Rangers are going to have to start making some decisions on what they're planning to do. The Rangers have several players with expiring contracts who are going to be RFA's as well as a couple who will be UFA's after the season.
Brendan Smith, Phil Di Giuseppe and Jack Johnson will all be UFA's but don't really hold much trade value. I would like to see the Rangers hold on to Smith and PDG on two way deals but that will very much be an up in the air decision. On the off chance any team is interested in any of these players, if the Rangers get offered a draft pick for them they will probably consider taking it.
Igor Sheshterkin, Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren and Pavel Buchnevich among the bigger name players who will be in need of new contracts after the season. There is no doubt Sheshterkin, Chytil and Lindgren will get them. It will be interesting to see what they are able to negotiate as far as term and cap hit goes. I'd expect a bridge deal for Chytil, 2-3 years somewhere in the two million window. For Lindgren, I would love to see the Rangers try to lock him up for the next five years but will probably receive a similar sort of extension, perhaps for more money since he is a defenseman. Igor Sheshterkin's negotiations will certainly be interesting, it's no question he is our goalie for the future but he hasn't necessarily played consistently enough to warrant a pay day on a long term deal.
Pavel Buchnevich will arguably be the most difficult decision for Jeff Gorton and the management team. It took some developing years but Buchnevich has proven himself to be a top 6 forward for the Rangers and is currently one of the team's leaders. His role on the penalty kill has created versatility to his game and at the age of 25, we could just be scratching the surface on what he's capable of. On the flip side, the Rangers also have Kaapo Kakko, Vitaly Kravtsov and a surplus of left wing talent to consider when thinking about the future look of this team. It could be wise to use Buchnevich as trade bait but honestly, they're better off working out a way to keep him around for at least another 2-3 years if not 5.
Ryan Strome has been another name in the conversation when trade bait is concerned. The Rangers gave him a two year extension this past off season as they weren't ready to part with him but weren't sold that he was a part of their long term plan. I've been on the trade Strome train for a while and have constantly said we need to trade for a number two center but I'm starting to come full circle. Ryan Strome is a very well liked player in that locker room and as much as people like to pin his success on Artemi Panarin, Strome continues to produce even when Panarin is out of the line up. Assuming Zibanejad stays on track and is still that number one center he was for us last year, is Strome the number two center we've been looking for? At least until Chytil develops into that role? The answer may just be yes.
Unless Buffalo is looking to take Strome, one of Buchnevich or Kravtsov, Lundkvist and some other picks and prospects we can live without, I think holding on to the guys we have is our best bet going into the deadline and quite frankly, next season. There are going to be some interesting names in free agency this summer so why force out the talent we have? I certainly don't believe we should oversell for Jack Eichel, or anybody. Our issues can be addressed in Free Agency as long as the cap situation doesn't become an issue and at the end of the day. The team we have right now with a year of additional experience under their belt is going to be a real good hockey team.
Rickard Rakell is a name I would like to see the Rangers inquire on, especially if we start to win a couple more games and climb the standings a little. However the price on him seems to be high as there aren't really that many big name trade targets going into the deadline and I am sure there are other teams and general managers out there who are willing to pay a bigger price to acquire him then the Rangers and Jeff Gorton.
All that being said, expect a quiet trade deadline for the Rangers. Holding on to the guys we have is the right decision at this point in time. Jack Johnson is also out for the season now so he will stay on LTIR for the rest of the season, all the more reasoning that Brendan Smith is more valuable than a low draft pick.
Chris Feldman
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