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Regarding the Rangers, who step up in class with a back-to-back weekend in Tampa Bay and Carolina that abuts the Mar. 21 trade deadline:
1. The question for Chris Drury is whether the GM would be more inclined to make a splash on Monday if his team measures up against the teams with, respectively, the fourth- and third-best records in the NHL or whether he’d be more urgent in supplying aid to the Blueshirts if deficiencies are exposed?
Me? I’d be far more willing to up the ante if the Rangers acquit themselves well against two of the teams they’d likely have to go through in order to reach the Final.
2. Don’t look now, but the Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad connection might need some help on the right side, their line with Alexis Lafreniere in that spot having gone the last five games without a five-on-five goal while toting the admittedly small sample size of a 37.54 x GF.
Lafreniere’s impact seems to have diminished after an encouraging burst that bridged February and March. The sophomore has two points (both assists) in the last seven games. Points do not necessarily tell the whole story, but production matters when skating on the top six. It is getting tougher now, there is less time and space, and it will continue to get incrementally more difficult and then dramatically so as the playoffs approach and arrive. I’d be surprised if Lafreniere has a top-six assignment when the tournament commences.
If the price is right, Anaheim’s pending rental Rickard Rakell is the leading candidate on the market to fill that right wing spot alongside Kreider and Zibanejad. The 28-year-old Swede may not be known for his physicality but the 6-1, 200-pounder can retrieve pucks and get in on the forecheck. He’s a scorer, though, a shooter and good around the net. He has history with Zibanejad as well, combining with No. 93 as linemates to lead Team Sweden to the Gold Medal in the 2018 World Championships.
But what is the right price and how much, if any, could that change this weekend? A first-rounder seems a bit much, but I bet Drury is keeping an open mind on that. The better of the two second-rounders the Blueshirts own—theirs and the Blues’—should be on the table, but that might not be enough for Anaheim rookie GM Pat Verbeek, who did well in sending rental Josh Manson off to Colorado. More would probably be needed.
And because Drury is loath to send away a blue-chipper in exchange for a rental, it might take that first-rounder to get it done. Remember: this would be a trade for someone to play on the team’s top line, not someone to fill a hole on the bottom six. Something of value is going to have to go. That’s generally the way it works.
3. Concurrently, there is the search for support on defense, with sources reporting that Seattle’s 38-year-old Mark Giordano is believed to be the Blueshirts’ target. Acquiring Giordano would give head coach Gerard Gallant the option of using him either on the third pair in place of Patrik Nemeth or on the first pair with Adam Fox while flipping Ryan Lindgren to the third unit to skate with Braden Schneider.
The price for defensemen, even rentals, seems to be costly. While Manson yielded a second-rounder and a well regarded prospect on defense, Montreal was able to get a 2023 first-rounder, a 2022 fourth-rounder and a prospect up front from Florida for Ben Chiarot. Then again, the second-overall Panthers—who have not won a playoff round since going to the Final in 1996—are all in this time around.
It is unclear whether Drury would be able to get both Rakell and Giordano without dipping into the organization’s pool of prime assets. Of course, another team might evaluate the Rangers’ prospects differently than the Blueshirts’ hierarchy. Back in 2018, the Bruins walled off at least a half dozen prospects while negotiating the Rick Nash deal and the Blueshirts walked away with Lindgren, thanks very much.
It is also unknown whether Drury is prioritizing adding support to the first line or on defense. All things being equal, there is probably more focus on the blue line.
4. Remember. There is no roster limit following the trade deadline, with teams limited to four recalls the rest of the way. The Blueshirts, with both Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney on injured reserve, could have a cast of thousands once they are activated if additions are made without subtractions from the roster.
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