1 trade every NHL team should make

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers are perfect trade partners. Why? Because each team has precisely what the other needs. The Ducks have a surplus on their blue line and would love to add a forward to their lineup. Meanwhile, the Rangers have a surplus at forward but need to improve their blue line. In this trade, Anaheim sends defenseman Cam Fowler to Broadway for forward J.T. Miller.

This trade is motivated by the expansion draft. Specifically, the Ducks, thanks to some awful planning, might not be able to protect Fowler unless they find a way to trade Kevin Bieksa. So instead of likely losing him for nothing, Anaheim can trade him at the trade deadline and still get something in return.

Miller would likely be the forward to go from the Rangers. Rick Nash is too expensive, Derek Stepan simply isn’t getting traded, trading Mats Zuccarello makes no sense for a “win now” team, and Kevin Hayes is finally getting the ice time he deserves. Chris Kreider would be a perfect fit for the Ducks, but it looks like Miller might be the odd man out.

Granted, the Rangers might not be able to do this deal because of some bad contracts of their own. Because they must protect both Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, unless one gets bought out, they’d either have to expose their captain Ryan McDonagh or only be able to protect four forwards. Both situations would be horrible. But if they find a way around it, a Fowler for Miller trade makes sense for both sides.