What are the New York Rangers going to do at the NHL Trade Deadline?
The New York Rangers have been far too quiet for a team in the midst of a rebuild, so what is their plan for the approaching trade deadline?
The New York Rangers are in the dead zone of their self admitted rebuilding process. They know the team isn’t good enough to make the playoffs, but also not bad enough to have a realistic chance at a top draft pick. With the trade deadline less than a month away, the Rangers have several decisions to make about what kind of rebuild they’re really running here.
The Rangers are nine points out of a playoff spot with 49 points at the all star break, making playoffs pretty hopeless for a roster lacking talent. Not a bad thing considering that making the playoffs was never really a goal for this season, all it means now is that it’s time to embrace the rebuild and start moving off the players that aren’t in the teams long term plans.
Based on points per game, the Rangers currently own the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and have a mere 6.6% chance to win a draft lottery spot and get a top three pick (via Tankathon). Not enough for a team searching for a new core of players. If they want to follow their self imposed timeline of competing within three years, these decisions need to be made now.
This years trade deadline is screaming for the Rangers to be as active possible with how many teams are desperate for exactly the kind of assets the Rangers have to offer. If they play their cards right, they could have the entire league on strings for a bidding war and set themselves up handsomely for the future. But what exactly do they have to offer? Let’s take a look.
Kevin Hayes
The most obvious candidate to get moved by the Feb. 25 deadline is Kevin Hayes. It’s been all but a formality ever since he signed a one year contract extension with the Rangers in the offseason. The 26 year old clearly doesn’t seem to be a part of the organizations long term future, and could fetch a decent enough return as a top nine center from a playoff team
Hayes is actually having a pretty decent season, and is well on pace for his career bests. In 39 games this season, Hayes has put up 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists), but missed all but one game in January with an upper body injury. How he recovers from the injury will in all likelihood affect his value on the market, and the return the Rangers can get for him.
As a trade rental, Hayes will probably get the standard return. He’s not a game changer, but he moves the needle enough to warrant getting back at least a late first/second round pick and a mid tier prospect, probably like an upgrade on last seasons Michael Grabner trade. For a deal like this, some conditions could be brought into play depending on Hayes resigns with the team he’s traded to, or if the Rangers allow extension talks between the team they look to move him to and Hayes’s camp.
Teams like the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and San Jose Sharks would all be a team that would benefit from acquiring Hayes for their playoff runs. Center depth is often a tie breaker when push comes to shove in an evenly matched series, and more often then not is the different between a run at the Stanley Cup or a disappointing early exit. Hayes isn’t the guy to push a team over the top, but just that extra depth and options at center is always an underrated advantage.