NHL Trade Rumors: 5 Best Fits For Ryan McDonagh
The latest NHL Trade Rumors suggest the New York Rangers aren’t actively shopping captain Ryan McDonagh, but they’re listening to offers. Here are the five best fits for him.
The New York Rangers are stuck in neutral. While they aren’t far out of the playoff picture, a deeper look suggests they are trending downwards. Even a best-case scenario has them losing in the first round to a much better team. The Rangers are open for business, and according to the latest NHL trade rumors, that includes captain Ryan McDonagh.
If they play their cards right, the blue shirts could retool very quickly and become contenders as soon as next season. Granted, the Rangers would require several things to go their way and they’d have to nail every trade they make by the trade deadline. But considering who they are shopping, a quick retool is plausible.
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A Ryan McDonagh trade, however, would signify a huge change. The Rangers would be trading their captain and a guy who has been their best defenseman for the better part of the last six or seven seasons. It’s stressful to handle being a captain in a media jungle like New York, but McDonagh has handled the role well.
While it can’t be confirmed what the Rangers are asking for, it’s safe to say it’s going to be a lot. The Keith Yandle trade in 2014 is the closest comparable trade. At the time, he had a year left on his deal. So will McDonagh. The Rangers traded a first-round pick, a promising young forward, a young defenseman, and a second-round pick for Yandle.
So which teams would be the best fit for him? First of all, no team is trading for McDonagh unless they’re contenders (or they are mighty confident they can re-sign him). Secondly, any team who trades for him is looking for defense. Thirdly, while the Rangers could retain salary, that would just drive the price up even more. So we’ll stick to teams who can afford his $4.7 million cap hit for next season.
Here’s a look at the five best fits for McDonagh, in order of the likelihood of him being traded to them.
For updated NHL trade rumors, check out our Rumors page.
5. New York Islanders
Why they’re a good fit: No team would benefit more from acquiring Ryan McDonagh right now than the New York Islanders. They desperately need a top-four defenseman and their blue line is in shambles. The loss of Calvin de Haan has left their defense in a terrible state. Considering the Islanders are trying to get John Tavares to stay long-term, missing the playoffs isn’t an option for them.
McDonagh would immediately be at worst their second-best defenseman. Even after factoring in the inevitable eight-digit annual cap hit Tavares will get if he re-signs, the Islanders would still be in very good shape financially. As far as for the Rangers, the Isles have a top-tier prospect (Kieffer Bellows) and young defensemen (Sebastian Aho, Mitchell Vande Sompel, and Devon Toews). They also have the picks they got for Travis Hamonic. So the Islanders have what the Rangers want.
Why they’re not a good fit: It’s hard to see the Rangers being willing to trade McDonagh within the division. That’s a heck of a way to ensure a trade haunts you. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Rangers forced the Islanders to be a premium (on top of McDonagh’s already high price) to get him.
Likelihood: McDonagh has a better chance of getting abducted by aliens the same minute he wins the lottery than he does of being traded to the Islanders. But the fit is definitely there.
4. New Jersey Devils
Why they’re a good fit: The New Jersey Devils defense hasn’t been very good this season. Anytime John Moore is averaging just under 20 minutes of playing time per game, you know you’ve got issues. Ryan McDonagh would give them a top pairing defenseman, putting Andy Greene into a more appropriate second or third pairing role.
As far as cap space, the Devils have more than enough of it. They’re one of the very few contenders who could feasibly re-sign him after next season and still be in really good shape. When the casual fan thinks of the Devils, the first thing that comes to their mind is that annoying trap. So it’s kind of ironic New Jersey has more talent on offense than defense.
Why they’re not: The Devils aren’t a direct rival of the Rangers like the Islanders are. But still, they’re close enough to one that the blue shirts probably don’t want to trade McDonagh to them. Unlike the Islanders, the Devils probably don’t have what the Rangers are looking for.
Likelihood: McDonagh’s chances of being traded to New Jersey are slightly better than being traded to the Isles. But not by much. It’s still not likely, although it’s close to plausible.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
Why they’re a good fit: A recent injury to Victor Hedman has led the Tampa Bay Lightning to find out how bad their defense is without him. So they’re likely going to make an upgrade at some point. The Lightning have been tied to McDonagh and it’s easy to see why. He’s precisely what they need. McDonagh’s a top-pairing defenseman capable of playing during all situations.
The Rangers and Lighting have done deals before, so that makes the fit even more obvious. He’d impact Tampa Bay for two postseason runs, which conveniently coincides with their Stanley Cup window. It’s still going to be open after next season, but it’s completely wide open right now.
Why they’re a bad fit: Do the Lightning have what it takes to get McDonagh? They don’t have any elite prospects. Especially if one assumes Mikhail Sergachev is off the table. Sure, Brett Howden’s a nice prospect. Slater Koekkoek and Jake Dotchin are intriguing. But that’s not enough to get McDonagh.
The best asset Tampa can offer the Rangers? Draft picks. And that’s probably not going to be enough. Rangers fans should not be rooting for their team to trade McDonagh to the Lightning because while the fit is there, they likely won’t be getting the best return.
Likelihood: Our first truly plausible option! But this one is still kind of sketchy. Steve Yzerman is a shrewd negotiator, so don’t rule anything out. He deserves GM of the year if he gets McDonagh, though.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
Why they’re a fit: The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be looking to upgrade defensively. They’ve been trying to for a while. However, now that their offense is looking outstanding, the next part of their rebuild is finding a franchise defenseman. Those are hard to find, though, so they’re still looking for that difference maker. Morgan Rielly is fairly close to being one (he might already be one depending on who you ask). Ryan McDonagh is one.
McDonagh can play during all situations. That’s precisely what the Leafs need. He’s also under control through next season. This works well with their salary cap situation. McDonagh’s contract is done once they have to find a way to afford the trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner.
This doesn’t mean re-signing him would be impossible. It just means that they’d be able to weigh their options with the trio and not have to worry about McDonagh’s deal potentially hurting their chances.
Toronto has precisely what the Rangers are looking for. And they’re desperate. That’s a pretty good combination for the Rangers.
Why they’re not: This is a bit nitpicky. But McDonagh is left-handed. The Leafs have enough lefties. What they really need is a righty. That said, beggars can’t be choosers and McDonagh’s probably a better option than any right-handed defenseman on the trade block once you look past Mike Green.
Likelihood: The Leafs are a very likely destination for McDonagh. However, the Rangers are probably going to demand either Nylander or Marner for their captain. That’s a price the Leafs might not be willing to pay.
1. Winnipeg Jets
Why they’re a good fit: Unlike every other team on this list, the Winnipeg Jets play in the Western Conference. Why does this matter? Here’s why. If you’re going to trade someone like Ryan McDonagh, the best way to do it is trade him out of the conference. Then it doesn’t have as much of a chance to haunt you.
Also, the Jets match up well for what the Rangers would want for McDonagh. If they want to retool, how about Kyle Connor or Josh Morrissey for him? Jack Roslovic could also make sense. The Jets have enough really good prospects to match the Rangers desires, no matter what they are.
Winnipeg also has a ton of cap space, so they can fit in McDonagh. Best of all, his contract is up by the time they have to give Patrik Laine a ton of money. The Jets do have a need on their blue line as well. They need a guy who can play during all situations and help them defensively. McDonagh can do that.
Why they’re not a good fit: Let’s get the major concern out of the way early. McDonagh has a limited no-trade clause and gets to name 10 teams he can’t be traded to without his permission. A lot can change in a year, but that should frighten Jets fans. Winnipeg is known for being cold and there are other factors involved. McDonagh is used to a huge market, so he might not be open to living in Winnipeg.
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Also, the Jets have never been a team to make huge trades as buyers. This is mostly because they’ve rarely been in a position to be buyers at the deadline. But still, trading for McDonagh would go against what we know about their current front office.
Likelihood: If any team could talk the Rangers into trading McDonagh by the trade deadline, it’s the Jets. Whether or not they choose to do so is up in the air.