According to Craig Custance of The Athletic, the latest NHL trade rumors buzz has the New York Rangers open to trading a first-round pick
The New York Rangers are underway in their rebuilding process. They did a darn good job at the trade deadline, netting two extra first-round picks and some top prospects. Including their own, the Rangers will have three first-round picks in June. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, they might not end up with three.
In a recent article, Craig Custance of The Athletic got to chat with their general manager Jeff Gorton. And he’s confirming the Rangers are open to trading one of their first rounders (subscription required).
"“At the point we’re at, we’re looking to get as many good players as we can,” Gorton said. “We’re trying to rebuild. It’s hard to say no to anything. We have to keep our options open and I think we’ll do that.”"
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That’s the luxury of having three first-round picks in a pretty deep draft. Your picks will be coveted and they could be swapped for immediate assets. The Rangers need talent in their system and, whether they’re used to draft prospects or trade for players, having three picks gives them a nice headstart on the rebuild.
It is worth noting that only one of the first rounders will be a lottery pick (their own). In fact, considering the Rangers own the first-round picks of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s plausible two of their three picks will be in the bottom 25.
Possible Trade Targets
The Rangers are likely going to use a first-round pick to get a defenseman. With Henrik Lundqvist and top goaltending prospect Igor Shestyorkin in the KHL, they don’t need a goaltender. Giving up a first rounder for a goalie rarely works anyway.
A forward isn’t out of the question, but the Rangers are fairly set there as well, especially if they decide to keep both Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov. However, depending on their decisions regarding their four restricted free agents forwards, they might be open to adding another forward.
Jacob Trouba of the Winnipeg Jets immediately comes to mind. They nearly had a messy breakup about two years ago and so far, nothing suggests things between the two sides are anything better than complicated. Trouba’s a right-handed defenseman capable of playing top minutes. That’s something the Rangers could use.
If the Carolina Hurricanes want to trade Justin Faulk, something like a first-round pick and forward Kevin Hayes for him would make sense for both teams. But will the Canes want to trade him within the division? There likely would be other suitors for Faulk than the Rangers.
Mathew Dumba might get too expensive for the Minnesota Wild to keep. He’d be a perfect fit for the Rangers. Erik Karlsson is likely out of the picture, especially for a rebuilding team, but crazier things have happened.
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This is Gorton’s chance to make an impact on the Rangers. He’s got a ton of leverage and holes to fill. Expect the Rangers to be aggressive as they try to perform a rebuild while dealing with the pressure of playing in The Big Apple.
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