The New York Rangers went into the trade deadline with a ton of uncertainty. Over the past few months, they have been very active this season, bringing back players and moving away others. However, they weren’t as busy as one might assume on Friday afternoon, the actual trade deadline.
How exactly did they do, and what does it mean for the rest of the season?
This was a weird and crazy trade deadline for the NHL. The remainder of the regular season and postseason will undoubtedly be thrilling to watch, as the league saw a number of blockbuster moves. The Rangers may have made a very wise move for the future with what they did at the deadline and, in fact, throughout the most of this season.
Obviously, the last couple of trades before the last two days do not really count toward this grade. J.T. Miller coming back from Vancouver for Filip Chytil and company was a home-run “A+”. Getting a solid return for the “Warrior” Ryan Lindgren was also an “A”. itself. But, looking at both Thursday and Friday’s dealings nets the Rangers a “B” grade.
There was a great deal of uncertainty around the New York Rangers going into the trade deadline. Over the past few months, they have been very active this season, bringing back players and moving away others. However, they weren’t as busy as one might assume on Friday afternoon, the actual trade deadline.
How exactly did they do, and what does it mean for the rest of the season?
The Rangers’ actions at the deadline, and for the majority of this season, may have been a very wise move for the future. Of course, the last two trades before the last two days do not really count toward this grade. J.T. Miller returning from Vancouver for Filip Chytil and company was a home run “A+”; getting a solid return for the “Warrior” Ryan Lindgren was also a “A” in and of itself. However, looking at both Thursday’s and Friday’s transactions earns the Rangers a “B” grade.
What were the deals?
The first item that jumps off the page is not a trade per se, but rather an extension. The Rangers signed Urho Vaakanainen for two more seasons at $1.55 million AAV, which is a great addition for the next two seasons since the defensive unit will need to be reshaped after Lindgren’s trade and Adam Fox’s protracted injury. The acquisition of Carson Soucy from Vancouver, who was a third-round pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, is the next item that highlights the day’s transactions.
Moving on from Smith, stayed away from big fish
Finally, the Reilly Smith experiment in New York has officially come to an end Unfortunately, things like this just happen, when something that looks so good on paper just doesn’t pan out the way one wants it to. Smith goes back to Vegas for a third-rounder and forward Brendan Brisson.
The smarter thing to do at this trade deadline, given the Rangers are deadlocked for a playoff place at the present in the Eastern Conference wildcard, was to not bite at the big fish. There were plenty of excellent possibilities, strong veteran support, and a surge of young guns seeking new beginnings. The Rangers did a fantastic job of avoiding getting too involved in something that might not work out at the end of this season.
The Rangers got a commendable “B.” They did this by making wise salary cap decisions and avoiding disaster with a rental player for the playoffs.
