Just in: NHL Trade Deadline fallout, including two NY massive varsatile deals
In an instant, it’s over. the months of preparation and the transactions that took place. The NHL Trade Deadline for the New York Rangers and the other 31 teams ended on Friday, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are now formally underway.
The Rangers acquired winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Erik Brannstrom on Friday, the last of four moves they made in the last week before the deadline. Two men with NHL experience who are currently playing in the American Hockey League are involved in a depth trade.
Overall, the Rangers made seven trades during the season, the biggest being their acquisition of J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. Along the way, they shipped out former captain Jacob Trouba, popular younger forwards Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil, rookie defenseman Victor Mancini and three veteran pending UFAs they were not going to re-sign — Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith.
Along with Miller, the Rangers added defensemen Carson Soucy, Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen and Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen, forwards Brendan Brisson and Aube-Kubel, and a slew of draft picks.
“Just trying to thread the needle, trying to make sure we got some assets back for the future, while trying to show the group I still believe in them, which I do,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said Friday.
This belief will be tested on Saturday when the Rangers travel to Ottawa to play the Ottawa Senators in a pivotal matinee game. The Senators have one more game to play, which puts them percentage points ahead of the other teams for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, even though they are tied with 67 points each.
Right ahead of the Rangers and Senators are the Columbus Blue Jackets, whom the Rangers host Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Columbus is the first wild card, one point ahead of the Rangers and Senators. And don’t forget that the Rangers trail the listing New Jersey Devils by five points for third place in the Metropolitan Division and have two games in hand.
Yeah, this is getting fun. Game on!
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