The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline has passed, and the Rangers were busy making a series of moves.
(For a deep dive, check out the Emergency Lindgren/Vesey podcast and the Emergency Trade Deadline Day podcast linked above.)
We covered these trades in detail on the podcasts, including handing out grades for the Lindgren and Vesey deals. If you’re looking for more in-depth discussion, give those a listen. But if you just want a quick summary, here it is:
Players Out: Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, Reilly Smith
Players In: Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, Brendan Brisson, and Carson Soucy
(Plus a 2nd-round and a 4th-round pick in this year’s draft.)
As expected, the Rangers moved on from pending UFAs they had no plans to re-sign, bringing in younger talent and adding to their draft capital. The tougher decisions—like what to do with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad—have been deferred to the summer, when they can reevaluate the market and look for ways to maximize returns. K’Andre Miller is also part of that conversation, though the more you look at it, the harder it is to see how they move on from him without spending even more to find a replacement.
Beyond trades, the Rangers called up Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard, and Zac Jones has seen more ice time due to Adam Fox’s injury. Don’t forget they also claimed Arthur Kaliyev off waivers earlier in the season.
There’s now a wave of fresh faces and opportunities for young players to prove they deserve bigger roles heading into next year. None of these changes address the core issues that derailed the team earlier this season, but they offer a chance for growth. The Rangers made it clear with the J.T. Miller trade and the conditions on their first-round pick that they fully expect to contend next year. This makes now the perfect low-risk window to give the young guys more ice time and experience.
Unfortunately, the current head coach—who seems almost certain to be job-hunting this summer—doesn’t quite see it that way.
