Exploring Trade Possibilities for the New York Rangers
Drury did that NYR thing again where they write a letter about how much they suck and are planning to trade away basically everybody. What can they get in return?
The Rangers just got clobbered at home by the Senators, after getting clobbered on the road by the Bruins, and that was all she wrote for the 2025-26 New York Rangers. It took until mid-January, but Chris Drury finally (indirectly) acknowledged that this roster sucks — something I said all the way back in the summer, at the time that he created this roster. Yes, it turns out that I’m smarter than the GM (as are plenty of fans), a concept that Argument from Authority fallacy people have a hard time comprehending. But now here we are, and Drury is about to make some big changes.
Nobody knows who is being traded, or when, but we’ve already seen that this hasn’t stopped Mike Sullivan from overusing the most likely trade candidates, after today’s 6-3 clobbering of the Flyers. If you’re writing a letter to the fans and telling them that you’ll be trading a lot of your favorite Rangers, then in what universe does it make sense for Panarin to play 20:56 in a hockey game, or Trocheck to play 20:45? You don’t need to establish their markets — you need to keep them from getting injured. Furthermore, if anything, this is the time to play the young players to see if they’re even good enough to bank on in the future. Why is Gavrikov, a defensive defenseman, still playing on PP1 over Scott Morrow, the literal power play specialist? It’s Zac Jones all over again. But anyway, let’s get into what’s going on:
The (likely) trade candidates for NYR
UFAs: Panarin, Soucy, Brodzinski, Sheary, Quick
RFAs: Othmann, Schneider, Morrow
Tradeable players with term: Trocheck, Cuylle, Raddysh, Carrick, Rempe, Vaakanainen, Borgen
And now let’s break this down by player, with trade proposals for each of the big ones. Here are some logical places these guys should get traded to, in terms of both the receiving team being interested in the player + that team having a good enough prospect pool for which it would be a good return for NYR. For the rest of this article, let’s operate under the assumption that all picks refer to 2026 picks unless stated otherwise, and that Panarin will be retained at 50% ($5.8m):
Artemi Panarin
The NYR all-time leader in points per game was told by Chris Drury that he’s not even being offered a contract extension, even though Drury says they’re not rebuilding (and, therefore, still trying to win now). Panarin just said in the NYR/PHI postgame that he’s “still confused”, which is no surprise, because Drury’s plan makes no sense. But either way, Panarin should have a great market, despite the fact that he has a full-NMC and can pick whichever team he would approve a trade to, which would supposedly diminish his return. However, let’s just pretend that there are multiple teams he would approve a trade to, and therefore not diminish the return:
Panarin to WSH for 1st + Cristall + Milano + van Riemsdyk + Chisholm
Off the bat, the Capitals are an extremely logical landing spot for Panarin. The Capitals love Russians, and he’d be a great transition away from Ovechkin. Furthermore, the Capitals’ depth at wing is relatively limited. They currently have Ethen Frank playing in the top 6, and they’d be better served moving Protas over and inserting Panarin. The Capitals have big money coming off the books as well (Ovechkin’s $9.5m, Carlson’s $8.0m) and can afford to extend him.
From NYR’s perspective, they should want to trade with the Capitals. If you are punting the season and selling off, then priority #1 is the trade return, regardless of where the player is being moved to. The fact of the matter is that the Capitals have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL despite having made the playoffs last year, and a lot of it has to do with their analytically-driven, high-ceiling draft philosophy, running in direct contrast with NYR’s boomer-driven, NHL-size-over-actual-talent draft philosophy. It’s how NYR drafted EJ Emery, 13 picks before Washington drafted Cole Hutson, and what happened? Emery was a healthy scratch on a mediocre USA WJC20 team, while Cole Hutson was the guy on that backend.
But anyway, their prospect pool is really good and I want NYR to take a piece of it. Washington’s system is chock full of guys who are built to thrive in today’s NHL: great puck handlers, capable of driving play, tilting the ice, beating players 1 on 1, transition players, etc. Cristall is at the forefront of that among the Capitals’ forward prospects (Cole Hutson is at the front among the Dmen, but they won’t give him up). Cristall has been thriving in Hershey and would be a fantastic get for NYR, who could immediately slide into NYR’s top 6. Furthermore, Milano ($1.9m) has been reduced to a 4th-line role but has had really nice underlying numbers and has been overlooked. The same goes for van Riemsdyk ($3.0m) and Chisholm ($1.6m), who have also had reduced roles. Bringing these guys in would ironically improve the team right now (if NYR actually played them), while also helping offset Panarin’s $5.8m for cap constraint reasons (WSH has ~$5.0m in cap, projecting $10m, but they will want to make more moves than this).
Panarin to LAK for 1st + Clarke
The Kings are similar to NYR in that they are so hyper-focused on playing defense, at the expense of all offense. Panarin would provide an obvious boost to a weak top-6 that currently features Jeff Malott at top line LW. Who is Jeff Malott? Exactly. They’re also about to have Kopitar ($7m), Kuzmenko ($4.3m), and Perry ($2m) coming off the books, and that’s before talking about how they currently have $11m in cap space as it is.
From NYR’s perspective, Brandt Clarke is an absolutely dynamic defenseman who has been extremely good for the Kings, whether the Kings want to believe it or not. The Kings have shown animosity towards Clarke, frequently casting him aside in favor of perpetually bad players like Cody Ceci. With Ken Holland running the show, this should only be expected to continue. NYR having a RHD corps of Fox, Clarke, and Morrow would be very good, as you’d have a really high IQ Dman on each pair with a strong track record of zone exits. There’s a lot to like about a trade like this, especially as I will be proposing Schneider and Borgen trades later.
Vincent Trocheck
This is where things get interesting, because Drury’s letter implied that he’d be trading some fan favorites, and Trocheck might be considered one of those. He has a 12-team no trade list, the center market is very hot (a lot of playoff teams need depth centers), and he has a really good market reputation for being grit or whatever. One could argue that he could get a better return than Panarin, given the NMC vs 10-team NTC + competitive need for centers.
Trocheck to CAR for 1st + Unger Sorum + Cerrato + Kotkaniemi
CAR obviously gets a boost at C, in a player who they’ve already had before and who knows the system well (and has played well in it). This also allows them to move Stankoven to wing if they choose, while also pushing Taylor Hall out of the top 6. Or, they could push Stankoven to 3C, Staal to 4C, and Jankowski to wing.
From NYR’s side, they take back a bad contract in Kotkaniemi (which CAR has been trying to get rid of), but by doing so, they get huge boost in their center prospect depth in the form of Cerrato as consolation (a player who CAR can afford to give up, with Aho + Stankoven as the likely long-term top 6 Cs). Furthermore, Unger Sorum has looked really good in Chicago as a two-way winger and would be another nice piece for NYR to throw in the mix.
Trocheck to BUF for 1st + Rosen + Zac Jones
It feels like now or never for the Buffalo Sabres, who haven’t made the playoffs in 15 years. Josh Norris is injured again, and I highly doubt the Sabres want to squander the best chance they’ve had to make the playoffs in a long time. Adding Trocheck at 3C, behind Thompson and McLeod, would give the Sabres a really nice look down the middle as they push for a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, in Rosen, the Rangers would be getting a dangerous rush forward with the versatility to play wing or center, and could potentially be a real solution to the problems they’ve had at center for a long time. Also NYR would get Jones back, who is good (whether they like it or not) and even showed last year that he’s more than capable of playing a very-net-positive 3LHD role in the NHL. He’s currently destroying the AHL, with 35 points in 30 games. This trade is probably more realistic than the CAR one.
Braden Schneider
Schneider is another player whose market reputation is significantly higher than his actual, on-ice value. Perceived as a reliable, sturdy, safe, stable defensive defenseman, Schneider is anything but those things. He’s a tremendous net negative on the offensive side of things, killing his own players’ shifts whenever the puck gets on his stick. In the defensive zone, he’s an incapable puck mover who can’t handle the pressure of a basic forecheck. Schneider has single-handedly wiped out all of Gavrikov’s value while he’s taken Fox’s spot on the top pair. But in the minds of boomer GMs, he’s a valuable asset.
Schneider to DAL for 2027 1st + Minnetian
The Dallas Stars are in dire need of a RHD, as they’re currently icing Alex Petrovic on their 2nd pair. Given Jim Nill’s poor evaluation of depth defense (e.g. Cody Ceci, Ilya Lyubushkin, the aforementioned Petrovic), it’s totally reasonable to believe that Nill would pay a solid price for Schneider. A 1st round pick for Schneider is already a win, but Minnetian would be a great get. He’s a very underrated defenseman who is basically an offensive-minded version of Drew Fortescue (at least, of what they thought they were getting from Fortescue).
Schneider to NYI for 1st (NYI) + 1st (COL) + Pierre Engvall
This one is pretty creative. The Islanders obviously have a need a RHD (as Tony DeAngelo is on their 2nd pair). NYR nets a 1st for Schneider, and then they net another 1st to take the contract of Engvall.
Schneider to DET for Plante
Detroit is another team where it feels like it’s now or never, as they haven’t made the playoffs in 10 years. Yzerman loves really bad defensemen who are gritty (e.g. Chiarot) and their RHD side is lacking. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them have interest in Schneider. A 1 for 1 swap for Plante would immediately bolster NYR’s weak center prospect depth.
Will Cuylle
I have serious doubts that NYR trades Cuylle, but the fact of the matter is that he’s not nearly as good as people think he is, which I tried explaining over the summer. His quality of play dropped as soon as Kakko was traded (because Kakko is more of a net positive impact player than anyone gave him credit for), and at this point, Cuylle is a bottom-six checking winger who can put up decent production. However, because of how much he hits, he’s basically in the same reputational category as a guy like Kiefer Sherwood, but with an extra year on his deal. Nevertheless, he fits the reputation as a “playoff-type player” because of the versatile grit and all that crap.
Cuylle to TBL for 1st + Duke + Bjorkstrand
The Lightning have shown plenty of times in the past that they’re not afraid to toss out 1st round picks, even for awful players (e.g. Goodrow, Jeannot), so long as they’re gritty. Cuylle obviously fits this bill and would be a good upgrade from Girgensons on their 3rd line. In Duke, NYR gets another Berard-esque player, an undersized but pesky forward with a motor and a scoring touch. NYR also takes Bjorkstrand back in the deal to make the cap implications work, and also Bjorkstrand has more or less fallen out of favor in Tampa Bay, as he’s currently getting 4th line deployment and no power play.
Cuylle to BOS for 1st + Poitras
This one is more of a project but still logical in nature. The Bruins get another player who fits the mold of Boston Bruins hockey — physical play combined with a scoring touch. Meanwhile, NYR gets back a reclamation project with some nice upside. A couple of years ago, Poitras looked like the next great center for the Bruins, but he’s fallen off ever since. Combine this with the acquisition of some great center prospects who have blown by Poitras in the depth chart (e.g. Hagens, Minten, Moore, Letourneau, etc.), and you have a player who could use a change of scenery and is someone who Boston would probably like to get some value out of. I believe Sullivan could unlock Poitras and make him a 2C/offensive version of a guy like Noah Laba.
Soucy, Raddysh, Carrick, Rempe, Vaakanainen, Borgen, Brodzinski, Sheary
Picks and cap dumps. That’s it. Not getting much else out of these guys. Soucy, Raddysh, and Carrick should return the highest picks. NYR would probably have to sweeten the deal to get someone to take Borgen (I doubt NYR wants to move him anyway). NYR probably gets 4th/5th rounders or worse for the remaining players. But either way, having a ton of draft capital is never a bad thing.
Conclusion
It’s a total shame that NYR is even in this position to begin with (they should’ve listened to me, but nobody ever does) and it’s insane that they’re going to get rid of Panarin but not actually commit to a rebuild. There isn’t a shot in hell they can win the cup without Panarin. He’s the best free agent on the market. No team has ever gotten rid of a superstar, used the available cap to get a couple of decent players, and gotten better from it. That’s not how this works.
The reason that teams win the Cup is because their management determines who their good players and their bad players are, they then get rid of the bad players and replace them with net-positive players at the same cap hit. They use analytics and scouting to find these undervalued players, and that’s how they create depth. No team has ever won by getting rid of their good players in an attempt to artificially create depth with decent players, and therefore dilute out the bad players. All that does is create a team of mediocrity, while still keeping the bad players. If you want proof, look no further than the Maple Leafs after trading Mitch Marner, and that’s before even factoring in that Chris Drury will be running this gameplan — the same guy who traded Buchnevich so that he could use the cap space on Blais, Goodrow, Reaves, and Nemeth.
No team is distributing TOI to their 4 lines evenly. Line 1 gets the most (or as much as line 2), line 3 gets less, line 4 gets the least. If your 1st line gets an A grade and they play the most (e.g. 20 min), and your 3rd line (which plays much less, like 13-15 min) gets a grade C, that’s better than your 1st line getting a B grade and your 3rd line getting a B grade, because now your most-played line is of lower quality, while your 3rd line is netting even at best. The only way this could be a “net positive” is if you play your first and third lines evenly in TOI, and even then wouldn’t be a net positive because your 3rd line would more frequently see more difficult competition and then become a net-negative.
At the end of the day, there’s no universe in which Drury does any of these trades or even wants to do any of these trades. He’s not smart enough to negotiate these trades, he’s not smart enough to know to target any of these players, and he’s not smart enough to recognize that some of his players (e.g. Schneider, Cuylle) should be traded because they are worse than people think they are, and therefore have good value (hell, when was the last time NYR truly sold high on a player?). But all we can do now is sit and wait.