Since December 8th, The New York Rangers have gone 26-6-2. In that span, they have the most wins, points (54), winning percent (.794), regulation and overtime wins (24) and goal differential (+41). They are also tied for second in goals per game with a scorching 3.26 rating and defend well with a microscopic 2.06 goal against per game. As you can see, the Rangers are playing all around excellent hockey for the last three months.
Monday, March 2 marks the most important day in the National Hockey League: The Trade Deadline. So far the Rangers have 10 free agents who could possibly be on the trading block before or by 3:00pm Monday. Five of them are unrestricted free agents and the other five are restricted. The Blueshirts also have eight players in Hartford, their American Hockey League affiliate team, whose contracts will expire by the end of the 2015 season. Thus the big question remains: What does Rangers General Manager Glen Sather do this weekend and on the big day?
One player who continues to be brought up among the fans is forward Mats Zuccarello. Lately, he’s been under the subject of trade rumors and the ongoing saga of “will he, won’t he” continues. Mats is seeking a long term deal for $5 million and for the Rangers, locking him up long term is a huge priority. It may come across as too much, but as long as Zuccarello and the Blueshirts come together and work out a deal, it shouldn’t be a problem. Zuccarello did express his desire to stay with the team, even if he does cut down on his demand. It’s going to be hard to let a player of his caliber go as he’s starting to come around at the right time with 12 goals and 22 assists this season.
Rangers Fans on the NHL Deadline
Fred Simon from Staten Island, would disagree. “Zuccarello should be moved if he doesn’t come off his contract demands” said Simon. “His production doesn’t warrant a $5 million contract, especially long term.”
Carl Villarosa from Caldwell, New Jersey, stressed that signing Derek Stepan is a priority for Sather and if Zuccarello resigns, Carl Hagelin will be traded and vice versa. “Stepan is a must sign and most likely will be overpaid” said Villarosa. “If they can work out a deal with Zuccarello under $4.5 million per year – otherwise he’s gone and we keep Hagelin. If Zuccarello does resign, then Hagelin goes.” Stepan has been having a great year for the Rangers with 11 goals and 32 assists. He is what the fans have been expecting and continues to come up big for the Rangers. This is another player that Sather needs to resign. Hagelin has gelled with J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes on the third line and is playing well at the moment. With 14 goals and 14 assists, it’s going to be interesting to see what the Rangers decide to do with the Swedish forward. Once again, another tough decision for Sather to make because while Hagelin does have trade value like Zuccarello and can bring in a big name player via trade, his speed game and ability to create scoring chances is a force which cannot possibly be ignored.
Martin St. Louis, who is red hot as of late with 18 goals and 26 assists on the year, is another player the fans are curious about. St. Louis is another player who wouldn’t mind coming back even if it’s a one year deal. The 39-year old’s age might be a concern for some, but St. Louis is still playing at an elite level and has been on a tear recently with four goals and two assists in his last five games.
As far as the open market, it will be hard for the Rangers who are hand strapped to the salary cap and may not have enough room to resign all their players. What the Rangers are looking for is a guy who can help them win some faceoffs and a sixth defenseman. For a forward, they want to get someone who can solve their problems on the draw be it a top or bottom six forward. Popular choices the fans are looking at are Antoine Vermette (Arizona Coyotes) and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Tyler Bozak. “Bozak would solve our face-off woes” said Frederick Uy from Park Ridge, New Jersey. “If they can’t resign Zuccarello, they should sign Vermette or Bozak if Toronto eats some of that money” said Villarosa.
Finding a defenseman, while a priority, might prove difficult. Mainly because few “big name” defensemen are out on the market or even requesting a trade. It is possible, even, that the Rangers may not have to trade for a defenseman at all because they already have one of if not the best defensive corps in the NHL. While Matt Hunwick and John Moore are both expendable come Monday, it’s also possible that Sather won’t ship them.
With the way the Rangers have been playing as of late, they may not have to do much if anything at all come Monday. As far as what moves are made and who will resign remains to be seen. One thing that is clear is that the Rangers are in win now mode. Perhaps, getting Henrik Lundqvist off the disabled list healthy and ready to play would in fact be a big acquisition. This would give the Rangers a huge boost in their Stanley Cup aspirations. In any event, it is going to be an interesting weekend for the Rangers and Glen Sather as they gear up for Monday’s deadline.
