Vincent Z. Mercogliano|NHL Writer
We're still roughly two months away from the NHL's March 21 trade deadline, yet more rumors seem to pop up each day.
Here's a friendly reminder that it may be a while before the smoke actually turns into fire. From what I'm hearing, there are still many unknowns involving teams that are waiting to see if they can stick around in the playoff race.
Sooner or later, the expectation is that the New York Rangers will do something. There isn't much suspense in the Eastern Conference standings at the moment, with the Blueshirts holding 95.7% odds of making the postseason, according to moneypuck.com.
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While there has been rampant speculation about the Rangers pursuing a defenseman — more of you have asked about Arizona's Jakob Chychrun lately than I can count— I don't get the sense that much is going on there.
Their priority, as multiple people with knowledge of the situation have told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, remains finding help at forward.
We've already covered who some of the targets could be, although that list is fluid and will be updated as we get closer to March 21. But what also needs to be considered is which players, prospects and picks the Rangers are willing to use as trade assets.
There are certain players who we know aren't going anywhere. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow all have at least partial no-movement clauses, while the team's two-best young players, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin, are budding stars who you can be assured won't be included in any deals.
Beyond that small group, anything could happen.
In order to get a better feel for the ammunition at team president Chris Drury's disposal, I've put together a list of the Rangers' top-10 trade assets and ranked them based on value, while also factoring in the likelihood of a move. The better the ranking, the harder it will be for another team to pry them away.
10. Alexandar Georgiev
The case against trading Georgiev has gotten stronger in the past two months, mostly resulting from his improved play. In 12 appearances since Dec. 3, he's posted a .921 save percentage, reinforcing the notion that he can be a capable starter when called upon.
Shesterkin has missed time due to injury in each of his first three seasons, including an eight-game absence for a lower-body injury in December. That highlights the importance of the Rangers having a No. 2 goalie they can trust down the stretch.
But realistically, this will be Georgiev's last year in New York. He'd like a chance to start, which he won't get here with Shesterkin around, and the Rangers are going to need to go with a cheaper backup next season due to their tight salary cap situation. If trading the 25-year-old helps them bring back an impact forward, it's difficult to envision Drury saying no.
9. Mid-tier prospects
We'll get to the top-tier guys soon, but there are five who I believe fall right behind the organization's most coveted prospects and still project as likely NHLers.
That includes forwards Brett Berard, Will Cuylle and Ryder Korczak, defenseman Matthew Robertson and goalie Dylan Garand.
Berard and Cuylle are just the kind of players the Rangers would like to see crack their bottom six in the next couple years, but for different reasons. Berard is a smaller player, but he's pesky, energetic and has sneaky-good skill. He's having an outstanding sophom*ore season at Providence College and could eventually add speed and forechecking to the Rangers' lineup. Cuylle, on the other hand, is 6-foot-3 tank with physicality and a lethal left-handed shot. But he'll also bring the kind of toughness and hustle that Drury wants, perhaps as soon as next season.
If we were ranking prospects right now, Korczak would fall behind Berard and Cuylle — but he's jumped ahead of several others thanks to standout season in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The 2021 third-round pick has posted 46 points (14 goals and 32 assists) through 40 games and brings additional value because he can play center.
Robertson occasionally gets lost in the conversation about D prospects because the Rangers are so loaded in that department, but he has all of the tools to play in the NHL one day. And Garand, who began as Team Canada's starter in the World Juniors before the tournament was canceled due to COVID, has emerged as the organization's top young goalie.
All five would be appealing for a trade partner (and difficult for the Rangers to part with) — more so than many other prospects who are considered a tier below this group, which includes Karl Henriksson, Lauri Pajuniemi and Hunter Skinner.
8. Vitali Kravtsov
Based purely on upside, some will argue that Kravtsov belongs higher on this list. But the reality is that it's going be extremely difficult for the Rangers to recoup equal value in return for the former top-10 pick.
That's because teams around the league have seen the messy situation play out, with the 22-year-old forward refusing an assignment to the AHL in October and requesting a trade. The two sides have been playing nice of late, with the Rangers granting Kravtsov the opportunity to play in Russia's KHL. But the chances of him returning to New York remain slim, which makes a trade seem inevitable.
The Rangers certainly don't have to trade him before this year's deadline. He'll remain under team control as an RFA this offseason, so they can wait it out until a team finally ups their offer. But exactly what Drury would view as an acceptable return remains unclear.
If offered a second-round pick— which is what they ultimately got for another failed former first-round pick in Lias Andersson— would he take it? Or can he parlay Kravtsov and another asset into a trade that lands them the top-nine forward they covet?
7. 2022 first-round pick
The Rangers hold a total of five picks in the first four rounds of this year's draft, including two second-rounders. They could use any of those to help them acquire a player who can help them right away, which it certainly sounds like they're willing to do.
The most valuable pick is their first-rounder. Drury shopped his 2021 first-round pick, but ultimately kept it and selected Brennan Othmann at No. 15 overall. This year's pick figures to be even later in the first round, hence more expendable.
The Rangers' prospect pool remains in solid shape, which makes any picks in the upcoming draft up for grabs in a trade that makes the active roster better.
6. Top-tier prospects
Different scouts and experts will offer different opinions about who they'd rank as the Rangers' current No. 1 prospect, but they would all pick one of the following four.
Taking Kravtsov out of the equation, Othmann has emerged as the clear-cut top forward prospect. And a trio of defensem*n in Zac Jones, Nils Lundkvist and Braden Schneider all possess the upside to play top-four roles in the NHL.
The Rangers surely want to hold onto Othmann, who ranked seventh in the OHL entering play on Tuesday with 53 points (27 goals and 26 assists) through 33 games and seems to be getting better with each passing week. His skill, playmaking and edgy style give him top-six upside if he continues along this path.
The three defensem*n are each exciting in their own right, but the chance of one getting dealt is high. The Rangers will never fit them all into their NHL lineup, which is why using one to help address another need makes sense.
They've each received NHL time this season, with Lundkvist getting the longest look (25 games) but struggling to secure a full-time job. That left the door open for Schneider, who has played in six consecutive games and may be the favorite to stick around because he's the most reliable defensively.
Lundkvist and Jones bring enticing skill sets and offensive ability, but there may only be enough room for one of them in the long run.
5. Filip Chytil
Here's where we'll get into some of the established NHLers.
The further down the list we go, the less likely they are to get traded — and the chances of any being dealt in-season may be even slimmer. But there are a few players who Drury could be open to discussing, and there's little reason to think that Chytil isn't among them.
The 2017 first-round pick has the physical attributes to become a quality middle-six center, but it's five years and counting that the Rangers have been waiting for those skills show up with consistency. His points production has dipped significantly from last season (0.52 points per game down to 0.29) and questions have increased about his long-term viability at center.
If Chytil is better off on the wing, the Rangers' depth down the middle becomes even more of a concern. And if they can use him in a trade to help shore that up, they'd have to consider — not to mention the fact that it would clear $2.3 million off the books for next season.
4. K'Andre Miller
Not too long ago, Miller was grouped in with Jones, Lundkvist and Schneider as part of the next wave of defensem*n. But his career has been fast-tracked, with the 2018 first-round pick already approaching 100 games played.
Miller ascended so quickly because he possesses tools that the others simply can't match. He's an incredibly gifted skater for a player who stands at 6-foot-4, with the speed and reach to defend the best forwards in the world. He can also handle the puck well and has a slap shot that only ranks behind Trouba as far as power.
Those are all reasons to hold onto Miller and bet on him reaching his high ceiling, even as we witness growing pains from a 22-year-old who never spent any time in the minors. But the Rangers' depth of D prospects allows them to consider a variety of options, and if a team came along that was willing to offer a top-six forward who fits their needs, it may be a conversation worth having.
3. Ryan Strome
It would be very difficult for the Rangers to trade Strome unless it brings them a center they view as an upgrade in return. And even then, they would threaten disrupting team chemistry by removing a player who is beloved by teammates and has a special connection with their best player in Panarin.
The 28-year-old is one of only four Blueshirts' forwards who can be counted on to drive offense. Strome, Panarin, Kreider and Zibanejad have each posted 32 points or more this season, with the next-best total coming from Goodrow with 18. The goal is to add to the current collection of talent; not diminish it.
Strome could throw a potential curveball if he makes it clear he wants to test the open market as a UFA this summer. As we reported in early December, the Rangers have expressed their desire to re-sign their second-line center if they can negotiate an average annual value in the $5 million-to-$6 million range. But if that's not enough to get a deal done, perhaps Drury would consider trading him instead of losing him for nothing in the offseason.
2. Ryan Lindgren
We've discussed how loaded the Rangers' pipeline is with defensem*n, but there are only three they can fully trust at this point — Fox, Trouba and Lindgren.
Lindgren is the Robin to Fox's Batman, as they've unquestionably formed the Rangers' top pair for three straight seasons. With that duo on the ice, the team is averaging 2.75 goals per 60 minutes at even strength this season while only allowing 1.65. They were even better last year at 2.99 GF/60 and 1.5 GA/60.
Of course, Lindgren benefits from playing next to arguably the top defenseman in the league. But he's a heart-and-soul player for the Rangers, who love him for his toughness, physicality and sound defense. The 23-year-old has been the ideal complement to the ultra-skilled Fox, and with two more years on his contract at a modest $3 million AAV, you'd be hard-pressed to find an upgrade at that price point.
That isn't to say that Lindgren is off limits. But it would take something major for another team to shake him free.
1. Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière
Would the Rangers really trade the No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 draft or the No. 1 pick from 2020?
Probably not, with both right on the cusp of that untouchable category. But is there no scenario in which one of them could be dealt? We can't say that with certainty, either.
Before you say it, no, this does not mean that either are busts. It's way too early for that, with most around the game still very confident that Kakko and Lafrenière will end up as top-six forwards in the NHL for a long time. Remember, they're only 20 years old. (Kakko will turn 21 on Feb. 13.)
But while the Rangers are preaching patience, it's no secret that they could use more out of both. They were hoping they'd take a big step forward, particularly after trading Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues, but secondary scoring remains an issue. Kakko and Lafrenière have totaled just 25 points in 78 combined games this season.
If a mega-deal came along in which they could acquire a proven star but had to part with one of their two-most coveted young forwards, the temptation would be there. But for a variety of reasons — cap concerns, the fear of missing out on the upside for both players and the value of having high-end talents on entry-level contracts — the odds of such a deal happening are long.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
