The New York Rangers have a lot going on as the trade deadline nears, but the team does know that with three goaltenders on the roster, they are going to be forced to move one by the deadline. In fact, unless something extraordinary happens, that goaltender will be Alexandar Georgiev.
However, Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that the Rangers shouldn’t even wait until the trade deadline to move Georgiev. The team needs to move him now while teams are still looking for goaltending as well as the fact that there is no reason to play three goalies at once. Veteran Henrik Lundqvist has played just once since Jan. 2, while Igor Shesterkin has proved his worth and both need regular playing time with Lundqvist there to help Shesterkin out.
One other issue is that Georgiev hasn’t been that good. Since Dec. 12, Georgiev has just a 4-5 record with a 3.78 GAA and a .882 save percentage. Brooks feels the team needs to get what it can now just in case he becomes untradeable in the near future and are forced to trade him for just a second or third-rounder.
- Sticking with the Rangers, The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) writes that prospect Vitaly Kravtsov, the team’s 2018 first-round pick, has been developing nicely since the team convinced him to return from the KHL. Kravtsov has had a rough road this year, failing to make the NHL squad out of training camp, being sent to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, then opting to return to the KHL, where they demoted him to their junior league. “I think there was, one, disappointment from (being demoted by) the Rangers, and two, the uncertainty of what’s best,” said Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch. “I’m sure he was getting some direction about playing in Russia, and maybe Hartford wasn’t best. … But since he’s come back to us, his attitude has been outstanding. He’s worked really hard. He’s wanting to learn. He’s playing the right way. So we’re happy to have him.”
- The Star’s Kevin McGran writes that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who skipped the All-Star Game due to a wrist injury, is expected to be back in the lineup on Monday for the team’s game against the Nashville Predators. Matthews didn’t miss any regular season games due to the injury and because he attended the all-star event in St. Louis, will not face the one-game suspension that many others opted for.
- NBC Sports’ J.J. Regan suggests that Washington Capitals’ fans shouldn’t expect the Capitals to re-acquire former defenseman and current Detroit Red Wing Mike Green, who is on the trade block as the trade deadline approaches. The scribe writes that the Capitals are loaded in right-handed defensemen, so adding the right-handed Green wouldn’t make any sense for a team that needs a top-four left-hander.
good job Matthews. avoid playing in the All Star Game, get to watch for free, and dont get suspened. man, i like this guy less and less by the day.
Obviously, u didn’t see any off ice photos of Matthews wearing a brace on his wrist for the last 3 weeks,,,,,but I guess it was well planned out in order to miss the all star game,,,,,,,”get to watch for free” doesn’t even deserve a comment.
But I guess u needed to write something to accomplish being first comment of a thread,,,,,,DUFUS!
It’s good to hear Kratsov rebounding. The kid has a ton to learn in order to be nhl ready but he has the skills to be a top 6 forward. Look at Kaapo and Hughes this year struggling to make an impact. If you didn’t know better you would say they were both busts but obviously when you watch you can see either they haven’t caught up with the speed of the nhl or the strength of all nhl players.
Has Kakko been as bad as the numbers suggest? The lack of shots is concerning.
Hughes is too slight to play in the NHL. If he went to a different organization, they’d have let him season a bit more. He will be a good one some day, though.
But, it seems like Kakko should be doing better, given his size and pro experience.