Smith was acquired by the Rangers last summer from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth round pick in 2025. The Penguins picked up $1.25MM of Smith’s $5MM salary in the trade, meaning that the 33-year-old is counting $3.75MM against the salary cap this season.

The former Stanley Cup Champion was terrific for the Vegas Golden Knights during their 2023 run to the title and has posted strong underlying numbers throughout his career. However, he has seen those numbers fall to career lows this season and has tallied just 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games.

With the trade market being a seller’s market at the moment, it’s easy to see why the Rangers have been so active. New York is unlikely to make the playoffs and can ill afford to let free agents walk if they have any hopes of re-tooling next season.

Any team looking to acquire Smith will likely do so with a top nine role in mind for the 14-year NHL veteran. Smith is still capable of driving offense off the rush but is probably best suited for a role on the third line of a strong forward group. He can still take second line minutes in a pinch but probably shouldn’t be counted on to drive play for a Stanley Cup contender.

Berard spent six weeks on the NHL roster between November and January. He stepped into the first 19 games of his NHL career on that stint and recorded seven points, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-nine. The Rangers returned Berard to the minors in mid-January, and he’s shown the top-flight stint kicked his game into a new gear. He has 10 points, 25 penalty minutes, and a minus-five in 14 AHL games since returning to the minors.

Berard will join fellow rookie Brennan Othmann on the NHL roster. Othmann filled in Kreider’s vacancy over the last two games, with no scoring and just 18 minutes of combined ice time. Berard will give the Rangers a hotter hand to try and make up for Kreider’s lineup hole. They could also turn towards new addition Juuso Parssinen to fill a left-wing role, after acquiring him as part of a swap that sent Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche. Parssinen has 11 points in 37 games this season – split between time in Nashville and Colorado. The Rangers have two wing vacancies to fill.

Kreider has turned his season around in February, recording four points in six NHL games and one goal in two games at the 4-Nations Face-Off. He’s up to 17 goals and 21 points in 48 games this season. That’s enough to tie for second on the Rangers in goals scored, leaving a glaring hole in New York’s hot-and-cold offense. Their pair of rookies, and new acquisition, will have a golden opportunity to step up in Kreider’s absence. A hot performance could go a long way towards earning routine minutes with the Rangers now down Vesey.

Lindgren has been a mainstay on New York’s back end for the last six seasons.  However, his tenure with them has always seemed to be on uncertain footing.  He wound up taking a three-year bridge deal back in 2021 with the expectation that he’d sign a longer-term pact after that.  Instead, he found himself in trade speculation at times during that contract and the two sides were only able to work out a one-year, $4.5MM contract last summer, one that avoided salary arbitration but also set Lindgren up to reach unrestricted free agency this summer.  Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers will retain half of that contract as part of the swap.

The 27-year-old has never been a big point producer in the NHL as he has yet to reach the 20-point mark in a single season although with 19 points in 54 games this season, he’s likely to do just that in the coming days.  However, Lindgren has been a steady and reliable defensive defender for most of his career, logging heavy minutes on the penalty kill and consistently being among the Rangers’ leaders in blocked shots.  This season, he’s second on New York in blocked shots with 102 while leading the team in shorthanded TOI at 2:42 per game.

That penalty killing prowess will fit in well on a Colorado shorthanded unit that’s barely above the league average in success rate at 79.8% while also giving them a solid replacement for the injured Josh Manson.  Lindgren should slot in as the fourth defender on the Avs’ depth chart for the time being while when Manson returns, one of the two should help anchor the third pairing which would be a nice boost to that pairing heading into the playoffs.

As for Vesey, the 31-year-old was in the third season of his second go-round in New York.  The first two seasons of that second stint were successful as he notched 24 goals and 51 points over the two years, giving the Rangers some solid, low-cost secondary scoring.  But things haven’t gone as well this season.  He has been frequently scratched and has just six points in 31 games when he has suited up.  Nonetheless, Colorado has been looking for some stability on the fourth line pretty much all season long and Vesey should be able to lock down a regular role on that trio while giving it some experience as he’s suited up in over 600 games at the NHL level.  He’s also a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, carrying a $800K cap charge.

Kempf, meanwhile, was a seventh-round pick by the Rangers back in 2021, going 208th overall.  The blueliner is in his senior year at Cornell University and has two goals and five assists in 28 games this season.  Colorado will need to sign him to an entry-level deal by mid-August or lose his rights.

Parssinen is the more notable player heading to the Rangers in this swap.  It will be the third team for him this season as Colorado only acquired him from Nashville back in late December.  But while the 24-year-old was able to hold down a regular role with the Avs (after being scratched at times with the Predators), he wasn’t overly productive with just six points in 22 games while logging less than 10 minutes a night of ice time.  When added to his numbers with the Preds, Parssinen has four goals and seven assists in 37 appearances this season.

Parssinen made an immediate strong impression when he first debuted in the NHL back in 2022-23, notching an impressive 25 points in 45 games in Nashville but he hasn’t been able to get back to that level of performance since then.  He’ll now get another fresh start in New York who can control him through the 2027-28 season through restricted free agency with salary arbitration rights.  Parssinen is making the league minimum of $775K this season and will be owed a qualifying offer of nearly $814K in late June.

As for de Haan, the 33-year-old was in his first season with Colorado after signing a one-year, $800K contract with them early in free agency last summer.  He has largely played on the third pairing this year, logging just under 15 minutes a night of playing time while chipping in with seven assists, 58 blocks, and 59 hits in 44 appearances.  A pending UFA, the 676-game veteran is likely to have a similar role in New York but also could be a candidate to be flipped again if there’s a team looking for extra defensive depth before Friday’s trade deadline.

The Rangers enter play today four points out of the final Wild Card spot.  While that’s hardly an insurmountable gap, they’re also not in a spot to potentially lose rental players for no return.  With this move, they pick up a pair of draft picks and will get a look to see if Parssinen can return to his form from a couple of years ago which could make him a piece worth keeping around for a while.  Meanwhile, Lindgren is a nice pickup for the Avs even with his struggles this season as he should be able to help stabilize the back half of their back end which should only help their fortunes heading into the playoffs.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report (Twitter links) the four players in the deal while Peter Baugh of The Athletic was first with the draft pick details.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Fox left Tuesday night’s game in the third period due to the upper-body injury after tallying one assist in 17:48 of ice time. As Staple shared in his report, the Rangers are optimistic he can return for the final stretch of the regular season.

Still, Fox’s injury will severely impact New York’s playoff chances for the foreseeable future. Only one year removed from earning the ’Regular Season Champions’ banner at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers have posted a 29-25-4 record through 58 games this season. At the time of writing, that record is good for two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite their proximity to the last playoff spot in the standings, MoneyPuck gives New York a 43.4% chance of reaching the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs — lower than their odds for the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. Fox is one of the handful of players on the Rangers who hasn’t disappointed this season scoring five goals and 48 points in 58 games averaging 23:14 of ice time per night with a +5 rating.

Meanwhile, Robertson is positioned to debut in the NHL, albeit under unfortunate circumstances. The former 49th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has been impressive for the Wolf Pack this year scoring one goal and 18 points in 47 contests with a +2 rating. The Rangers still carry six healthy defensemen on the roster outside of Fox but Robertson should likely debut given the length of Fox’s recovery timeline.

If general manager Chris Drury is hell-bent on getting New York to the playoffs for a fourth straight season the injury to Fox should affect their trade deadline strategy. The Rangers may ultimately hang on to oft-mentioned trade candidates such as Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller. Additionally, Drury could begin putting feelers out in the rental market for right-handed defensemen.

This news sets Othmann up for his season debut after a red-hot February in the minor leagues. The Rangers’ top prospect has eight points in his last 10 AHL games, bringing him up to 12 goals and 20 points in 27 games this season. That’s good enough to rank Othmann fourth on the Hartford Wolf Pack in point-per-game scoring, though he ranks sixth in total points. It’s been a year of finding his footing for Othmann. He missed two months with an upper-body injury sustained on October 19th. He’s scored in 14 of his 24 games since returning, and hasn’t gone longer than one game without a point – save for a four-game cold streak in mid-January. Othmann scored an admirable 21 goals and 49 points in 67 games as an AHL rookie last year but didn’t find any scoring through the first three NHL games of his career.

While Othmann fights for his first career point, Kreider will look to find his own footing as he works his way back to health. It’s been a historically down year for the 33-year-old winger, who has just 17 goals and 21 points in 48 games this season. But there are signs of life. He entered the 4-Nations Face-Off break with three points in his last five games – spurring a stretch of two points in eight games. He scored once in two games with Team USA at the 4-Nations tournament and notched a goal in New York’s return on February 22nd. Those gradual improvements seem to point towards the wind finally being back behind Kreider’s sails, but he’ll now face the challenge of maintaining the momentum through an injury absence.

Jones’ conditioning stint followed 21 healthy scratches in 24 games leading into the 4 Nations break. The 24-year-old entered the season hoping to land a more significant role on the New York blue line after Erik Gustafsson left for the Red Wings in free agency, but it hasn’t panned out. The career No. 7 has only logged 28 appearances despite remaining mostly healthy, notching eight points with a plus-two rating while averaging a career-high 16:31 per game. He’s failed to land regular minutes amid significant turnover on the Rangers’ blue line throughout the year, namely shipping out captain Jacob Trouba and Victor Mancini while bringing in William Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen.

The 2019 third-round pick managed a goal and a minus-one rating in a pair of games for Hartford on Friday and Saturday. It was his first AHL action since the 2022-23 campaign when he recorded 8-23–31 and a +16 rating in 54 games for the Wolf Pack.

While a decent puck-mover in a bottom-pairing role, the Rangers’ general distrust of the 5’11” lefty’s skillset (and some poor possession numbers to back that up) have limited his ability to gain chances higher up in the lineup. He’s posted a negative relative CF% at even strength in all five of his NHL seasons, including a 47.2% outright (-3.9% relative) this year. Simply put, the Rangers control play more often when Jones isn’t on the ice.

He must reverse that perception down the stretch to avoid hitting unrestricted free agency. He’s at risk of being non-tendered as he nears the expiry of the two-year, $1.625MM extension he signed in 2023.

Othmann, 22, lands his first recall of the season. The 2021 16th overall pick made his NHL debut last year, going without a point in three games during a January callup. He did manage six shots on nine attempts, though, and laid the body six times while averaging under 10 minutes per game. While he was reasonably effective in a fourth-line role in his initial NHL showing, his point totals didn’t quite pop as he’d hoped in his first AHL go-around in 2023-24.

The Ontario native has missed significant time due to injury this season, but his point pace has improved slightly when healthy. The 6’0″, 181-lb left-winger has 12-8–20 in 27 games, adding 35 PIMs and a minus-one rating. He totaled 21-28–49 in 67 appearances for Hartford last year with a -24 rating, pointing to slight improvements across the board. He should get a look in the lineup while Chris Kreider is sidelined day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Robertson, 23, was only recalled to serve as an extra while Jones was in Hartford and did not draw into the lineup for either of the Blueshirts’ games this weekend. He’s now been recalled six times over the last two years but has not made his NHL debut. The 6’4″ lefty was a second-rounder back in 2019 and is now in his fourth season in Hartford, where he has 1-17–18 in 47 appearances this year with a career-high plus-two rating.

Still, despite the specifics of the injury, Kreider did participate in the Rangers’ first game back from the tournament. Despite the team being completely outclassed by the Buffalo Sabres, Kreider scored one goal over 15 minutes in yesterday’s contest joining Mika Zibanejad as the only New York forward to not have a negative rating.

[SOURCE LINK]

Shesterkin will return from an upper-body injury sustained in New York’s February 7th loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played through the entirety of that matchup but received a designation of out one-to-two weeks before the Rangers visited Columbus the next day – in what was their last game before the break. Shesterkin was in the midst of a cold spell leading up to his injury, posting a 1-4 record and .835 save percentage in his last five games. The performance spurred what was otherwise a great January for the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner. He recorded a 6-0-1 record and .948 save percentage in his first seven games of the month, helping the Rangers find solid footing in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. The Rangers are still three points outside of playoff standing, putting the pressure on Shesterkin to bounce back to form after an extended break.

Garand filled in as the backup in Shesterkin’s lone absence. The 22-year-old has been one of the AHL’s best young netminders this year – ranked second in save percentage (.914) and third in wins (13) among U23 goalies with at least 20 games. It’s been a big step up for Garand – who claimed the AHL starting role two seasons ago but hasn’t yet posted a year-long save percentage above .900.

Jones will join Garand in the move to the AHL looking to get back to match shape. He spent 18 games out of the lineup through December and January, with a pair of scoreless spot starts in February marking his first games since the holiday break. Jones has served as New York’s seventh defenseman for the entire season – a role that’s led him to eight points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 28 games. New York will turn towards Robertson to fill that during Jones’ temporary assignment. Robertson has 18 points and 47 penalty minutes in 47 AHL games this season and would make his NHL debut should he find a way into the Rangers lineup.

• The Hurricanes announced they’ve promoted defenseman Riley Stillman from AHL Chicago. While he’d been off the roster for a few days already prior to the break, he’s been a frequent traveler between Carolina and Chicago this season. He was last rostered for a game on Jan. 28 against the Rangers – his season debut, in which he recorded a fight and a shot on goal in 7:40 of ice time. A routine healthy scratch/extra defenseman, Stillman is close to requiring waivers again to head to the minors after clearing them in November. The 26-year-old has 2-3–5 with 41 PIMs and a minus-three rating in 20 AHL contests this year.
• The Stars announced they’ve recalled defenseman Lian Bichsel from AHL Texas. He was quietly shuttled down on Feb. 8 after making eight straight appearances for Dallas leading into the break. The 2022 first-rounder has 2-3–5 and a plus-six rating through his first 16 career NHL games, all coming this season, and will continue in a regular role for the time being with Miro Heiskanen and Nils Lundkvist on the shelf.
• The Canucks announced they’ve promoted all of center Nils Åman, forward Arshdeep Bains, and defenseman Elias Pettersson from AHL Abbotsford. They also added goalie Arturs Silovs from the Baby Canucks on an emergency loan and will have Nikita Tolopilo around as a practice goaltender until Kevin Lankinen is ready to return from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, although the latter won’t take up a roster spot. Åman and Pettersson were sent to Abbotsford on Feb. 8, but this is Bains’ first recall since late November. The 24-year-old winger had one goal and a minus-four rating in 11 games earlier this season but has remained a near point-per-game threat in the minors, posting 7-20–27 in 32 AHL games. He’ll now get another crack at NHL minutes in the final season of his entry-level contract. Silovs, who’s struggled to the tune of a 1-4-1 record and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season, will come up to serve as Lankinen’s No. 2 with Thatcher Demko still dealing with the undisclosed injury that caused him to leave Vancouver’s last pre-break game against the Maple Leafs. Tolopilo’s stay will be brief, and the 24-year-old will return to Abbotsford as soon as Lankinen is available.
• The Penguins called up winger Emil Bemström and goalie Joel Blomqvist from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and returned netminder Tristan Jarry to the minors in a corresponding transaction, the team announced. It’s a pure reversal of the moves Pittsburgh made after their last game on Feb. 8. Bemström has no points and two shots in two games since being recalled for the first time this season on Feb. 7, while Blomqvist has a 3-8-0 record with a .896 SV% and 3.54 GAA in 11 appearances on the year. The 23-year-old has struggled since taking over for Jarry on the roster, posting a .868 SV% in three starts since the veteran was waived in mid-January. The 29-year-old Jarry will continue to bide his time in the minors as he awaits another NHL chance, knocking on the door with a .924 SV% and 2.11 GAA in nine games.
• The Rangers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Dylan Garand from AHL Hartford. The 22-year-old comes up to serve as Jonathan Quick’s backup with Igor Shesterkin not ready to return from the upper-body injury that kept him out of New York’s final game before the break. He’s sporting a .914 SV%, 2.73 GAA, three shutouts, and a 13-7-5 record in 25 showings with Hartford this year.
• The Blackhawks summoned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from AHL Rockford, a team announcement states. Chicago sent the 22-year-old down at the beginning of the break for additional playing time in the minors, where he posted three shots and a plus-one rating in four games over the past couple of weeks. He has one assist in six NHL games since first being called up in late January and will continue competing for bottom-pairing minutes while Louis Crevier is on injured reserve with a concussion.
• The Bruins recalled defenseman Michael Callahan, center Matthew Poitras, and left-winger Riley Tufte from AHL Providence – the latter coming up under emergency conditions, per the team. Goaltender Michael DiPietro will also practice with the team while Jeremy Swayman remains with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off but won’t count against the active roster. Callahan’s and Poitras’ recalls are reversals of pre-break assignments, with the former’s recall serving as confirmation that Hampus Lindholm won’t be ready to come off LTIR before Saturday’s game against the Ducks. Tufte’s recall is his first since November, and his inclusion is a solid indication that Charlie McAvoy will be IR-bound after sustaining an upper-body injury and subsequent infection at the 4 Nations.
• The Jets announced they’ve recalled Kaapo Kähkönen from AHL Manitoba to serve as a practice player with Connor Hellebuyck slated to start for the Americans in Thursday’s 4 Nations championship. He’s played one NHL game since signing a one-year, $1MM deal in Winnipeg last offseason – although it was for the Avalanche, who claimed him off waivers in October but lost him back to the Jets on the wire the following month. The 28-year-old has taken a tumble in Manitoba with a .885 SV% in 20 games – a worse save percentage than he posted on last year’s league-worst Sharks.
• The Sharks announced they’ve recalled forward Collin Graf and defenseman Jack Thompson from AHL San Jose. They were both assigned to the minors after their final pre-break game, although notably, veteran Andrew Poturalski remains in the minors after being demoted along with Graf and Thompson. The rookies are both likely to play next Sunday against the Flames.
• Utah announced they’d recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson after the previously reported summons of goaltender Jaxson Stauber. His reinstatement to the roster suggests Logan Cooley won’t be quite ready to return from his lower-body injury this weekend against the Kings, but general manager Bill Armstrong said yesterday he’s not expected out for much longer. Doan has 4-5–9 in 25 NHL games and 11-15–26 in 28 AHL games this year.
• The Blues will have goaltender Will Cranley join them for practice while Jordan Binnington remains with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the club announced. Cranley, 22, was a sixth-round pick of 2020 and is in his second season of pro hockey. He’s spent almost all of his time in the ECHL, where he has a .911 SV% and 2.28 GAA in 16 appearances with the Florida Everblades this year.
• The Predators recalled goalie Matt Murray to join them as a practice player while Juuse Saros returns from repping the Fins at the 4 Nations, Emma Lingan of The Hockey News reports. Murray has yet to appear in a game for Nashville after spending the past few years in the Stars organization but has been recalled a few times as injury insurance this season. The 27-year-old has a sparkling .930 SV%, 2.17 GAA, two shutouts, and a 17-7-6 record for Milwaukee.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forwards Gage Goncalves and Gabriel Fortier to join as practice players. Goncalves has served as Tampa Bay’s extra forward for much of the year. His NHL career is still young, and his one goal and seven points in 33 games with the Lightning marks the first scoring of his career. Goncalves has also scored 18 points in 14 AHL games this year. Fortier has spent his whole season in the minors and scored 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games. He ranks third on the Syracuse Crunch in goals and seventh in points.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

This Trade Deadline may not mean more for one team than for the New York Rangers. They’ve been among the most active teams this season, dealing away Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, and Victor Mancini in deals that landed them J.T. Miller and Urho Vaakanainen. Their early returns have proven more promising than many expected, but it hasn’t been enough to pull the Rangers up from their slide down the standings. They enter mid-February in firm competition for the Eastern Conference wild cards with four other teams. The Rangers have scored the second-most and allowed the 10th-most goals in the league since the start of January and could be poised to lean into their inconsistent year with an overhaul at the deadline.

Record

27-24-4, 5th in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$16.48MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 47/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: SEA 3rd, ANA 4th, MIN 5th, SEA 6th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th
2026: NYR 1st, NYR 3rd, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, VAN 7th

Trade Chips

A deadline with such high stakes will inevitably force the Rangers to make some more tough decisions. Many of their core veterans have looked out of touch with their prime or out of sync with each other for nearly the entire season. That precedent is head-manned by former 50-goal scorer Chris Kreider, who entered the year on the heels of three dazzling seasons. Kreider scored 52 goals and 77 points in 81 games of the 2021-22 season and succeeded with 36 and 39 goals in the following two years. After nine years of finding his footing at the top flight, Kreider seemed to finally be blossoming into the routinely great goal-scorer he showed the potential to be. But that flame has fizzled out, and Kreider stands with just 16 goals and four assists through 47 games this season – an 82-game pace of 28 goals and 35 points. That monotonous scoring will put him at the top of the list as New York looks like a place where they may be able to bolster their lineup.

Close behind Kreider will be longtime linemate Mika Zibanejad, who’s also struggled to find ground all season. Zibanejad has a commendable 11 goals and 37 points in 55 games on the year, but his stat line is marred by a -24 – and his ice time has fluctuated between as little as 13 minutes and as much as 24 minutes through points this season. He’s been hard to trust and endured an eight-game scoring drought through December. Zibanejad likely holds the upper hand over Kreider when it comes to New York’s chopping block, given his boost in scoring and 53.1 faceoff percentage. However, questions emerging on year three of his eight-year, $68MM contract could be enough to send Zibanejad – and his $8.5MM annual cap hit – packing for the right return. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta has reported multiple times that Zibanejad is willing to waive his no-move clause for the “right situation.”

New York faces a similar competition on their blue line as well, where both Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller have failed to inspire much of anything. The duo has 15 points in 50 games and 13 points in 49 games, respectively, and each boasts negative plus-minuses. Lindgren has served as the handcuff to Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox through parts of the last three seasons, while Miller has gained a boost in minutes in the wake of Trouba’s departure. Both players fill a strong role, but neither has found the offense needed to support one of the NHL’s lowest-scoring blue lines. Rangers defenders have combined for just 18 points on the year. That’s fewer goals than Cale Makar (22), and one higher than Zach Werenski (17), have managed on their own this season.

The Rangers still stand in an advantageous position with any looming moves. While Kreider has had a down year, his scoring precedent and 862 career games will still command a high price. The cost will be even more to afford one of Zibanejad, Miller, or Lindgren – who each fill roles that will need to be immediately replaced should the Rangers want to stay competitive. That sets New York up for a potentially lucrative swap of roster players that are bolstered by their lack of any retained contracts.

Team Needs

1) Offensive Defensemen: Acquiring another scoring defenseman will be about more than improving their blue line’s collective goals. New York superstar Fox scored a career-high 17 goals last season, bolstered by each of Erik Gustafsson, Miller, and Braden Schneider contributing their own handful (eight, six, and five respectively). But with no downhill jump behind him this year, Fox has fallen to just four goals in 40 games. He’s maintained the year with a dazzling 40 assists – fifth-most among NHL defenders – but Fox is still set to snap his three-year streak of 70-point seasons when this year ends.

He needs another creator to help lift the defense-first Rangers, which could point the team toward Chicago Blackhawks defender Seth Jones. Jones and his lofty contract have been on and off the trade block over the last few seasons – but his lack of belonging in Chicago has become glaring this year. He leads the Blackhawks blue-line with 26 points in 38 games and leads the lineup with an average of 24:38 in ice time. Those marks will leave a humongous hole in Chicago’s lineup should Jones get moved, but the right price could land the all-offense, no-defense defender on a playoff contender.

Should New York prefer a hardier future bet, with a cheaper price tag than Jones’ $9.5MM cap hit, they could also turn towards recent Buffalo Sabres acquisition Bowen Byram. It’s hard to think Buffalo moves Byram without a substantial return, rooted in plenty of future capital. That could be a tough price for New York’s desolate prospect pool, but the return would be an all-out scorer capable of playing top-pair minutes. Byram has 29 points in 54 games this season and averages 23 minutes of ice time each game. He’s already been moved once and would become the second-youngest defenseman on New York’s blue line with a move. That could be the exact kind of lucrative bet the Rangers need to pull back into serious playoff contention.

2) Wing Depth: If not a defender, the Rangers need to use this Deadline to figure out their flanks. Their wingers have been incredibly inconsistent this year. Aside from Artemi Panarin – who leads the team with 57 points in 53 games – the Rangers’ most reliable winger has arguably been William Cuylle, who’s scored a career-high 29 points in 55 games from the team’s third line. Cuylle sits just three points behind former first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere in scoring, and ahead of both Kreider and summer addition Reilly Smith. With the latter three all losing ground this season, the Rangers desperately need someone to right the ship in their top six.

That could make them a golden landing spot for red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell, who’s managed 25 goals and 45 points in just 56 games this year. That’s already 11 more points than Rakell managed last season, but still 21 shy of his 69-point career-high from 2017-18. He’s been a routine goal threat, capable of maintaining his scoring through changing lineup roles and mid-season trades. Rakell’s hot year will likely demand a package beginning with a first-round pick. That’ll be a tough pill to swallow for the Rangers, but they’re falling in the playoff race to the Columbus Blue Jackets – and a lofty trade could be exactly what’s needed to spark a slouching lineup.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Lindgren turns 27 today and has endured a difficult season that began when he broke his jaw in the preseason, causing him to miss the first five games of the regular season. He’s been more of an offensive contributor this year but has been uncharacteristically careless with the puck, turning it over 53 times in just 50 games. Lindgren signed a one-year $4.5MM extension last summer, and it appears as though he will test the free-agent market. Despite the uneven year, Staple and Baugh believe that Lindgren will still be a valuable asset if the Rangers opt to sell in a few weeks. It’s hard to disagree, given that it appears to be a seller’s market, as both the Penguins and Sharks have been able to acquire first-round picks in trade packages involving defensemen.

Lindgren is not the only player the Rangers could move to acquire future assets. Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey are two other names that Staple and Baugh mention.

Smith would be looking at his third trade in two years if he is moved again, but with an expiring contract and a track record of decent depth scoring, there is a belief that he could nab the Rangers a mid-round pick. He has struggled to recapture his scoring touch since winning the Stanley Cup with Vegas back in 2023. This season, the 33-year-old has ten goals and 16 assists in 54 games.

Vesey, on the other hand, has publicly stated his desire to play more, so he would certainly welcome a move to a different organization. The 33-year-old is coming off back-to-back 25+ point seasons but has struggled to get anything going offensively this year, tallying just three goals and an assist in 30 games. Vesey could be another candidate to net the Rangers a mid-round draft pick.

When the Rangers return to action after the break, they will have seven games to decide on a direction heading into the NHL Trade Deadline, and given the way their campaign has unfolded, it’s fair to wonder what other headlines the team will make this season.

• The Predators announced they’ve reassigned wingers Joakim Kemell, Ozzy Wiesblatt, and defenseman Kevin Gravel to AHL Milwaukee. They now have three open roster spots, two of which could go to IR-bound Mark Jankowski and Jeremy Lauzon in the likely event they’re ready to return from injury when their schedule resumes on Feb. 22. The most notable of the trio is Kemell, who made his NHL debut across Nashville’s Friday-Saturday back-to-back and managed eight shots on goal across the pair of games. However, he’s still looking for his first NHL point. The 2022 first-rounder has 9-16–25 in 38 AHL contests this season.
• Wild winger Liam Ohgren will return to AHL Iowa over the break, per a team announcement. The fellow 2022 first-rounder has bounced between Minnesota and Iowa this year but spent the past couple of weeks filling in the Wild’s top six with Marcus Johansson and Kirill Kaprizov missing time. It hasn’t been an overly productive first look in the NHL for the Swedish winger, who’s managed 2-4–6 in 23 appearances since debuting late last season. He’ll likely be back up after the break, with Kaprizov still set to miss another couple of weeks following lower-body surgery.
• The Sharks reassigned forwards Collin Graf and Andrew Poturalski and defenseman Jack Thompson to AHL San Jose, the club said. Their post-break returns likely depend on the health of Nikolai Kovalenko, Jan Rutta, and Nico Sturm, all of whom enter the break on injured reserve with day-to-day designations. If all three are ready to return, the Sharks will need those roster spots to activate them, as they were carrying a full roster before this morning’s moves.
• The Blues sent forward Zachary Bolduc down to AHL Springfield this morning. It’s just the second time this season he’s been assigned to Springfield, and the first was a one-day demotion before opening night to help St. Louis optimize their LTIR capture. The 21-year-old has 6-12–18 through 46 games and will return to the NHL following the break. In the meantime, the 2021 first-round pick will continue to get reps in Springfield amid a promising sophomore campaign in the majors with good possession numbers.
• Blackhawks rookie defenseman Ethan Del Mastro is back down with AHL Rockford, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The 22-year-old lefty has one assist and 13 hits in six games since being recalled on Jan. 23. His 52.0 CF% at even strength is far above team average and is a promising sign for the 2021 fourth-rounder’s prospects at making the opening night roster next year. The 6’4″, 210-lb active defender has eight assists in 38 showings with Rockford this year, along with a plus-four rating.
• The Rangers returned goaltender Dylan Garand to AHL Hartford after his services were needed to backup Jonathan Quick in last night’s 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets. The 22-year-old will only be back up after the break if Igor Shesterkin, who missed the game due to an upper-body injury, isn’t cleared to return. The 2020 fourth-rounder is coming off an appearance in the AHL All-Star Classic and has a 2.68 GAA, .913 SV%, three shutouts, and a 12-7-4 record in 23 showings for Hartford.
• The Utah Hockey Club has assigned Josh Doan to the minor-leagues per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. This move is likely intended to keep Doan on the ice while the club prepares for their two-week break. Doan has been in the NHL roster routinely since January 10th. He has five points in 15 games in that span, including two in his last two games. He’s been highly impactful even despite modest scoring totals, and should get a chance to continue carving out a role when Utah returns on February 22nd.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

According to a team announcement, New York has recalled netminder Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack, their AHL affiliate. Given that the Rangers had one open roster spot remaining, they didn’t need to make a corresponding transaction or place Shesterkin on injured reserve. 

Aside from a game this evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Rangers don’t play again until February 22nd due to the 4 Nations Face-Off. The two-week break should give Shesterkin ample time to recover potentially only missing tonight’s game.

The upper-body injury reportedly relates to a scramble in front of Shesterkin during the second period of last night’s game. He tested his right wrist for flexibility but remained in the crease throughout the game, ultimately suffering another loss this season.

Those losses have recently become commonplace for Shesterkin. The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner is 1-4-0 in his last five starts with a .835 save percentage. Given that he hasn’t had more than two games in a row with a save percentage lower than .900, it’s his worst stretch of the season.

New York is likely hoping the 4 Nations Face-Off break will give Shesterkin the time he needs to fully recover and get his mind right for the remaining 27 games of the regular season. The Rangers’ success this season has typically started and ended with their goaltending.

Garand has received his second call-up of the 2024-25 season, although he has yet to debut in the NHL. The 22-year-old, a product of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers program, is having the best professional season of his brief career. Garand has managed a 12-7-4 record in 23 games with a .913 SV% and 2.68 goals-against average including three shutouts this season.