The New York Rangers have had an incredibly strange start to the season.
They’re excellent on the road, with a 7-1-1 record and a league-low 1.89 goals against per game away from home. Yet, they have struggled immensely at home, with a 0-6-1 record at Madison Square Garden so far this season. They have also been shut out in five of their seven home games, which is historically bad.
If the Rangers continue to struggle, GM Chris Drury could very well look to shake up the roster again. Over the past year, he’s traded away Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil while bringing in J.T. Miller.
If Drury does decide to make moves, these three Rangers should be watched very closely as trade candidates.
Artemi Panarin, LW
We start with someone the Rangers almost certainly don’t want to lose but may be better off trading if a certain situation arises.
Panarin, a 34-year-old star left winger, is a pending UFA, and the team is in no rush to get into more serious contract negotiations with the player, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
Panarin has had a tough start to the season by his standards, posting three goals and 10 points in 16 games. Yet, he undoubtedly has the potential to bounce back, as he produced over a point per game in each of the last eight seasons.
Ultimately, if the Rangers are out of a playoff spot and Panarin still does not have a contract extension as the trade deadline approaches, the Rangers may have no choice but to deal him.
At a cap hit of about $11.64 million, contenders that accrue cap space up to the trade deadline could have enough space to acquire him. Otherwise, they’ll have to offer the Rangers even more to have them retain cap space.
He’s only been traded once in his 11-year NHL career, when the Chicago Blackhawks moved him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in June 2017. Panarin ended up posting 82 points in 81 games in 2017-18.
Carson Soucy, D
Soucy will be another pending UFA to watch if the Rangers end up being sellers this season. He’s finishing a three-year contract worth $3.25 million annually.
It is no secret that contenders love to add defensemen with size at the deadline, so the 6-foot-4 Soucy has the potential to generate some interest.
Soucy would be a good addition for a playoff team seeking to bolster its defensive depth. The 2013 fifth-round pick would probably work best in a bottom-pairing role on a contender, but he can also move up to the top four if needed.
In 12 games so far this season with the Rangers, Soucy has posted one goal, one assist, 13 blocks, 15 hits and a plus-1 rating.
When Is The Right Time For Chris Drury To Shake Up The New York Rangers Roster?
Disappointing losses are continuing to mount for the New York Rangers. Is a blockbuster Artemi Panarin trade the only solution to shake up a struggling Blueshirts team?
Brennan Othmann, LW
Othmann has been the subject of trade rumors early this season, so he is certainly a player to keep an eye on as the campaign continues.
The 2021 first-round pick has had trouble finding his fit with the Rangers and could be a nice trade chip for them to dangle to improve their roster elsewhere.
Othmann has spent most of this season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he has recorded two assists in six games. He has also played in one game for the Rangers this season, where he had one shot and a minus-1 rating on Oct. 26 against the Calgary Flames.
While Othmann has yet to cement himself as a full-time NHL player, there undoubtedly could be some interest in the intriguing prospect. He is a former first-rounder and still just 22 years old, after all.
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