New York Rangers: Three Moves to Make During the All-Star Break

New York Rangers: Three Moves to Make During the All-Star Break

NEW YORK RANGERS: THREE MOVES TO MAKE DURING THE ALL-STAR BREAK – The Rangers currently occupy the third spot in the Metro division, behind the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils.

It’s a comfortable position for the Rangers to be in, but I’m not sure it means they can compete for the Stanley Cup. If they are to a make a run, they need to get aggressive. And fast. 

Here are three moves the Rangers could make during the All-Star Break to go from pretender to contender.

Trade for a Right-Winger

I wrote about this a few weeks ago here.

This is probably the Rangers biggest priority before the trade deadline. They need to get left-winger, Artemi Panarin, some help next to him on the line.

The Sharks’ left-winger, Timo Meier, is expected to be traded and the Rangers would make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Meier. He’d complement Panarin’s game well and add another scoring threat to the lineup.

Another player who would be an ideal fit is Blackhawks’ right-winger, Patrick Kane. Kane and Panarin were an elite duo during their time together in with the Blackhawks. A trade for Kane would not be a surprise, given their history. The instant chemistry would catapult the Rangers with a jolt of energy. 

Make the “Kid Line” a Permanent Fixture 

The “Kid Line” refers to Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Alexis Lafrenière in the rotation.

The Kid Line was phenomenal for the Rangers during the month of January. The Rangers went 9-2-2 this month and the Kid Line has been a major reason for their success and the scoring prowess of the Rangers.

Chytil has been a huge part of the Kid Line success, scoring 8 goals, notching 4 assists, and totaling 12 points this month.

There is no doubt that this line has been the Rangers’ best option for the last few weeks, but, with a potential trade for the #1 line, it could eventually balance out both lines.

HC Gerard Gallant needs to give the Kid Line more minutes. They have proven to be effective and it could be a lethal unit for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.

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Trade for a Defenseman

I may be in the minority here, but I think the Rangers should trade for a defenseman during the All-Star break.

There are a few really good option out there that could fit well with the Rangers’ roster right now.

Trouba has had his ups and downs as a defenseman this year for the Rangers. He is currently the most penalized player on the team, racking up a total of 41 penalty minutes.

A player to keep an eye on is Sharks defenseman, Jaycob Megna. Megna would be a very solid and reasonable player to trade for without sacrificing much of the cap space.

Another player to keep an eye on is Arizona Coyote’s defensemen, Jakob Chychrun. The 24-year-old defenseman would be a really solid move to make for the Rangers. Chychrun is very likely to be traded and, with how desperate the Coyotes are for picks, the Ranger’s defensive depth would be very impressive if they were to add him.

If the Rangers want a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup they need to make some line adjustments and a trade or two could be what they need.