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Minnesota Wild: Rangers offer the Wild Excellent Trade Options

By Danny Lambert

Apr 5, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Derek Stepan (21) celebrates scoring a goal with teammates during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers defeated the Lightning 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Derek Stepan (21) celebrates scoring a goal with teammates during the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers defeated the Lightning 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the Minnesota Wild scan the league for forward help many different teams and players begin to standout.  The New York Rangers are a team that must be high on that list with forwards that can move, and an urgent need for defensemen.

With two weeks to go to the draft and the end of the Stanley Cup Finals in sight, many are wondering if the Minnesota Wild have completed their game plans for the busy summer ahead.  There is absolutely no doubt that those plans will include the acquisition a forward or two through free-agency or the trade market.  As time goes by there are more and more names that are being thrown out by NHL franchises as “available” in the trade market…for the right price of course.

Many of the players that are possibly being moved are really no surprise as their situations were known back in March around the trade deadline.  Some teams though after playing out their season and the playoffs have decided on new priorities that have caused them to put previously unavailable players on the market.

The New York Rangers are a team that will be active in the trade market.  The feeling in New York is that star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will age out soon, so the team will need to get into a win now mentality while simultaneously getting younger.  The bottom line out of the Ranger’s camp is that virtually everyone on their roster other than Lundqvist is available for the right price.

Related Story: Is a Trade for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Possible?

The positional need the Rangers have is at defense where they expect retirements and free-agency to affect their current top six defenders.  Dan Boyle age 39 will most likely retire and Keith Yandle is expected to leave in free-agency and that will leave the Rangers in a hole defensively.  Where the team is stacked is at forward.  Rick Nash, Derrick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, and Derek Stepan are all strong players that might be moved.

As we know the Wild have a defensive surplus and are looking to gain a forward or two, so the Rangers on paper are good trade partners for the Wild.  If a deal is to materialize between the teams the Wild would most likely not want to deal for the declining production of 31 year-old Nash, but the other three forwards offer a great fit if a deal can be made.

Apr 13, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers center Derick Brassard (16) and right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) and defenseman Dan Boyle (22) talk before a face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers center Derick Brassard (16) and right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) and defenseman Dan Boyle (22) talk before a face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Brassard, Zuccarello, and Stepan were all 20+ goal scorers who offer the Wild an offensive shot in the arm with excellent two-way play.  Drilling it down further Stepan and Brassard are centers and that would benefit the Wild the most as that is really the true need of the Wild.  Still any offensive production increase is needed regardless of the position.

Salary wise all of these players are affordable for the Wild, they have multiple years left on their current deals, and depending on who is being traded in return could offer little impact to the their current cap situation.  Stepan currently is carrying a hit of $6.5 million, Brassard a hit of $5 million, and Zuccarello a hit of $4.5 million.  While that seems expensive, Jonas Brodin’s hit of $4.1 million or Marco Scandella’s hit of $4 million offsets most of the costs if they were the ones to be dealt.  If Spurgeon is dealt, his $5.1 million will actually free up cap space except in the case of a trade for Stepan.

The only hick-up here could be the trade price of these players.  The Rangers do need the defensemen the Wild are offering, but these are three players who have bright futures with the Rangers.  The Wild will more than likely need to make a two player deal that could include one of their current NHL defensemen with a prospect or two added to the pot.  The issue there becomes which prospect the Wild give up, and with the lack of draft picks this year that could hurt a little more.

Next: Lack of Wild Draft Picks Not a Concern

With the Rangers there is a deal to be made for the Wild to get a forward they crave.  The Rangers will no doubt be listing when Chuck Fletcher calls, if he already hasn’t, but will they set the price at reasonable level?  The market for defense is bigger than most realize and there could be more incentivized teams, so the Wild will need to keep that in mind if the Rangers’ price is too high.  None the less to add any of the three Ranger forwards I mentioned earlier is a success and another step in the right direction to helping the Wild compete for a championship.

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