The Rangers’ Lottery Ball (NHLI / TSN)
The New York Rangers’ rumors for the offseason are off to a flying start. We’re less than 24 hours since they won the lottery and there’s legal speculation that Jeff Gorton will trade that choice.
I’ll address that later, but let’s first talk about a hint Jeff Gorton made yesterday.
Rumors of New York Rangers have them on the hunt for downtown
During his post-lottery press, the Rangers GM was asked if winning the Alexis Lafreniere raffle would force him to find veteran help in the middle. “It might,” Gorton began. “If I went on this call and told you all our holes, it probably would not help me with what we should do in the market when I make calls.”
The established GM is absolutely correct, but he also acknowledged that it will be a necessity. However, there are no good centers in the free agent market worth signing, which brings me back to looking at Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The 26-year-old center was on course for a career year. With 61 points in 65 games, he was just 9 points short of beating his previous career high from 69 points set last season. In the qualifying loss from Edmonton to Chicago, he netted 8 points in four games.
Nugent-Hopkins enters his prime at the same time he enters into a deal with a $ 6M AAV last year. If the Oilers do not believe they can extend him, then they would be forced to trade him when rental next trading date comes. That means the Oilers will at least listen to offers at the draft for him, just as the Rangers in 2019 talked about Kreider with the Avalanche.
Maybe a deal with her 2nd first round pick this year and some of her RFAs and / or prospects could roll the ball at the bear.
Will the Rangers trade their first total pick since 1965?
It was not even 5 minutes before trade rumors started to come that the Rangers needed centers to possibly try to get Jack Eichel or Auston Matthews derby. Then it was traded to Ottawa for both their first round picks at 3 and 5.
Let me make it clear, I talked to several sources close to the Rangers and they are over the moon about winning the pick. And while they do not promise to elect Alexis Lafreniere in public, that’s exactly who they take.
From a logical point of view, with the cap flat at $ 81.5 million for the next few years, why would the Rangers move a cost-controlled phenomenon to a $ 10 million center? It’s a rhetorical question because they would not.
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