You will not find many more dramatic one-year drop-offs in professional sports than what is happening with the New York Rangers.
A team that had made the Eastern Conference Final in two of the previous three years, including last year, is sitting near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Unrest has been brewing throughout the organization, which has already led to the trades of former captain and defenseman Jacob Trouba and former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko.
Reports from USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano last month emerged about a rotten culture within the Rangers and MSG ownership’s ranks, further suggesting that the organization is simply broken.
Significant changes could be on the horizon, and the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline provides an opportunity for general manager Chris Drury to continue making changes.
Chris Kreider, Left Winger
Kreider’s struggles this season have headlined the Rangers’ nosedive, though a lingering back injury might have a lot to do with it.
The 33-year-old has just 13 goals and two assists in 34 games, a far cry from the production of the last three years, which featured outputs of 52, 36, and 39 goals.
With two years left on his current contract, the Rangers would obviously be looking for a significant haul in return. However, with his struggles and injury problems, his value has not been lower.
That still would not deter a number of contending teams looking for an added punch up front to inquire. He is New York’s largest trade chip.
Ryan Lindgren, Defenseman
The physical, oft-injured defenseman is capable of being a top-pairing blue liner on his day. At his best, he is an invaluable partner with star D-man Adam Fox.
However, the 26-year-old has one year left on his deal, and his availability in the trade market since November has not been much of a secret. Perhaps the looming rumors have impacted his play on the ice because this has not been a good season — though that is not saying much, considering that is the case for most of the Rangers’ roster.
Regardless, the consensus is that Lindgren would walk in free agency this summer, anyway, meaning the Rangers will be aggressive in unloading him.
Zac Jones, Defenseman
In his fifth year of sporadic playing time with the Rangers, the 24-year-old Jones has seemingly lost his spot in the lineup for good, having been benched the last six games.
While his frustration has reached a boiling point, the Rangers have granted him permission to speak to other teams about a potential trade, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
An undersized defenseman with plus offensive instincts, Jones could be a diamond in the rough if deployed correctly. He is an RFA this summer, and considering he is on the outside looking in at a struggling defensive group, the Rangers are not going to get much for him.
