The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline is just a little over a month away, and that means that every team across the league is taking stock of what they have, what they need, and how they can go about positioning themselves for success for the rest of this season and beyond. For some teams, this means making a small change or two to boost their depth with hopes of going on a long playoff run. For others, this means making big moves to add or subtract from their current roster in hopes of adding difference-makers either now or in the future.
Two teams that will be weighing whether or not to make a bold move or two before the trade deadline are the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers. These Original Six teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of the NHL hierarchy; the Rangers went to the Eastern Conference Final last season and are hoping to compete for a Stanley Cup this year, while the Red Wings are stuck in the mushy middle of being too good to tank but not good enough to compete for a playoff spot. With one team looking to contend this season and the other seemingly still focused on building for the future, these two teams could help each other accomplish their goals for the remainder of this season.
It all just depends on how bold these two teams are willing to be.
Rangers’ Needs
The Rangers have been linked to a number of players over the last year or so. With the spotlight that comes with playing in New York City, all of the biggest pending free agents and trade targets are suggested as a target for the Rangers at some point or another. This season is no exception as The Hockey Writers‘ Scott Blair explains.
“Well the big rumor I’m hearing is Bo Horvat (who was recently acquired by the New York Islanders) or Timo Meier,” he shared. “And of course Patrick Kane is being mentioned.”
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Meier and Kane are two of the biggest fish swimming in the trade deadline pond this season, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that these players are being linked to the Rangers. However, Blair points out that acquiring players of that caliber is going to be more complicated than just putting together a good enough trade package.
“The problem in any situation is [the Rangers are] up against the salary cap,” he said. To his point, the Rangers are currently just over $1.5 million under the $82.5 million salary…
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