New York Rangers’ 5 Best Trade Deadline Pickups Since 1994

*this article was published after the 2023 Trade Deadline

There was little surprise that New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury made a pair of big personnel splashes with an eye on improving his team down the stretch of the most recent regular season and into a likely playoff appearance. The surprise was in the magnitude of the moves Drury pulled off, first completing a major deal three weeks before the March 3 trade deadline, then delivering another much-anticipated bombshell.

Drury grabbed star right wing Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues for draft picks and players Feb. 9, then added future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 28 in a move that seemed all but impossible after the first blockbuster.

The question is where will these trades rank with Rangers’ pre-deadline deals of recent history? It’s far too early to tell, of course. The gold standard remains the club’s obtaining of forwards Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan, Glenn Anderson and Craig MacTavish at the 1994 deadline, daring moves that remade the team’s roster and identity and played a critical role in the Blueshirts’ first championship in 54 years.

While no such transactions have resulted in a Stanley Cup since, the Rangers have executed numerous successful trades that have allowed them to come close to another elusive title in the ensuing years. Let’s take a look at the five best trade-deadline pickups by the Rangers since that last Cup, a list Drury and co. hope the Tarasenko-Mikkola and Kane deals will join by this summer.

5. March 1, 2015 – Rangers Acquire D Keith Yandle From Arizona Coyotes

Keith Yandle’s time might be largely forgotten amongst Rangers fans, even though he was more than a rental – Yandle also played the 2015-16 season in a Blueshirt before departing for the Florida Panthers as a free agent. Despite that, the major acquisition for the eventual Presidents’ Trophy winners made an impact as a much-needed puck-moving defenseman upon his arrival in 2015. Yandle recorded two goals, nine assists, a plus-6 rating and 57.1 Corsi for percentage in 21 regular-season games, then added two goals, nine assists, a plus-7 mark and a 58.9 CF% in 19 playoff contests.

One reason why Yandle’s strong 2015 stint with the Rangers is generally overlooked now?…