NY Rangers Eyeing Two Potential Blockbuster Trades This Offseason

The New York Rangers, once it became apparent that they were not going to re-emerge as playoff contenders this season, had a grand plan of going into the coming offseason and landing a couple of big fish in the free agent pool.

But unfortunately for them, and every other team that had plans on taking a big swing in free agency, nearly every top pending UFA has already re-signed on big extensions with their own teams.

The only real "big name" left — and that's assuming he also doesn't re-sign before July 1st — is Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch.

So, as Vincent Mercogliano writes in The Athletic, the plans have changed. And given the fact that "this franchise always seems to have stars in its eyes," he says that "no one should be surprised if it enters the sweepstakes on any big-name players who hit the trade block."

In particular, he notes, we should keep a close eye on anyone who GM Chris Drury and head coach Mike Sullivan worked with on the gold-medal winning USA Olympic Team. Which brings us to two blockbuster names:

It’s no secret that New York covets Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, with lots of smoke around his situation lately, while the outlook has also gotten murkier for Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Those would be some awfully big swings to take, as there isn't yet—though we emphasize YET—any direct knowledge that either player wants out of his current situation.

Brady Tkachuk & Auston Matthews linked to NY Rangers

Obviously, there was some controversy surrounding the reactions that Tkachuk got upon returning to Ottawa from the Milan Games, which led to some rumors. And we all assume that his brother, Matthew, has been in his ear, trying to convince him to come back to the U.S. just like he did.

And as for Matthews, that 'current situation' in Toronto is extremely questionable. A new hockey operations boss-slash-general manager will have to do his best sales job to convince the Maple Leafs captain to stick it out while the team 'retools'.

If either of those stars hedge towards a possible out, the Rangers will be doing their absolute utmost to take a big swing to land one of them.

Would big stars be ready to commit to the retooling Rangers?

There are two questions, however, that would face Drury and the Blueshirts in that scenario, writes Mercogliano:

First, just because New York wants to land either of those two big names, "doesn’t mean the Rangers have the ammunition to pull off a trade of that magnitude. They probably don’t," Mercogliano says, "unless one of those players wields contractual power to force his way to New York."

Secondly, does the Rangers brass really think that adding one of those marquee players will bring the Blueshirts back to respectability, just like that?

"I’d contend it will require more than one splashy addition, but they may convince themselves that teaming Tkachuk or Matthews with (Igor) Shesterkin, (JT) Miller, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad and some of the budding prospects is worth taking the shot."

One way or the other, expect the Rangers to be aggressive this offseason in the trade market... And who knows, if they can't land a big star that way, and with the lack of UFAs, maybe they even take a swing at the offer sheet/RFA market. The only problem there is that they do not own their own 2nd rounder in 2027, though they do own their own first-rounder in each of the next three years after this one.