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What should Rangers trade to obtain Carolina’s second overall pick? |
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The Rangers ended up with the ninth pick in the NHL draft. Sitting at that spot allows New York to hopefully get an impact player. But that hasn’t precluded speculation of a trade up into the top-five but especially to the top-five.
Buffalo is not moving the first overall pick, which will be Rasmus Dahlin. Montréal might be willing to deal their third overall selection, but it’s more likely that the Canadiens acquire an additional pick to pair with their own pick rather than trade down and obtain picks and players for the third selection. That leaves Carolina.
New owner Thomas Dundon first demoted and then let go Ron Francis, the team’s former GM and President of Hockey Operations. Following him out the door, apparently of his own volition, was Joe Nieuwendyk, (correction made by me as had written wrong name initially) who left due to his friendship with Francis. (Update: Per Elliotte Friedman, Rob Brind’Amour is expected to be named the next coach of the ‘Canes, which might change the team’s view in dealing the pick. Brind'Amour has been an assistant with Carolina since 2011-12 and has no head coaching experience). However, Brought in to fill a management position, senior VP of Hockey Operatons, but not the GM role is Rick Dudley, on his second stint with the club. Dudley is reunited with Don Waddell, president of the Hurricanes’ parent company Gale Force Sports and Entertainment. and the team’s current interim GM, to recreate that magical Atlanta Thrasher dynasty team (sarcasm dripping).
Dudley/Waddell have a history of trading his first overall selection, as I believe he consummated a deal involving that pick three times from 1999-2003. Carolina’s pick, second overall, per Bob McKenzie, is available. The question is what would be the cost for New York to move up from nine to two and select either Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina?
The Blueshirts have the ninth pick as well as Boston’s, which is 26th overall, and Tampa Bay’s, which will sit somewhere in the final four picks of the first round. Moving two or three of those picks will likely not be enough to move from nine to two. For that to occur, a player would likely have to be included in the mix. Carolina has several young players that started to show signs of reaching their talent level, though their blue line mildly underachieved last year, as did their goaltending. If Dudley/Waddell/Dundon feel that adding a veteran with a high-ish draft pick will further accelerate the growth and potential of their young forwards, then a deal might be feasible.
Two broad questions exist from the Rangers side: first, which player are you willing to deal, second, is the move from nine to two necessary. Those two are linked together to an extent. Answering each of those questions, individually and collectively, will drive the feasibility of making a trade with Carolina, presuming the rumors that the the pick is available are true.
Mika Zibanejad is the name that has been most prominently mentioned or speculated or proposed as the player to go back with the ninth pick to move up to two. Zib has four years at $5.350 mil per annum remaining on the deal he signed last offseason. For the second straight year, Zib got off to a strong start, suffered an injury, stumbled after his return and rebounded late in the season. It’s the injury history, especially the concussions, that increase the risk associated with Zibanejad. Add in his struggles and the concern that he is not a true first line center and you can see why including him in a deal might be possible.
But, he did show chemistry with Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich and displayed enough at times to think he is just scratching the surface. Zib is far from old at 25, leaving room for development and growth. In addition, if New York dealt Zib, who is your first line center? Now, if you were John Tavares was signing as a free agent, then by all means, moving Zib could make sense, especially if you are re-signing Kevin Hayes to be the #2 pivot man. Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov, each of whom are also RFAs with no guarantee to return in 2018-19, can also play center along with Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. Depth down the middle exists, though the jury is out as to how high-end that depth is. New York traded Derek Stephan last off-season, driven by concerns over future decline and his non-movement clause, leaving a hole in the middle that never really got filled. Trading Zib might result in the same, unless Tavares joins or you believe one of the aforementioned centers can fill a top-line role.
Now for the second question. Two-tiers exist in the draft at a minimum. Dahlin/ Svechnikov/ Zadina and everyone else. Of course, that’s the simple way of viewing it, because beyond those three, another tier exists, which ends at 9 or maybe 13 depending on your view. Bouchard, Boqvist, Hughes, Dobson, Wahlstrom and Tkachuk, in whichever order you prefer, likely make up the next tier. Slightly behind, or according to some, right in that mix and maybe above those listed in the previous tier are Kotkaniemi, Valero, Farabee and Smith. As we have seen in the draft, just because you were selected high is not a definite guarantee of success. For example, Logan Couture was a ninth overall selection. Filip Forsberg went 11th the year he was drafted. Examples exist where staying at nine won’t preclude New York from drafting an impact player.
Gord Clark and GM Jeff Gorton have to balance the cost to move up to two with the return that will come with whoever they take at that spot. If Tavares is a given to come here, then by all means, I would understand and likely okay with dealing Zib. In lieu of that, to me, despite my strong views on Svechnikov and Zadina, including Zib with the ninth pick to move up to two is a cost I might not pay. Dealing two of the three first round picks or maybe all three and getting a later pick back is a bit more palatable. Trading two picks with a player, ideally Namestnikov but maybe one of the other forwards on the team, possibly even Mats Zuccarello, which would give Carolina another veteran presence, would be the best case scenario. Please don’t assume I want Zucc dealt, because that’s far from the case. But I could see a scenario where that happens, even though Carolina gets an older player with one year left on his deal, which quite possibility is not on line with their goals in a deal such as this.
Look for Gorton to probably be aggressive in his attempts to move up in the draft, which is in line with his comments after the lottery. If Zib is dealt and Tavares is not brought in, that means New York is clearly in more of a full rebuild not partial retool mode. A further impact of a deal like that is adding Ilya Kovalchuk, as has been widely speculated and rumored, makes little sense based upon the team make up. If Gorton believes one of those two wingers or someone else in the mix is a future stud and sniper, then by all means trade up and get that player. The jury is still out on last year’s trade, with the full evaluation likely not known for a few more seasons.
I made my views fairly clear, what’s yours? What would you trade to move up from nine to two and who would you select or would you stay at nine? Looking forward to the responses.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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