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Game 56: NYR-WPG, New York kicks off four-game road trip, Zucc, McQuaid...

February 12, 2019, 3:47 PM ET [136 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rangers are in Winnipeg to meet the Jets. Tonight’s game kicks off a four-game road trip for the Blueshirts after which the team will have a three games prior to the February 25 trading deadline. Following today’s contests, New York has two days off before taking on Buffalo on Friday.

Lines Sunday, likely the same tonight, save for Hank being between the pipes:

20 Kreider - 93 Zibanejad - 36 Zuccarello
26 Vesey - 13 Hayes - 89 Buchnevich
72 Chytil - 16 Strome - 90 Namestnikov
24 Nieves - 17 Fast

18 Staal - 77 DeAngelo/44 Pionk
76 Skjei - 54 McQuaid
42 Smith - 22 Shattenkirk

30 Lundqvist
40 Georgiev

With New York looking forward to the future, the main focus is on the trade deadline and who will not be here. Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid are those names prominently mentioned in discussions with Vladislav Namestnikov and Chris Kreider also drawing varying levels of interest. Larry Brooks in the NYP Post mentioned McQuaid in his column last night and Zuccarello today.

“Now, with two weeks left until the NHL trade deadline, the question is whether the Rangers want to get value for McQuaid — potentially a mid-round pick via trade — or from McQuaid by keeping him paired with Skjei the rest of the season.

He’s done a lot of great things,” coach David Quinn said Monday after practice. “Him and Brady have really played well together. I think Brady Skjei has by far played his best hockey of this year. Obviously I wasn’t here his first two years, but boy, he’s defending hard, I think he’s making really good decisions with the puck. There’s a lot to love about Brady right now. I’m really happy for him and proud of the strides he’s made. I think Adam’s had something to do with that, but I also think one of the reasons Adam’s playing well is because he’s playing with Brady. I think they’ve both fed off each other.”


The advanced metrics does not bear this out, but I do think from watching Skjei, he seems more comfortable on the ice and his performance has improved. Is that worth keeping him this year and/or bringing him back if he is dealt? The latter was mentioned by Darren Dreger on his Tuesday morning radio hit on Toronto’s TSN 1050.

Dreger was asked if he thought the Maple Leafs would have any interest in McQuaid. “I can’t say they wouldn’t,” allowed Dreger. “He’s a character guy. I know the Rangers like him a lot. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets traded and then potentially signs back with the Rangers in the off-season.


Bringing back McQuaid does add a veteran to the room and one who provides a physical presence. But, New York is already overloaded on defense, seen in a pair of d-men getting scratched nightly, unless the team goes 11/7. In addition, Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek are in Hartford and likely ready next year with K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist on the horizon. Add in the current presence Neal Pionk, Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Smith resulting in the overload, where is McQuaid playing?

Brooks wrote on Zuccarello today. All signs point to him heading elsewhere by February 25. The concept of his return has been mentioned broadly, but as Brooks notes, this has yet to be broached to Zucc. Lots can happen before the deadline and during free agency next July, though I am expecting Zucc to be elsewhere in the future.

Thirteen days and eight games away from the Feb. 25 trade deadline, the Blueshirts have not engaged in contract-extension talks with the impending free-agent winger and remain on course to flip Zuccarello as a rental property in exchange for a draft pick and/or a prospect.

“Nothing has changed. Everyone knows I want to stay here, but if they trade me, I can’t control that,” Zuccarello said before the Rangers met the Jets here on Tuesday in the first of four straight games on the road. “I’m just trying to have the most fun I can, work as hard as I can and play the best I can to help us win games. That’s what I can control.”

Zuccarello, who first slipped into the Blueshirt on Dec. 23, 2010, for his NHL debut against the Lightning, has played some of the most compelling, productive and best hockey of his career over the last month, recording 17 points (5-12) in his last 11 games while combining with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider to give the Rangers a legit first line. The trio has a 56.7 Corsi, a 57.4 shot share and has been on the ice for 15 goals for and five against (plus-10) in its 12 games intact since Jan. 10.

“I’m in the best shape of my life,” Zuccarello told The Post. “I know I’m 31, but I feel I can contribute to a winning team for a long time. I don’t think I am anywhere near the end of my career. I have a lot to give. I hope it’s here, but if it isn’t, I’ll do my best to help my new team win.”

And isn’t it ironic, like a free ride when you’ve already paid, that as Zuccarello’s play has increased his value as a rental to contenders, he has also re-established his value to the Rangers both on the ice and in the room. The winger’s revival has prompted the Rangers to consider the scenario under which they would trade Zuccarello and then re-sign him as a free agent on July 1.

“I’m not aware of that,” Zuccarello said. “If that’s the situation that develops, I would look at it, but that’s far off. I can say that no one has come to me and said that’s the plan.”

Zuccarello is completing the final year of a four-year contract worth $4.5 million per that he signed under some duress just ahead of the 2015 trade deadline, when he was also an impending free agent and knew that then-general manager Glen Sather had put the word out that he would trade the winger without a contract extension in hand.

“I try not to think about what might happen. I did that too much before,” Zuccarello said. “When I am told something concrete, that’s when I will deal with it. Until then, I’m going to be myself and do my best like I have always tried to do for this team.”


Speaking of K’Andre Miller, Brooks noted that Badgers coach Tony Granato said Monday that Miller won’t play this weekend and he would be reevaluated later in the day. “We’re not going to rush him back from anything,” Granato said, per the Wisconsin State Journal. “The knee is fine, but he’s banged up pretty good.” The good news is that injury, which looked horrific, does not appear to be as bad as first thought.

Adding to the defense logjam, Fredrik Claesson, who injured his shoulder on Jan. 12, skated in a full practice without a non-contact jersey for the first time Monday. Per Brooks, the defenseman still needs a few more days before he gets back into the lineup. “Not [Tuesday] night, but hopefully Friday,” Claesson said. “I feel a lot better.” If New York is to bring one player back, it should be Claesson, seeing how well he played when in the lineup. But, the logjam mentioned above creates a challenge in signing him. But if he could be brought back for two years at a reasonable amount, that to me is the direction that should be followed.

New York traded Marek Mazanec to the Canucks for a 2020 seventh round pick. Vancouver has Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko banged up and needed a goalie. Brandon Halverson and Dustin Tokarski will share the load at Hartford. This is the second, seventh round pick added by New York, as the team acquired a pick last week from Nashville for Cody McLeod.

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