The Rangers face the Hurricanes in Carolina tonight. With less than a week to go until the trade deadline, the big questions are when will those rumored to be going be dealt and when will the bubble wrap, also known as healthy scratches, begin. Below, Scott Burnside from the Athletic listed two Rangers in his six trades that would bring the missing piece to Cup contenders, the names are ones that have been discussed many, many times here.
Yesterday, New York made a small deal trading Peter Holland to Chicago for Darren Raddysh. Holland was Hartford’s leading scorer with 20 goals and 29 assists in 52 games but he hadn’t gotten a real chance in the NHL. Raddysh, who will turn 23 on Feb. 28, had eight goals and 18 assists and was a plus-6 in 54 games for Rockford of the AHL, provides the Blueshirts another right-handed defenseman, sparking rumors of forthcoming deals. The possibility exists that when Adam McQuaid, who is a RHD like Neal Pionk, Tony DeAngelo and Kevin Shattenkirk, is dealt, with the latest rumor centering on Toronto, that Raddysh, 6-1, 200 pounds, could get a look see the remainder of the season.
One good bit of news from yesterday was that Brady Skjei, who left Friday’s win over Buffalo with a knee injury and didn’t play Sunday against Pittsburgh, practiced and said he felt good. No word yet on if he will be able to go toniught, but his ability to practice is a positive sign. Skjei looks to be a game-time decision. The same may be the case for Jesper Fast, who has been dealing with a minor injury that has kept him out of practice several days recently and who was scratched with the flu Sunday.
Henrik Lundqvist should be back between the pipes tonight. Alexandar Georgiev, who started Sunday, has been between the pipes for three of the last four games, including back-to-back contests. As Newsday noted, in the 10 games the Rangers have played since the NHL All-Star break, Lundqvist has started five and Georgiev five. Part of the reason for this alignment was Georgiev’s improved play. But also due to Lundqvist’s recent struggles since the break, as he’s 1-3-1 with a 2.99 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage in that span.
Scott Burnside postulated deals for Hayes and Zuccarello to a pair of squads mentioned by us previously. His proposed generic returns for each are very underwhelming. But I believe we could see each player land in his proposed location, though hopefully for a better haul.
Kevin Hayes to Winnipeg Jets
It’s never really come together in the way that anyone imagined for the 6-foot-5 Hayes, who was selected 24th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 after a standout finish to his career at Boston College. He struck for a career-high 25 goals last season as the Rangers began to rebuild in earnest. It looks like that rebuild will continue without Hayes, 26, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and looks to be headed out the door in the coming days. Scouts and NHL executives are enticed by his size, his two-way game and the potential impact he’s going to have with a contender somewhere.
“I love Kevin Hayes,” one executive said recently. “The kid can pass the puck.” He wondered aloud at a possible fit in Winnipeg, suggesting that Hayes’ presence would make the Jets’ power play, already a top five unit, “really tough to stop.”
Another longtime scout and former player said he is impressed with Hayes’ determination and how rookie coach David Quinn relies on him in critical situations, taking and more often than not winning critical draws in the final minutes of periods and games. “He’s been strong on pucks,” the scout said. “He’s built for the playoffs.”
A year ago the Jets acquired Paul Stastny (for prospect Erik Foley, a conditional first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick) and his veteran presence was a calming factor as they advanced to a Western Conference final. That veteran experience isn’t quite as critical this season and the asking price for Hayes won’t be as high, which makes this a potential fit for a Jets team that has lots of salary cap issues coming up in the offseason. If not Winnipeg, Hayes could be a fit in Dallas or Columbus.
Mats Zuccarello to Calgary Flames
Zuccarello has struggled through the dismantling of the Rangers over the past couple of seasons and admitted the burden of an uncertain future weighs on him. But playing with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider lately, Zuccarello reverted back to form at a time when interest in him from other teams will continue to rise.
One scout likes him as a terrific top nine/top six add for a contending team because he won’t cost much – a third-round pick and a B prospect, the scout hypothesized – but will bring a significant impact. “He’s got a great stick, he competes on puck,” the scout said. “I’m a big fan of that kid.” He may not play with as much pace as he once did, but on a team like Calgary where he doesn’t have to be the man, Zuccarello could be the kind of guy that pumps up a second or third line and adds some zest to the power play. The Flames might have been looking at the potential of repatriating Ferland, but Zuccarello has grit to his game in spite of his diminutive size.
Trade deadline is less than a week away. Waiting for the Mark Stone or Matt Duchene or Artemi Panarin deal to occur has slowed the remainder of the market. But you would expect some traction to be made in all discussions over the next few days with deals possibly to occur by the weekend and then of course on Monday.
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