A rumored trade/free agent on the New York Rangers’ radar is now officially off the market. Specifically, that target is Martin Necas of the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs extended Necas on Thursday. The two sides agreed to an eight-year, $92 million deal.
The contract extension ended months of drama in Colorado. Moreover, it shut down talk of the Avalanche trading Necas before the end of this season. Then, there was the possibility of Necas hitting free agency next summer.
While there is a sliver of hope that Necas could be on the trade block, there is zero chance of Necas becoming a free agent, at least until 2034. That’s still a long time away.
So, the Rangers’ hopes of finding more scoring support have gone down in flames. The Avalanche will not be moving Necas unless something mind-shocking happens that could alter those plans. But unless that mind-shocking event involves an alien invasion from outer space, Rangers fans shouldn’t count on it.
The Blueshirts will now need to pivot to another trade target this season. The club is stuck in the Metro Division cellar and needs to find a way out. That way out could be via more scoring, defense, or just turning some pieces over.
Whatever the case, the Rangers must find an answer to their sluggish start. November is just around the corner, meaning the team will need to right the ship before the schedule becomes the Rangers’ biggest enemy.
Rangers Still Have Trade Targets out There
So, the Rangers still have several trade targets out there. These targets include some potentially good options.
The most evident team to watch is Calgary. The Flames are in the Pacific Division cellar and don’t look like they’ll be getting out of there any time soon. The biggest name on Calgary’s trade list is Nazem Kadri. He could be a target for the Rangers this season.
The same goes for the Boston Bruins. The club is off to a subpar start and could be moving pieces, too. Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha are two names to keep an eye on. While the Bruins have said Zacha is a no-go, that could change with time.
Lastly, don’t count out the San Jose Sharks. One name purportedly on the block is Alexander Wennberg. Wennberg had a brief stint on Broadway. His relatively underwhelming performance prompted the Rangers to let him go during the 2024 offseason.
But things have changed. So, Wennberg could be a target for the Blueshirts this season.
New York Running out of Time
It might seem implausible to start that the New York Rangers are running out of time. But Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If the Rangers are not at least within a couple of points of a playoff spot by then, they may not have enough runway to get there.
History has shown that teams well out of a playoff spot by Thanksgiving rarely make it to the postseason. Sure, there are exceptions. But the numbers don’t look good for New York. If the Blueshirts can’t turn things around, they may consider selling off pieces instead of acquiring new ones.
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