The New York Rangers could be looking to add a much scoring punch as possible this upcoming season. But with training camp around the corner, it looks like the Blue Shirts’ next big move could come from an in-season trade.
That big move could come sooner than anticipated if a team like the Nashville Predators gets off to a tough start. If so, the Rangers could land former 60-goal scorer Steven Stamkos.
Stamkos was the talk of the 2024 offseason, departing the Tampa Bay Lightning for Nashville via free agency. And while he didn’t have a terrible season in 2024-25, his numbers were below expectations.
But there’s the chance that a change in scenery could help the 35-year-old regain much of his form. So, a trade to the Rangers could just be the thing to spark Stamkos’ return to the 30-goal plateau at least.
Here’s what the trade idea could look like:
Rangers get:
Steven Stamkos, F
Predators get:
Alexis Lafreniere, F
This proposed trade idea involves Alexis Lafreniere going to Music City, mainly due to cap considerations. With the Rangers up against the cap ceiling, space will be needed to fit Stamkos’ contract under the cap.
The trade candidate in this case would be Lafreniere, as the jury is still out on the former first-overall pick. Lafreniere hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t been great, either. So, moving on from Lafreniere and bringing in a proven Stanley Cup champion in Stamkos could be a win-now move the Rangers might consider as a short-term fix.
Stamkos Provides a Short-Term Option for Rangers
Adding Stamkos to the Rangers’ lineup would be doubling down on a veteran core that still has a few seasons left to compete. Other moves this summer, like adding Vladislav Gavrikov and trading away K’Andre Miller, signal that the Rangers are serious about competing this upcoming season.
Of course, sacrificing still-young players like Lafreniere could be bad for business in the long run. But the Rangers can’t afford to wait another four or five years to compete. The club brought in Mike Sullivan to win now, not to rebuild.
So, bringing in a veteran performer like Stamkos, even at his cap hit, is the type of move that could give the Rangers the scoring the club needs to get back to its Presidents’ Trophy form from 2023-24.
Stamkos Could Play Top-Line Minutes in New York
Lafreniere is currently on the Rangers’ top line with Vincent Trochek and Artemi Panarin per Daily Faceoff. That would mean that Stamkos could join Trocheck and Panarin on the top unit.
If that’s the case, Stamkos could get a chance to play with a much more talented center in New York than he did in Nashville. With the Preds, Stamkos played with Ryan O’Reilly at times. That’s not the most impressive scoring line.
Playing with Trocheck and Panarin puts Stamkos on the same line with two bona fide top-line players. In fact, playing with Panarin would be akin to playing with Nikita Kucherov in Tampa. That could give Stamkos just the boost he needs to regain his scoring touch.
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