The New York Rangers are doing their best to cling to their playoff hopes this season. A recent string of good games has put the Blueshirts back within striking distance of a playoff spot.
As such, the Rangers could be looking to make one more major move that could hopefully put the club over the top. Meanwhile, another team heading in the opposite direction is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are floundering in the Western Conference and purportedly “open for business.”
As insider Frank Seravalli noted in a November 11 episode of B/R Open Ice, the first domino to fall for the Blues could be captain Brayden Schenn. That situation opens up a unique opportunity for the Rangers to bring in a skilled veteran with a Stanley Cup pedigree.
If Schenn does become available, the Rangers would be remiss if they didn’t kick the tires on the veteran forward.
So, here’s how this proposed swap idea could look like:
Rangers get:
Brayden Schenn, F
Logan Mailloux, D
Blues get:
Brennan Othmann, F
2026 first-round pick
Dylan Garand, G
This proposed deal sends Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann, who’s drawn plenty of interest this season. Also, the Rangers can send one of their two first-round picks this season. The Blues would likely prefer New York’s own pick instead of the Hurricanes’. The Blueshirts got the pick in the K’Andre Miller trade.
Lastly, the Rangers could send goalie Dylan Garand to the Blues, as St. Louis could use another goalie with some NHL experience. The Blues currently have the NHL’s worst goaltending tandem. So, another netminder could give the Blues options behind starter Jordan Binnington.
How Schenn Fits into Rangers Lineup
Brayden Schenn could easily become the Rangers’ second-line center. At the moment, the Blueshirts are rolling with Mika Zibanejad as the top-line pivot and Vincent Trocheck in the 2C role.
Adding Schenn gives the Rangers even more flexibility. Trocheck could move up to the top line with Schenn taking over on the second line. Zibanejad could officially move to the wing with J.T. Miller rounding out the top line.
Meanwhile, Schenn could center Artemi Panarin and Gabe Perreault. That move could bump Alexis Lafreniere to the third line.
Another more extensive approach could see Zibanejad, Trocheck, and Schenn as the top three centers. Such a move could give the Rangers enviable center depth for the remainder of the season.
Cap Space Would Be a Major Concern in Schenn Trade
As it stands, PuckPedia reports the Rangers have about $500K in cap space. That won’t be enough to cut it. The Blueshirts would need to clear cap space to fit a substantial contract like Brayden Schenn’s $6.5 million cap hit.
While there might be a chance the Blues retain, say, 50% on the final two years of Schenn’s contract, the Rangers would still have to find a way to clear cap space. That situation could mean moving out of a big contract like Lafreniere’s. His contract is the only big one that could go out this season. Lafreniere does not have any trade protection this season. So, he could be the biggest name to go in order to clear cap space.
The Blues, nevertheless, may be willing to take on Lafreniere. But the Blues may be far more willing to take a promising player like Othmann.
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