Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
For most of Wednesday, it was crickets until 3 PM. When it looked like there wouldn’t be any big move, the Kings and Rangers completed a trade for Artemi Panarin at the buzzer.
In an underwhelming return that set off fireworks on X, the Rangers traded Panarin to the Kings for 20-year-old prospect Liam Greentree, a 2026 conditional third and 2028 conditional fourth round pick.
The #NYR have acquired forward Liam Greentree, a conditional 3rd-round pick in 2026 and conditional 4th-round pick in 2028 in exchange for Artemi Panarin
After spending nearly seven years playing for the Rangers in the Big Apple, the 34-year-old Russian star will go star for the Kings in Hollywood at Crypto.com Arena. In a post yesterday, I referenced why playing in LA would be attractive. As it turned out, that’s where Panarin wanted to go.
The most disappointing aspect of the trade is that even with the Rangers agreeing to pick up half of Panarin’s remaining salary, that’s all they could get back for a star player who performed up to expectations. Unfortunately, the no-movement clause hindered Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury’s leverage. It didn’t help that Drury went public by making it clear to Panarin that he wasn’t part of their plans. That had to sting Panarin, whose reaction to the news wasn’t positive.
Despite all the rumors from most NHL insiders who were close to the situation, they all were wrong on Panarin. In fact, it was ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter who helped break the news via Emily Kaplan that the Kings had acquired Panarin.
ESPN sources: The LA Kings have acquired standout forward Artemi Panarin from the NY Rangers in exchange for a conditional third-round pick and prospect Liam Greentree, per me and @emilymkaplan. pic.twitter.com/2PuTENRhEH
When it was revealed what the Rangers were receiving for Panarin, the reaction was very predictable. Greentree is a player we mentioned previously. The 20-year-old forward has 45 points (23-22-45) this season for Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League.
2024 first round pick Liam Greentree would be a player the Rangers should have interest in. In 2024-25, he put up 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 points with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. That included a team best 14 goals and 10 helpers for 24 points in the OHL playoffs. In 34 games this season, Greentree has 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points. In an irony of sorts, his teammate is Jack Nesbitt, who the Flyers took with the first round pick the Rangers parted with to re-acquire Miller on Jan. 31, 2024.
From a Rangers viewpoint, all fans can hope is for Greentree to become a good player who can play in the top six. He has some size due to his six-foot three, 216-pound frame. The Oshawa, Ontario native sounds like he still has to work on his skating. However, at 20, he will turn pro after the season concludes. Hopefully, he can make a smooth transition at the next level.
In regards to the terms on the picks, the 2026 third round pick can become a second round pick if the Kings win one playoff round. They’d receive the 2028 fourth round pick if the Kings win two round.
The Panarin-to-LA trade, as first reported by @AdamSchefter and @emilymkaplan, is for forward prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick. It'll be the better of LA's two thirds, but if the Kings win one playoff round, it becomes a second. If they win two rounds,…
Adding a little more detail on Greentree, he’s considered the Kings’ best prospect. The Rangers thought highly of him, which helped complete the Panarin move to LA.
If there’s a disappointing part, it’s that they weren’t able to get more back. Unfortunately, the market wasn’t what it seemed for an older star who wanted an extension attached to any deal. Ultimately, Panarin chose the Kings due to what I mentioned on Tuesday. He got his wish.
A final thought on what transpired. This is the third time Drury screwed up with the handling of a player. Unlike Jacob Trouba, who he ran through the mud, Drury made a big mistake by making it known to the public that Panarin was going to be traded. It didn’t help the situation at all, with even veteran leaders having tough reactions to the news that Panarin had played his final game as a Ranger.
It was like another dark cloud hanging over the locker room. Now, Panarin’s finally gone. The losing will probably continue on Thursday when they face the Hurricanes.
Panarin will return to MSG on Mar. 16 with the Kings for the first time. That should be a wild environment for a player who gave everything he had while earning the $11.64 million in each season. One thing that’ll continue is the call from disgruntled fans to fire Drury. Unfortunately, he’s not going anywhere. That doesn’t inspire much confidence moving forward.
Who’s next? If I had to guess, Vincent Trocheck or Braden Schneider. The hope is that they can bring back more due to not having full no-trade protection. At this point, don’t expect much.
When the Rangers decided to have Artemi Panarin sit out for “roster management reasons” last week, it likely meant that he played his final game on Jan. 26. At least he helped lead them to a win before a forgettable January concluded with the Rangers finishing a woeful 3-10-1.
That included losing twice to the Islanders, who completed a sweep of the season series in a home-and-home series on Jan. 28-29. Without Panarin, the Rangers have lost three in a row, including a 6-5 defeat at the Penguins that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. They were uncompetitive for over two periods by falling behind 5-1 at one point in the third. Late goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle came after Ben Kindel’s empty netter sealed it.
They haven’t played since Jan. 31 in Pittburgh. With a break in the schedule that probably feels like a relief for fans who have had to endure a team that lacks passion, talks have heated up about where Panarin could wind up. With less than 24 hours until Wednesday’s 3 PM Olympic roster freeze, several teams are interested in acquiring Panarin. With the 34-year-old determined to sign an extension, it’s minimized potential destinations. Here’s a look at some possible landing spots for the Bread Man.
A Florida Reunion?
The sense is that Panarin would prefer to go to Florida where he could be reunited with former Blue Jacket teammate Sergei Bobrovsky. The question is whether or not they can make it work. Unlike other teams, the Panthers don’t have a first round pick in 2026 or 2027. They would have to clear room by moving off another player for it to happen. That could likely mean the Rangers taking back Evan Rodriguez or Eetu Luostarinen, who both are signed for the same $3 million cap hit through 2027. They’d have to retain about half of Panarin’s salary in such a deal.
Florida doesn’t boast many prospects in their system. Perhaps the Rangers could ask for Mackie Samoskevich, who remains an intriguing player. The 2021 first round pick hasn’t been as good in his second season, with five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 53 games. In his rookie year, Samoskevich had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points.
If they want a prospect, Jack Devine is probably someone to key in on. He was selected in the seventh round by the Panthers in 2022. That didn’t stop him from putting together an impressive collegiate career with Denver that included 56 points and 57 in his final two seasons for the Pioneers. In his first pro season, the 22-year-old forward has 29 points for the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League. He appeared in six games for the Panthers without recording a point.
With the Panthers now nine points out of the final wild card, it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do. After losing at home to the Sabres in regulation, they have 27 games left to try to figure things out.
Will Lightning Strike Twice
.In February 2018, following the original Letter from former Rangers architect Jeff Gorton, the Rangers traded captain Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a 2018 first round pick, and a 2019 second round pick. Unfortunately, they selected Nils Lundkvist with the first round pick. He never fulfilled the ridiculous hype after putting up impressive numbers in Sweden. Eventually, he was traded to the Stars who he still plays for sporadically. Karl Henriksson became the second round pick in what became one of the worst trades in franchise history.
Ironically, Howden became a key piece for the Golden Knights, helping them win the Stanley Cup. Hajek was a complete bust who now plays back home in Czechia. Namestnikov has played for six teams since the Rangers moved him to Ottawa in another mind-numbing deal. They actually threw away a solid top nine forward who benefited from playing with Nikita Kucherov in 2017-18.
With Panarin preferring the sunshine state, would Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury consider a redux with the Lightning? The appeal is obvious for Panarin, who could form a dynamic duo on the Bolts’ top line playing with Kucherov, who’s been on fire, putting up 31 points in January. Even without Brayden Point, the Lightning are first in the East with 74 points. Captain Victor Hedman was just activated off injured reserve.
The Lightning made some headlines by completing a four-goal comeback to stun the Bruins in the Stadium Series on Sunday by winning it in a shootout. They don’t lack offense due to Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brandon Hagel leading the way, along with revelation Darren Raddysh, who once was in the Rangers organization. It’s yet another example of a player getting away. Raddysh could’ve easily filled the top power play quarterback opening for oft-injured defenseman Adam Fox. Instead, his accurate shot is lighting it up for Tampa.
To be blunt, Panarin to the Lightning doesn’t seem likely due to the lack of cap space they currently have, which is over $26,000 according to Puck Pedia. In such a deal, Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5.4 million AAV) would have to come back on an expiring contract. If they actually made it work, they’d have to accept a 2028 first round pick, along with a second round pick in either 2026 or 2027. The young player could be either Dominic James, Conor Geekie, or Sam O’Reilly, who the Lightning got back for Isaac Howard.
I’d sign up for Geekie, who’s further along than O’Reilly. He scored eight times for the Bolts last season. If he’s anything like older brother Morgan, that’s exactly what the Rangers need. Currently playing for the Syracuse Crunch, the 21-year-old Geekie has 37 points to rank second in team scoring. Listed at six-foot four, 212 pounds, he’s an intriguing prospect that the Lightning acquired as part of the Mikhail Sergachev deal with Utah.
If it actually happens, the Lightning would become a must watch with Panarin trying to help them win a third Stanley Cup.
A Hollywood Story
Perhaps there’s no team that could use a player of Panarin’s talent than the offensively starved Kings who entered Tuesday night ranked 29th in goals-per-game (2.57). Despite being one of the league’s worst offenses, Los Angeles sits only a point behind the Ducks for the last wild card. Combined with the Blackhawks’ win over the Sharks, they’re in a tight race for the playoffs. They can still jump over the Kraken in the Northwest Division for third place. Even first place is attainable with neither the Golden Knights or Oilers pulling away.
Unlike the Panthers or Lightning, the Kings have plenty of room to fit in Panarin, whose remaining salary for the season wouldn’t be an issue. They have over $14 million in cap space, which makes them a logical candidate. However, it all depends on what Panarin wants. He holds all the cards. So, if he wants to force a trade to play with his buddy in Florida, that could leave the Rangers with not as much leverage.
However, let’s say he’s open to moving out to Hollywood where he’d be featured on the billboard at Crypto.com Arena. That would be enticing for a star of his caliber to spend the remainder of his career in LA where Shohei Ohtani is printing money for the Dodgers. If Panarin decided to go and help the Kings win another Cup, it would have a similar script to Marian Gaborik, who burned his former teammates in 2014. Unlike back then, I could think of worse scenarios with the Rangers a long way off from contending.
In the final year of Anze Kopitar’s brilliant career with the Kings, they probably want to make a big splash. If they were able to add Panarin, who could play with Adrian Kempe and Kopitar, it would be worth watching.
If such a trade comes to fruition, the Kings have their first round pick and two seconds in 2026. 2024 first round pick Liam Greentree would be a player the Rangers should have interest in. In 2024-25, he put up 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 points with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. That included a team best 14 goals and 10 helpers for 24 points in the OHL playoffs. In 34 games this season, Greentree has 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points. In an irony of sorts, his teammate is Jack Nesbitt, who the Flyers took with the first round pick the Rangers parted with to re-acquire Miller on Jan. 31, 2024. After the Canucks traded it for Marcus Pettersson in a five-player deal, the Penguins traded down with the Flyers last Jun. 27.
Aside from Greentee, who just turned 20 on New Year’s Day, the Kings also have recent World Junior Championships Most Valuable Player Vojtech Cihar, who led Czechia with a dozen points to help them finish runner-up to Sweden. A 2025 second round pick who already signed an entry level contract, Cihar has a goal and eight assists for nine points in 11 games for the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. Originally, he played back home in Czechia before deciding to come over to North America to develop further.
If the Rangers took Cihar, they’d probably want former Team USA standout Alex Turcotte, who’s only in his second full season. Now 24, Turcotte has totaled 41 points in 149 career games. The former 2019 fifth overall pick has never earned a top six role. Perhaps he needs a change of scenery to prove himself.
A Sharks’ Dream
Recently, the Rangers claimed Vincent Iorio from the Sharks, who are said to be in the mix for Panarin. Having lost their last three to fall three points behind the rival Ducks, they’re right there in the playoff race.
Boasting Hart candidate Macklin Celebrini, who ranks fourth in scoring with a remarkable 81 points as a 19-year-old, the Sharks can really use another star to play with their franchise player. Problematic is that the next highest scorer is sidekick Will Smith, who has 39 points in 41 games. If they were to add Panarin, that could become a dominant scoring line with the elder star able to bring them back to the postseason for the first time this decade. A place they haven’t been since 2018-19 when Hall of Famer Joe Thornton headlined a strong team that reached the Western Conference Finals.
Due to the greatness of Celebrini, the Sharks are already a fun watch. He’s been mentioned in the same breath as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon. Current Rangers coach Mike Sullivam heaped praise on Celebrini by making the comparison to Crosby, who led the Pens to back-to-back Cups under Sullivan, who was recently honored along with that championship team a decade later this past Saturday.
How much does Sharks GM Mike Grier value winning? The Sharks are ahead of schedule due to Celebrini, who has put the team on his back in one of the best second seasons a player has ever had. While he won’t reach the status of Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, he’s going to hit the 100-point mark as a teenager. It’s all the more impressive due to a supporting cast that’s sprinkled with veterans and young players, like Smith, William Eklund, and 2025 first round pick Michael Misa.
In adding former Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood, who’s expected back soon, San Jose doesn’t have much projected cap space ($721,562). However, their deadline space ($9.82 million) would be more than enough to make it work. If they really wanted to bring in Panarin for not just this season, but for the next four years, it would make the Sharks a hot destination. They’ll have to sign Celebrini to a big extension this summer, with the new deal not kicking in until 2027-28.
With Smith also turning restricted the following year, along with the promising Collin Graf due a raise this off-season, perhaps it makes more sense to not acquire Panarin. They’re still in a rebuild. If the parameters of a deal were presented, it would include either prospect Filip Bystedt or Quentin Musty with a top five protected first round pick and conditional second. The Sharks have two firsts in this year’s draft. Both Bystedt and Musty are considered good prospects who were taken in the first round. The 21-year-old Bystedt represented Sweden twice at the WJC, and is in his second pro season with the San Jose Barracuda, leading them in scoring with 36 points. Musty has 20 points in his first year.
What About Ovechkin?
If there’s a team that’s much closer to where Panarin is, it’s the Capitals. He wouldn’t have to head too far to team with Alex Ovechkin in Washington, DC. In what could be his countryman’s final swan song, the idea of pairing up two of the most exciting Russian stars would be something. Imagine opponents having to stop both Ovechkin and Panarin on the power play in a series. Considering who else the Caps still have to run it, that could be lethal if they were to make the playoffs.
A recent win over the Islanders has pulled the Caps within two points of third in the Metropolitan Division. They trail the Bruins by five for the final wild card. Unlike last season, when a determined Ovechkin was on a mission to pass Gretzky for the all-time record in goals, Washington isn’t a high scoring team. They’re led by Tom Wilson, whose tied with Ovechkin for the team lead in goals (22) despite missing nine games. The next closest is Jakob Chychrun, who could lead all defensemen in goals.
They certainly could use more offense, which Panarin can create. His skating and playmaking would make him a good fit for the Caps, who are led in assists by John Carlson with 35. Dylan Strome hasn’t been able to match his career season, which included 53 assists. If you took his current total of 38 helpers, the Bread Man would rank first on the Caps in apples. He also would lead them in points with his 57 a credit to the high caliber player he is. Especially on a lackluster team that hasn’t had many consistent performers.
If they decided to go all in, the Caps could offer either their 2026 first round pick or 2027 along with a conditional second, and a good prospect. The Rangers would probably want Ilya Protas, who’s the younger brother of Aliaksei. A 2024 third round pick, the 19-year-old Protas teamed up with Greentree last season by putting up 50 goals with 74 assists for 124 points with the Spitfires. In the OHL playoffs, he had 25 points, including 20 helpers. So far, he’s done well for the Hershey Bears by leading them with 17 goals, 18 assists, and 35 points.
Andrew Cristall is right behind with 33 points. The 20-year-old forward was a second round pick in 2023. Cristall put up a combined 132 points (48-84-132) between the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs in the WHL in 2024-25. His 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points were right behind Kraken rookie Berkly Catton, who paced them with 42 during the WHL playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL Championship. Either Cristall or Protas would be the kind of young prospect the Rangers should be looking for in return if Panarin is willing to sign an extension with the Caps.
Whether or not they decide to swing such a deal depends on their injuries. Both goalies are on the injured reserve, along with Pierre-Luc Dubois (LTIR), Connor McMichael, and Matt Roy. The condensed schedule has had a negative impact on this season, which could spell the end of NHL participation in the Olympics. The Caps currently have over $5.78 million in cap space, with the deadline space over $10 million.Much depends on what happens with their injured players.
I highly doubt that the Caps will take the risk due to all of the issues their current roster has.
Final Thoughts
I could easily include a sixth team, with the Red Wings reportedly having interest in Panarin. However, I feel like it’s going to come down to either Florida or Los Angeles for Panarin. While I’m against any trade with the Panthers due to future assets, it’s really up to the player, who has full control. If he really wants to go play with Bobrovsky and try to chase down the wild card, that’s his prerogative. He earned the full no-movement clause, and lived up to the contract.
The Kings feel like a great fit for Bread Man. The whole idea of going to LA and playing under the spotlight seems ideal. I’d love to see him choose the Sharks. That would be the ultimate move for the league. Panarin and Celebrini together helping San Jose back to the playoffs, where they’d be dangerous.
We’ll see what Panarin decides. I hope I won’t be disappointed in the return. Watch nothing happen until after the Olympics. That would be a nightmare. Most observers want this to be over. Hopefully, it will be by tomorrow afternoon.
Iorio is a right-handed defenseman with 30 games of NHL experience. Originally a 2021 second round pick of the Capitals, taken 55th, Iorio spent part of two seasons in Washington. He helped the Hershey Bears win back-to-back Calder Cups in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
After getting into only nine games for the Caps, he was picked up on waivers by the Sharks last Oct. 17. Iorio skated in 21 games for San Jose, finishing with three assists, 12 penalty minutes, and a minus-4 rating. Iorio also had 32 blocks and 11 hits while averaging 16:30 of ice time per game. His last appearance came on Jan. 15.
Listed at six-foot four, 220 pounds, the 23-year-old hasn’t established himself yet in the NHL. Now, he should get more of a chance to prove himself.
The Rangers could be getting ready to move Braden Schneider, who’ll become a restricted free agent in the off-season. With several teams interested in acquiring Schneider, he could bring back a good return that could include a first or second round pick along with a young player. In their 6-5 loss to the Pens, Schneider set up a Vladislav Gavrikov goal and finished plus-2 in 20:24.
With Adam Fox beginning to skate, he won’t return until after the Olympics. There’s no reason to rush him back due to where the Rangers are in the standings. They currently rank last in the East with 50 points in 56 games.
On a blue line that needs to be overhauled, Iorio deserves a look to find out what he can be. At the moment, the Rangers have Schneider, Will Borgen, and Scott Morrow as their three right defensemen. With Morrow having a bad game by finishing a minus-2 in less than 15 minutes, he’s a candidate to come out of the lineup.
The Rangers don’t play again until Thursday, Feb. 5 against the Hurricanes. That’ll be the final game before the NHL pauses the season. When play resumes, they’ll have four games left before the March 6 trade deadline. By then, the roster could look very different.
Hopefully, Iorio can prove he was worth the pickup. It was in 2011 that the Rangers signed Anton Stralman, who became a steady top four defenseman that helped the team reach the Conference Finals twice and play in the Stanley Cup Finals. While no one can expect that kind of return from Iorio, the hope is that he can become a regular that’s dependable on the back end.
Following the Islanders’ sweep of the Rangers n a home-and-home series that concluded on Thursday night, Matthew Schaefer added some juice with what he said in the aftermath for the Long Island side of what’s been a dead rivalry.
The 2025 number one overall pick scored the game-winner late in the second period of a Rangers’ 2-1 loss at MSG two days ago.
Matthew Schaefer, the kid who's going to win the Calder scores a big one.
Early in the third period, Mika Zibanejad scored his 23rd with the Rangers on the power play to erase Ilya Sorokin’s bid for a shutout. He settled for winning his 18th game by finishing the game with 20 saves, including a couple of key ones on Gabe Perreault with the Rangers pressing for the equalizer.
When it was over, the 18-year-old Schaefer was front and center discussing the Islanders winning all four meetings by outscoring the Rangers 14-3 to sweep the season series.
“Getting drafted to this team, coming to play for the Islanders I know there’s that big rivalry. Like I said before, we want to beat them every time. We want to keep on doing that because I know it makes us happy, I know it makes our fans happy.”
Most eye-opening was Schaefer’s observation on the unique atmosphere in both arenas. Not shy with a camera in front of him, the Islanders defenseman said, “The building is full of both fans. It’s loud. Our fans are way louder than theirs. It’s pretty fun when we go on the board and our fans are cheering.”
Matthew Schaefer on the Islanders-Rangers rivalry atmosphere:
"The building is full of both fans. It's loud. Our fans are way louder than theirs. It's pretty fun when we go on the board and our fans are cheering" pic.twitter.com/2rBzHFlrTe
Considering where the Islanders and Rangers are in the standings, it isn’t surprising that Schaefer noticed a difference in the fans. While his team is fighting hard to make the playoffs, the Rangers are now without their best three players, headed to a second consecutive year without the postseason. There’s been a lot more negative energy at MSG, where they don’t win as much. The Rangers have heard it from the crowd, with many being vocal about how they feel towards team president and general manager Chris Drury, who’s responsible for this mess.
The thing is that there hasn’t been a lot of juice to Rangers/Islanders in a while. Last season, it was all Blueshirts as they swept the Islanders by outscoring them by an even wider margin 23-5. That included a 9-2 laugher last Apr. 10 in the final meeting, which ultimately resulted in the Islanders winning the NHL lottery that led to them selecting Schaefer with the top pick.
Nobody could’ve predicted that he would come in and be able to take control of games at such a young age. The Hamilton, Ontario native scored his 14th goal in the Islanders’ recent win over the Rangers to move them into a tie in points (65) with the Penguins, who entered Saturday second in the division due to two less games played and two more regulation wins. Schaefer passed Bobby Orr for the most goals scored by an 18-year-old defenseman. He’s five shy of NHL record holder Phil Housley, who had 19 goals at the age of 19 as a Sabre in 1982-83.
Matthew Schaefer was asked about tying Bobby Orr for the most goals by an 18-year old defenseman, and closing in on Islanders rookie records:
"They're going to go down as some of the best defensemen to ever play. When you hear those names, it's an honor to be with those guys" pic.twitter.com/zBxcexXP4Y
NHL legend Denis Potvin still holds the franchise record for most goals scored by an Islanders rookie defenseman with 17 in 1973-74. Potvin was 20 years old when accomplished the feat to win the Calder Trophy. To this day, “Potvin Sucks!!!” is still chanted at MSG for his hit that broke Ulf Nilsson’s ankle in a game on Feb. 25, 1979. Potvin led the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups as their captain.
When you see how Schaefer responds to questions after games, he has the colorful personality to become the next Islanders captain. Anders Lee has been their captain for quite some time. A proud veteran forward who’s in the final year of his contract, this could be it for the 35-year-old Lee, who recently hit the 300-goal mark in his career on Jan. 17. A former 40-goal scorer who’s had 20 goals or more in nine seasons, he’s been a good leader for the Islanders. After scoring 29 last year, he has 11 this season.
If they move on from Lee, the Islanders would have a decision to make moving forward. Schaefer won’t turn 19 until next September. It might be a bit premature to put a ‘C’ on his jersey due to increased pressure and expectations.
Look no further than what it’s done to J.T. Miller on the Manhattan side of the rivalry. He’s struggled to perform consistently, battling a recurring upper-body injury that limited his effectiveness during the first half.
On the one-year anniversary of the trade that brought him back to New York City for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first round pick, he’s had an uneven season with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 46 games. There have been instances when he didn’t hustle back defensively, which drew the ire of fans. A player who shoulders the load, he’s still at his locker afterward, with most of the questions focused on the Rangers’ lack of offense in losses that have piled up since both Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin went down.
Now, they continue to play without Artemi Panarin, who’s being held out of the lineup due to roster management reasons. If or when Drury can reach an agreement on a deal for Panarin, he still must sign an extension with the team he agrees to waive his no-movement clause for. Panarin isn’t the only player being shopped, with several teams reportedly interested in Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider.
With all of this happening before the Olympic break comes on Feb. 6, more changes could be in store for the Blueshirts, who are seriously lacking in identity. They were a flip of the coin away from landing a franchise altering player in Schaefer, who’s taken on a lot of responsibility for the Islanders.
With more losses likely over the final 36 games, they could find themselves picking in the top five of a deep draft class that features Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, Tynon Lawrence, and Chase Reid. Hopefully, they can hit on the right player and change their luck.
The next time they see Schaefer and the Islanders will be when the weather is a lot nicer than the icy chill that feels somewhat appropriate for this abject failure of a centennial anniversary. They desperately need their own version of Schaefer to bring something to these games. Otherwise, the transients who now attend home games will be even fewer in the future.
Before Wednesday night’s 5-2 loss at the Islanders, the Rangers revealed that star left wing Artemi Panarin would be scratched for “roster management reasons” through the Olympic break. With Panarin said to be open to negotiating a contract extension with a team that he agrees to waive his no-movement clause to, the Rangers are getting closer to moving him. When it happens, it’ll be the end of the Panarin Era.
On Monday, Jan. 26, it probably was the final time Panarin played as a Blueshirt. At least, it came in a win with the Rangers rallying back for a 4-3 overtime victory at MSG. He picked up the primary assist on the game-tying goal scored by Will Borgen with 6:17 left in the third period. If that was indeed it, he finishes his Rangers career with 205 goals and 402 assists for a total of 607 points in 482 games, averaging 1.26 points-per-game. Like he’s done the past six years, he was leading the team in scoring with 57 points (19-38-57) before sitting out last night.
When it comes down to it, the 34-year-old Panarin lit up Broadway with his remarkable combination of speed, skating, and playmaking. Nicknamed the Bread Man, he certainly lived up to the high expectations after becoming the highest paid player in franchise history, with an $11.64 million cap hit over the seven years he signed for with former Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson at the helm in 2019.
What made Panarin so compelling is the way he’d create open space up top to find teammates with splendid passes. A very unique player who also possessed a first-class shot, he could beat opponents in a number of ways. He was never better than in 2023-24 when he formed the league’s best scoring line with Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck. It was Panarin who elevated his linemates to career-best seasons, with Lafreniere winding up with 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points, and Trocheck tallying 25 goals with 52 assists and 77 points. Panarin finished with a career-high 49 goals and 71 assists for 120 points, which ranks second behind Jaromir Jagr (123) for the most points by a Blueshirt in a single season.
The Overtime Hero
On May 7, 2022, Panarin scored his most memorable goal when he won Game 7 in overtime versus the Penguins to help the Rangers complete a 3-1 series comeback to advance to the second round.
After Mika Zibanejad tied the game with 5:45 left in regulation, the Rangers went on the power play early in overtime. After continuing to move the puck around the box, Zibanejad and Adam Fox finally got it over for Panarin, who found just enough room to get his shot through a maze past Tristan Jarry at 4:46 of overtime.
After eliminating the Pens, the Rangers came back from a 3-2 series deficit to defeat the Hurricanes in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite jumping out to a two-game lead, they lost the next four to the Lightning to lose the series. During that run, Panarin finished with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points. Seven came in the first round. He had two goals and four helpers against the Lightning.
Plenty of Teams Interested In Panarin
As the Rangers enter the second game of a back-to-back against the Islanders tonight, Kevin Weekes reported that nearly half the league has interest in Panarin, who holds all the cards.
Per sources, as of today, I’m told the following have expressed interest in Panarin ; ANA, LA, SJ, VGK, DAL, UT, COL, MIN, SEA, TOR, CAR, WAS, TBL, NYI. More clubs will join, and importantly player has to approve any move first. @NYRangers#HockeyXpic.twitter.com/feOsmPIs1o
Before they reached this stage, I thought both the Kings and Sharks seemed like the best possible destinations. Each team is competing out West for the wild card. Unlike the Sharks, who boast Hart candidate Macklin Celebrini, the Kings don’t possess as much scoring, which is why they’d have serious interest in acquiring Panarin. If they convinced him to sign an extension, depending on whether they meet the Rangers’ requirements of a package similar to what Brock Nelson netted last year for the Islanders, Panarin could team with Adrian Kempe on the top line while playing in Hollywood.
Last night, Sheng Peng reported that the Sharks were very interested in dealing for Panarin, who could play with Celebrini and Will Smith on a dynamic scoring line if he agreed to go to San Jose. With the Sharks ahead of schedule in their rebuild, bringing in a big fish like Panarin would make them a dangerous team if they make the playoffs. That all depends on whether he’d agree to waive and sign an extension.
How Bread Should Be Remembered
For almost seven years, Panarin has been a breathtaking player to watch. He’s played the game with flair, turning hockey into art with his unique blend of skills.
When he first arrived, the Rangers were still a rebuilding team that hadn’t proved anything. His debut season in Manhattan was special. He scored and set up goals to prove that he was worth the price of admission. If you had the pleasure of watching Bread Man work from up in the Blue Seats, you could see plays develop with number 10 finding a way to create space to set up a goal or scoring chance.
Before Covid interrupted 2019-20, Panarin had 32 goals and 63 assists for 95 points to rank in the top three in scoring. He had the Rangers in the playoff race, which showed just how much impact he had. He finished third for the Hart Trophy, losing out to winner Leon Draisaitl with Nathan MacKinnon coming in second. To be honest, none were as valuable as Panarin was to his team. He was also a plus-36, dominating at 5-on-5 to make the Rangers a must watch.
In his time in the Big Apple, he’s worked magic with both Trocheck and former center Ryan Strome, who had his best seasons playing with Panarin. Aside from being a great even strength player, he’s made a difference on the power play, teaming up with Adam Fox to create a lot of goals for former Ranger Chris Kreider, who holds the franchise record for most power-play goals (26) in a season. Both Kreider and Mika Zibanejad have benefited from Panarin, who when he wasn’t finishing, always found open teammates.
Before things went south last season, the Rangers had made the postseason in three consecutive years. Panarin was instrumental in the team’s success. Even if he never was the best playoff performer, finishing with 35 points in 46 games, he made the team better. They had two runs to the Conference Finals before losing in tough six-game series.
When we look back, Panarin made the Rangers a draw again at The Garden. They became a hot ticket. The only disappointment is that they never played for a Cup over the seven seasons.
During Tuesday night’s game in which they lost a tough one to the Jets at The Rock, the Devils made some news off the ice by sending Ondrej Palat to the Islanders, along with a 2026 third round pick and 2027 sixth round pick in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov.
By dumping the struggling forward, the Devils saved $3.75 million in cap space, with team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald attaching the two picks to make the deal happen. He was able to work with Palat, who had a 10-team trade list that sent him from New Jersey to Long Island on Jan. 27.
#NEWS: We've acquired forward Maxim Tsyplakov from the New York Islanders for forward Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round draft pick, and a 2027 sixth-round draft pick.
By finally getting rid of a player who never performed up to expectations after they signed him for five years, $30 million on Jul. 13, 2022, the Devils created over three million in cap space for either another move, or this summer. That largely depends on how the team performs over the last 29 games of the season.
In dropping a second straight game after losing to the Kraken on Jan. 25 to conclude an otherwise successful 3-1 road trip out West, the Devils are nine points out of the wild card, but only five behind the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division. With four games before the Olympic break, they need to go on a run to close the gap. The remainder of the schedule includes the Predators in Newark tomorrow night, the Senators this Saturday, and then back home for the Blue Jackets and Islanders on Feb. 3-5. The latter two have much more significance in the standings.
Palat to Debut for Islanders Tonight
Following the trade, Palat is expected to make his Islanders debut tonight when the Rangers visit UBS Arena in Elmont for the first of a home and home series between the crosstown rivals.
A clutch playoff performer for the Lightning where he won consecutive Stanley Cups, Palat was brought in by Fitzgerald as a backup plan after he was unable to sign Johnny Gaudreau, who tragically passed away with brother Matthew in an accident on Aug. 29, 2024.
The hope was that Palat could help improve the Devils’ offense by playing with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt on the number one line. Instead, he struggled to produce consistently while getting top six minutes. His best run came during the 2022-23 playoffs when he posted three goals and four assists for seven points in two rounds for the Devils.
He never hit more than 31 points during four regular seasons in Newark. After going 11-20-31 in 2023-24, Palat had 13 goals with 15 assists for 28 points last season. He finished with two assists in a five-game first round elimination against the Hurricanes last postseason.
At 34, he was barely contributing despite continuing to play mostly in a top nine role. In 51 games, he only had four goals and six assists for 10 points while seeing his ice time go below 13 minutes for the first time since he came up with the Lightning in 2012-13. When he was scratched on Tuesday night, it was obvious that something was up. Before the game started, the reported deal that the Devils and Islanders had been working on finally got done.
In 292 games as a Devil, Palat finished with 38 goals and 54 assists for 92 points. He’ll now see if he can rediscover his game on the rival Islanders, who the Devils are chasing in the division.
Tsyplakov Gets A New Home
After having a good first season with the Islanders, Tsplakov became an afterthought under head coach Patrick Roy. Unlike 2024-25 when he had 10 goals and 25 assists for a solid total of 35 points, along with 39 penalty minutes, and 140 hits while averaging 14:58 of ice time, the Russian import only had a goal and a helper in 27 games with his ice time dwindling to 9:39. Ironically, he picked up an assist in the Islanders’ 4-0 shutout over the Flyers on Jan. 26.
The 27-year-old gets a new home, going from Belmont Park to Newark. A forward who plays with some grit as evidenced by his 46 hits, will try to carve out a secondary role under Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Unlike Palat, who the Islanders are still on the hook for another $6 million through 2026-27, Tsyplakov has a more affordable $2.25 million cap hit that also expires the following season.
Hameenaho Off to A Good Start
With the arrival of 2023 second round pick Lenni Hameenaho, who’s already shown some promise with two goals and an assist in his first five games, at least the 21-year-old from Finland gives them cause for optimism.
In what’s been a disappointing season up to this point, the Devils can use more production from other secondary players aside from Cody Glass, Connor Brown, and rookie Arseny Gritsyuk. So far, so good for Hameenaho.
Defense Struggles in Loss
A big reason for the one-goal loss to the Jets was the defense, which struggled last night. Multiple times, defensemen were caught out of position in a lackluster second period that saw them outscored 3-1.
On the Jets’ second goal scored by Gabe Vilardi, the Devils were caught on a line change, which led to a three-on-two. With the changing forward scrambling back, Vilardi took a Mark Scheifele feed and beat Jake Allen to give Winnipeg the lead.
Cole Koepke finished off another odd man rush when he put in an Alex Iafallo rebound to make it 3-1. Jonas Siegenthaler stepped up at the blue line and got caught pinching, which allowed Morgan Barron to send Iafallo ahead, which led to Koepke’s goal.
The crusher was scored by Nino Niederreiter with over three minutes left in the period. This time, Dougie Hamilton lost a board battle to Adam Lowry, who chipped a puck behind him to create another two-on-one with only Siegenthaler back. He was unable to prevent Vladislav Namestnikov from setting up Niederreiter for a 4-1 lead.
Despite Jack Hughes setting up Jesper Bratt for a tip home on the power play at 19:24, the only goal the Devils got in a more inspired third period came with Allen pulled for a 6-on-4. Bratt was able to find Nico Hischier in the slot for his 17th to make it 4-3 with 1:46 left in regulation.
Some hustle from Hughes in his end nearly led to the Devils tying it late, but Connor Hellebuyck made the big saves to send the Devils to a second straight defeat.
On a special night that they remembered the 1990s Era, which featured the 1993-94 Stanley Cup Championship team, the Rangers delivered one of their best wins of the season by coming back to defeat the Bruins 4-3 in overtime.
Matthew Robertson scored the OT winner to give the Rangers only their sixth win of the season at MSG. It was a feel-good moment for the team after Carson Soucy was traded to the Islanders during the game.
The victory was their second over the last 10 games and first since Jan. 17.
Despite falling behind the Bruins 3-2 on a Morgan Geekie goal in the second period that David Pastrnak set up for his third assist of the game, the Rangers didn’t back down. Getting some big saves from Jonathan Quick, they were able to rally to tie the game on a goal from Will Borgen that changed direction off Geekie for the only goal of the third period.
Will Cuylle opened the scoring by getting his 12th from Urho Vaakanainen and Noah Laba on a deflection before 10 minutes had elapsed in the first period. It was Cuylle’s second goal in three games. Since being moved down by head coach Mike Sullivan to play on the third line with Laba and Brennan Othmann, Cuylle’s play has improved. In fact, that line created good chances throughout the game due to their aggressive forecheck.
After narrowly missing setting up a goal, Pastrnak found Elias Lindholm in front for the first of two from the center to even things up. But on the following shift, the Rangers had an immediate response when Gabe Perreault took a Mika Zibanejad drop pass and set up J.T. Miller for his 14th just 26 seconds later. Miller has nine points over his last six games.
In the second period, Miller turned the puck over when his pass up the middle was intercepted by Charlie McAvoy, who combined with Pastrnak to feed Lindholm for his second of the game to tie the score.
Following a Henri Jokiharju penalty, McAvoy was called for holding Vincent Trocheck to put the Rangers on a five-on-three for 37 seconds. However, they wasted the opportunity with only four shots reaching Joonas Korpisalo, who made a glove save on Artemi Panarin.
Shortly after the McAvoy penalty expired to put the teams back at full strength, Pastrnak once again made a great pass that led to Geekie putting the Bruins ahead. His third assist of the game gave him 900 career points, becoming the third Czech born player to accomplish the feat – joining Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias.
Both teams killed off penalties to keep the score in favor of the Bruins, who took a one-goal lead to the locker room.
After failing to capitalize on a McAvoy interference minor drawn by Perreault, it looked like the Rangers would fall short again on a centennial anniversary theme night. However, they had better intentions with Rangers legends Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, and Mike Richter watching along with many alumni that included Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Sergei Nemchinov, and even Radek Dvorak.
On a play Alexis Lafreniere started, Panarin got the puck up for Borgen, whose point shot took a favorable carom off of Geekie and past Korpisalo to tie the score with 6:17 left in regulation.
The game went to overtime. In what amounted to a tactical three-on-three due to the Bruins’ checking, even Panarin got involved by showing some hustle on the backcheck for a key takeaway.
On a Vincent Trocheck reset with the Bruins changing, Robertson took a Quick outlet and started a quick (no pun intended) rush up the ice. Coming in with good speed, he made a nice deke before firing home the winner short side on Korpisalo with 1:07 left.
"I'm happy for them. They're big parts of our team and I'm sure they're only going to get better with more experience."
On a day that it was first reported by Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, Carson Soucy was traded from the Rangers to the Islanders during tonight’s game against the Bruins at MSG.
The two bitter rivals finally completed the trade after 8 PM. With Soucy sitting out due to roster management reasons, Urho Vaakanainen got the start in his place. As the second period began, Soucy was finally dealt to the Islanders for a 2026 third round pick. ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan confirmed the move.
As Carson Soucy sits out tonight for NYR for ‘roster management’ a deal is in place to send him to Islanders as @vzmercogliano reported earlier today.
Return is a 2026 third round pick, per ESPN sources.
In the final year of his contract with a $3.25 million cap hit, the 31-year-old Soucy had played better this season than when he first came over to the Rangers from the Canucks for a 2025 third round pick last Mar. 6.
After having a goal and two assists with four penalty minutes in 16 games last season, the veteran defenseman tallied three goals and five assists for eight points, 18 penalty minutes, and a plus-4 rating over 46 contests this season with the Blueshirts.
Mostly teamed up with former Kraken teammate Will Borgen on the second defensive pair, Soucy acquitted himself well under Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan by playing with more edge by contributing 71 hits and 66 blocked shots. He was averaging 17:13 per game before getting moved to the Islanders, who filled a need on the blue line by acquiring the experienced Soucy, who’ll likely play on the third pair.
After spending his first two years in Minnesota, Soucy played his next two seasons in Seattle before moving to Vancouver, where he spent nearly two years before the Rangers acquired him. In 62 games, Soucy finishes with 11 points, 100 hits, and 80 blocks.
Now, he’ll move to the Long Island side of the rivalry, which ironically will feature a home and home series this Wednesday and Thursday between the Rangers and Islanders. This time, he’ll line up on the opposite side against former teammates.
Rangers Get Good Return for Soucy
It was less than a year ago that the Rangers brought in Soucy to help provide some help after Ryan Lindgren was sent packing to Colorado on Mar. 6.
They gave up a third round pick to get Soucy. Fast forward to Jan. 26, and they’ve recouped a third round pick for the same player. A good return for a defensive defenseman whose contract is set to expire this summer.
By dealing away Soucy, it opens up a spot for Vaakanainen, who came in and picked up a primary assist on a Will Cuylle goal in the first period on Monday night. For the time being, it looks like he’ll be part of the top six until Adam Fox returns from a lower-body injury that has him on long-term injured reserve.
With Soucy being subtracted from the roster, Connor Mackey was recalled from Hartford. He’ll serve as the extra defenseman for now.
The Rangers have more to get to ahead. Both Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck should draw plenty of attention from interested teams around the league. What that means for team president and general manager Chris Drury is that he has more business to attend to.
Soucy is the first domino to fall during the ‘retool.’ Who’s next?
For the Rangers, excitement went out the window a long time ago. It’s hard to believe that only two years ago, they were on their way to earning the NHL’s best record for a Presidents’ Trophy.
The run that followed included a memorable come from behind win over the Hurricanes on the strength of Chris Kreider’s natural hat trick in the third period of Game 6 down in Raleigh to wrap up a hard fought second round triumph.
It ended in another tough series against the Panthers in six games, marking the second time in three years they’ve lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Nobody knew it at the time, but the 2-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 6 on June 1, 2024 turned out to be the final swan song for a well-respected core that featured Filip Chytil, Adam Fox, Barclay Goodrow, Kaapo Kakko, Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, Vincent Trocheck, Jacob Trouba, and Mika Zibanejad. They all were part of a strong leadership group that had success on Broadway, with four series victories over a three-year period under two different coaches.
Drury’s Roster Purge Begins With Goodrow Waiver Deal to Sharks
In a big Game 2 win back on May 24, 2024, Goodrow was the hero when he beat Sergei Bobrovsky for the winner at 14:01 of the first overtime. The veteran checking center, who only scored five times that regular season wasn’t done, getting two more in a 5-4 overtime win in Game 3 to help lead the Rangers to a 2-1 series lead thanks to Alex Wennberg’s winner at 5:35.
As it turned out, that was their final postseason win. The Panthers proved to be too much, taking the next three games by a goal with Sam Reinhart’s overtime winner in Game 4 the turning point in the series. Although Shesterkin played extremely well to keep the Rangers in the final two games, they were unable to provide enough offense against the stingy Panthers, whose forecheck and team defense tilted the ice in their favor. Late goals from Lafreniere and Panarin didn’t change the end result in Games 5 and 6.
Less than a month after he finished second on the team with his three goals trailing Lafreniere’s four against the Panthers, Goodrow was placed on waivers by Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury on June 19, 2024. To get around his 15-team no-trade list, the shrewd move allowed the Sharks to claim Goodrow, allowing Drury to clear $3.64 million in cap space over the next three seasons. It was a prearranged deal between Drury and close personal friend and Sharks GM Mike Grier, who previously served as a hockey operations advisor with the Rangers.
Due to how poorly Drury handled the situation, it upset Goodrow and former teammates, who valued what he brought. Even though it was understandable why Drury made the move to get out of the remainder of the contract, the lack of communication didn’t sit well with the team.
By the time Goodrow returned to play the Rangers in November 2024, he was looking forward to playing at MSG again. “It’s exciting. Especially it being MSG. That’s always a trip that’s circled on the calendar,” Goodrow told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now in a story that appeared back on Nov. 13, 2024. “Obviously, a little more meaning to it this time around, so I’ve been looking forward to it and excited to get back.”
“I still have a lot of close friends on that team. I have a lot of good memories. Couple of long playoff runs. I loved my time there,” he said. “That’s just how it went down. I didn’t like how it happened, but we’re all past that. It was a while ago. You have to move on. It comes with the territory of this job. There’s nothing you can do but put your head down and keep working.”
Planting The Seeds for Trouba’s Exit
Following a disappointing playoffs in which he struggled mightily, Trouba’s name came up in trade rumors. Despite playing on a bad ankle that he fractured during the season that forced him to miss time, the Rangers captain was put through the mud by Drury, who planted the seeds for his exit.
A declining player who signed a seven-year deal worth $56 million after being acquired from the Jets in July 2019, Trouba’s $8 million cap hit became an issue for Drury, who two years earlier fully supported naming Trouba the 28th captain in franchise history before the 2022-23 season.
After having a full no-movement clause for the first four years of the contract, it shifted to a moderated 15-team no-trade list on June 30, 2024. With it coming out that the Rangers and Red Wings had agreed in principle on a deal that would’ve sent Trouba to Detroit, he blocked the move due to having the Red Wings on his 15-team no-trade list. He also wanted to stay in New York City due to wife Kelly being a doctor.
Despite taking the high road before the start of training camp about the situation, Trouba had the dark cloud hanging over his head. Even with Drury giving an endorsement of his captain before 2024-25, the damage was already done.
“Jacob and I talk all the time as GM and captain should. We’ve had a number of different conversations over the course of the summer on a lot of different things. He is very clear as to where he stands with me and what I think of him as a player and as a leader.”-Chris Drury on Jacob Trouba, The Detroit News.
Even with the Rangers starting the season 12-4-1, things took a dramatic turn for the worse thanks to Drury.
League Memo Fractures the Locker Room
In November 2024, Drury sent out a league memo to 31 teams with both Kreider and Trouba mentioned as players he wanted to move. At the time, the Rangers were in Western Canada as part of a four-game road trip. After defeating the Kraken and Canucks to make it 12 wins over the first 17 games, the roof collapsed in onesided losses to the Flames and Oilers that sent the team into a tailspin.
By then, it was obvious that Trouba wasn’t himself. Looking distracted during games, he continued to make mistakes that led to opponents taking advantage whenever he and Miller were out as a pair. They’d been together a while, with coaches leaning heavily on both to get the best matchups to free up Fox and Lindgren.
Head coach Peter Laviolette’s man-to-man defensive system was no longer working, causing defensive breakdowns with both defensemen and forwards caught out of position. Combined with a disconnect that fractured the locker room due to having two team leaders mentioned in rumors that became an unnecessary distraction, it was just a matter of time before they imploded.
Bad losses piled up, including a 5-1 humiliation to the archrival Devils to start December. At that point, Drury tried to do damage control to cool things off for a team that had a lameduck captain who was going through the motions. Something which the late Hockey Hall of Fame NY Post columnist Larry Brooks called Trouba out on for his lack of emotion in a 3-1 loss to the Flyers on Nov. 29, 2024.
No emotion, the captain has checked out, this is brutal.
Eventually, Drury took action by having Laviolette make Trouba a healthy scratch for a game against the Penguins on Dec. 6, 2024. It was either they place him on unconditional waivers to be assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, or accept a trade. By forcing his hand, Drury finally got Trouba to waive for the Ducks in a deal that same day. Due to Anaheim agreeing to take on the remainder of the contract, the Rangers received a light return of Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth round pick.
Laviolette’s Scratch Leads to Kakko Trade
Following a loss to the Blues, Laviolette scratched Kakko against the Predators on Dec. 17, 2024, which led to the former 2019 second overall pick calling out the coach due to more established players who hadn’t been pulling their weight. He was justified in venting his frustration to the media but once he voiced his displeasure, he was a goner.
A day later, the Rangers shipped Kakko to the Kraken in exchange for Will Borgen, a 2025 third round pick, and a sixth round pick. By moving on from a player who once was viewed by scouts as a top prospect who went number two behind Jack Hughes in the NHL Draft, they addressed a need on the blue line by acquiring Borgen, who eventually signed an extension worth $4.1 million AAV over five years.
Although he never fulfilled expectations, Kakko was a solid top nine forward who had his moments playing with Chytil and Lafreniere as part of the Kid Line in 2021-22. Without their contributions, the Rangers don’t come within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. While Lafreniere graduated to a bigger role with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, Kakko found chemistry with Chytil and Will Cuylle. In fact, they were the best line at five-on-five before Laviolette broke them up last season.
By subtracting Kakko, the Rangers lost a capable player who could provide secondary scoring. They probably didn’t realize how valuable that was. For most of the current season, the third line hasn’t provided enough secondary scoring. Something they were able to do with Chytil, Cuylle, and Kakko. Instead, Drury had other plans that would impact the team depth ahead.
Chytil Sent Packing for Miller
Six weeks later, Chytil was sent packing to the Canucks with Victor Mancini and a conditional first round pick for J.T. Miller. Instead of realizing that the season was a lost cause, Drury doubled down by taking on Miller’s contract ($8 million AAV) that won’t expire until 2030.
When he returned for his second stint as a Ranger, Miller produced well thanks to some chemistry with Zibanejad and Cuylle. The former Rangers 2011 first round pick had 13 goals with 22 assists for 35 points in 32 games over the remainder of 2024-25. He helped unlock Zibanejad, who previously struggled while playing with Kreider. Over the final two months, he registered 11 goals with 22 assists for 33 points to finish the season in strong fashion.
Given how well they meshed together, it increased expectations for 2025-26. Instead, a nagging upper-body injury Miller’s been dealing with limited his effectiveness. He’s spent two different times on injured reserved, and missed nine games. When he’s played, there have been moments where Miller hasn’t played up to capability due to whatever is bothering him. It doesn’t excuse his lack of backchecking when opponents scored goals where he couldn’t be bothered.
Another J.T. Miller defensive masterclass. Need that competitiveness on Team USA. Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield just don’t bring that.pic.twitter.com/V4vMua481K
In a mind-numbing centennial season that’s seen several key players turn in less than stellar efforts, Miller’s supposed to be the leader of the Rangers. He was named the 29th captain in franchise history on Sep. 16, 2025. Instead of backing up his strong words that promised, ‘No More BS,’ he hasn’t come close to delivering. Following an 8-4 blowout loss to the Senators on Jan. 14, Miller didn’t know what to say, which was unlike a 10-2 humiliation in Boston on Jan. 10 when he took accountability and indicated that he must be better.
Since winning the Winter Classic 5-1 over the Panthers on Jan. 2, the Rangers have lost eight of nine (1-7-1), including getting swept in California by the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks. Although he’s picked it up during the brutal stretch with eight points (2-6-8) over his last five games, the last scene of him coasting back defensively while Macklin Celebrini got his 26th goal in a 3-1 loss on Jan. 23 reflects poorly. That kind of lackluster effort shouldn’t happen from a supposed leader. Perhaps they should strip Miller of the captaincy once the season concludes.
Rangers Lacking Heart and Guts
In what was supposed to be a special year commemorating the 100-Year Anniversary of the franchise by honoring past legends and fan favorites who didn’t disgrace the jersey, the Rangers are lacking heart and guts. Despite Drury bringing in close personal friend Mike Sullivan to take over as head coach, the team has lost its way since the holidays.
An upper-body injury that kept Fox out for 14 games didn’t help. At one point during the first half, the former Norris winner had helped lead a more structured defensive team to a 13-11-2 start. However, things dramatically changed when Brandon Hagel caught Fox with a clean hit against the glass, which injured his shoulder last Nov. 29. The Rangers lost the game 4-1 to the Lightning. Afterward, they went 6-5-2 without him to at least hang around in a crowded playoff race.
After returning to score a power-play goal and add an assist in a 6-3 loss on New Year’s Eve, Fox played in two more games before suffering a different injury against the Mammoth in a 3-2 overtime loss on Jan. 5. A day later, he was put on long-term injured reserve for the second time this season. The bottom has fallen out since with the Rangers only winning once in regulation on Jan. 17. They’ve lost seven of their last eight games in regulation to drop to 15th in the Eastern Conference with 48 points in 52 games, falling out of the wild card race.
Even without Fox, who now looks injury prone due to it being the second straight season he’s missed time, the Rangers have given up in recent losses that caused the fans to boo them at MSG where they’ve only won five times in 22 games (5-13-4). Only the league worst Canucks have the same amount of home wins with a 5-16-3 record. The Rangers have the worst goal differential at home where they’ve been outscored 77-44 for a minus-33 entering Monday’s game against the Bruins. By comparison, the Canucks are a minus-32 (94-62).
If there’s one way to describe the Rangers, it would be passive. There’s been too many instances when they don’t respond to seeing their goalies run into by opponents, who know they can take liberties with Shesterkin, who remains out with lower-body injury he sustained in the first period against Utah due to trying to avoid Mammoth forward J.J. Peterka, who made minimal contact as the Rangers starter fell back into his net. He was helped to the locker room while not putting any weight on his left leg.
Although Peterka didn’t cause the injury, there was no response from the Rangers. It was similar to seeing Fox go down against the Lightning on the Hagel hit. Even if each play was legal, it isn’t viewed well in hockey circles when a team doesn’t go after an opponent.
If there was a sequence that raised eyebrows, it was Jonathan Quick taking up for himself after Daniil But bumped into him, leading to a roughing minor on the veteran goalie, who replaced an injured Shesterkin.
The only willing Ranger who’ll go to bat for teammates is Sam Carrick. Despite being undersized, he’s gone up against heavyweights Mathieu Olivier and Arber Xhejaj, which says a lot about the high character he has. Carrick is one of the only Rangers who’s played with heart and guts. A fourth line center whose effort is unquestioned, the 33-year-old Carrick is well-respected by teammates who like what he brings.
Signed for another year at a cap friendly $1 million, teams could have interest in him as a depth piece. In 52 games, he has three goals and six assists with 42 penalty minutes and 75 hits, along with being 53.9 percent on faceoffs. The fourth line center put up six goals and 14 assists for a career-high 20 points in 80 games last season. Unlike most of Drury’s signings, Carrick has been as advertised, bringing some tenacity to a mostly vanilla roster that doesn’t create much excitement.
Changes Are Coming
On Jan. 16, Drury sent out a letter to Rangers fans promising changes to the roster. He used the word ‘retool’ to describe what’s coming soon. However, what would he call the subtractions of several core pieces last year? It feels like more of a rebuilding situation due to a lack of talent.
With the Rangers making it known to outsiders that Panarin was no longer in their plans, he’s expected to be traded at some point before the Mar. 6 deadline. That largely depends on Panarin, who has full control over whether or not he goes to a playoff contender. He’s continued to produce, leading the team in assists (37) and points (56). In the final year of a contract that pays him $11.64 million, the 34-year-old hasn’t given any indication that he wants to leave the Big Apple.
A gifted offensive player who’s been an excellent Ranger, leading the team in scoring every season, he wants to sign an extension for similar money. What if Drury finds a suitor that agrees to the rumored return he wants, which Elliotte Friedman reported is similar to what the Islanders received for Brock Nelson? It’s still up to Panarin to waive his full no-movement clause to accept a trade. Teams who could be interested include the Avalanche, Capitals, Kings, Sharks, and Wild.
With the Olympic break coming up in less than two weeks, expect things to heat up. At last check, the Rangers and Islanders are close to making a rare deal that would involve veteran defenseman Carson Soucy going to Long Island.
Can confirm @vzmercogliano report that #NYR Carson Soucy to #Isles is getting close. Nothing official yet.
The Rangers have made a roster move by recalling defenseman Connor Mackey from Hartford and sending down forward Anton Blidh. If Soucy goes, he’d be the first domino to fall.
Teams are reportedly interested in center Vincent Trocheck, who has a 12-team no-trade list on an affordable deal ($5.625 million AAV) that has term left. The Hurricanes and Wild could use a versatile checking pivot like Trocheck, who can play in every situation while continuing to be reliable on faceoffs (56.8).
What It All Means
Moving forward, the Rangers want to address the lack of young talent in their system. Outside of Gabe Perreault and Scott Morrow, who was acquired last summer in a deal that sent K’Andre Miller to Carolina, the organization doesn’t boast many promising players.
Noah Laba has performed admirably as a third line center who’s trusted to play on the penalty kill. He has six goals and eight assists for 14 points while winning 51.3 percent on draws. Since Sullivan moved Perreault up with Miller and Zibanejad, Laba has been joined by Cuylle and 2021 first round pick Brennan Othmann, who’s finally shown glimpses of the player Drury selected.
Morrow nearly had his first goal as a Ranger. It was changed to Cuylle due to the shot deflecting off him. After struggling earlier, Morrow has three assists in his last five games while playing with more confidence. The Rangers desperately need him to pan out after moving on from Miller, who’s rebounded with the Hurricanes.
The goal should be to trade for prospects and draft picks in an attempt to strengthen their depth. Hopefully, recent picks Drew Fortescue, E.J. Emery, Nathan Aspinall, Malcolm Spence, and Artyom Gonchar can continue to develop and become part of the future. Four of the six are in college, including both Fortescue and Emery, who remain unsigned. Each are expected to be defensive defensemen with Emery not having as high a ceiling as Caps prospect Cole Hutson, who the Rangers passed on in 2024.
With an eye towards the future, keep an eye on where the Rangers finish. They are currently ranked 29th out of 32 teams with a 21-25-6 record, which is tied with the Flames. However, Calgary has more regulation wins. At the moment, the Jets, Blues, and Canucks are the league’s three worst teams. There actually is a possibility for the Rangers to luck into a top three pick. The top three prospects are all rated very high, with forwards Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg considered the best two players, followed by defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, and center Tynan Lawrence.
If they can land a high pick, perhaps they’ll have better luck this time than before. One can only hope moving forward.
After defeating the Flames 2-1 on Simon Nemec’s third overtime winner of the season on Jan. 19, the New Jersey Devils posted a big 2-1 victory over the Oilers last night in Edmonton on the strength of 22 saves from Jake Allen.
They got goals from rookie Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass in the second period. Following Gritsyuk getting his ninth from Glass and Dougie Hamilton, the Oilers evened the score on a goal from Matt Savoie. However, the Devils responded quickly thanks to Gritsyuk taking a pass from Connor Brown and sending the puck across for a Glass one-timer that held up as the game-winner.
It was a heads-up play from Jonathan Kovacevic to get the puck up for Brown, who turned and found Gritsyuk at the blue line for an easy zone entry that led to him setting up Glass for his 11th at 8:32.
In a season full of disappointment from more established stars, both Gritsyuk and Glass have been bright spots for the Devils. After going seven games without a point, the 24-year-old Gritsyuk snapped out of it with a goal and primary assist to reach the 20-point mark in his first season. The 2019 fifth round pick is most comfortable playing with Glass and Brown on the third line. When all three have been healthy, they’ve been key contributors.
Acquired from the Penguins by Devils team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald last March for Chase Stillman, Max Graham, and a 2027 third round pick, the 26-year-old Glass has played well since joining the red and black in Newark. After putting up two goals and five assists for a total of seven points in 14 games last season, he’s reached double digits in goals for the second time in his NHL career. Glass is three shy of tying his career-high of 14 goals set with the Predators in 2022-23. He’s also been dependable in the faceoff dot, winning 52.7 percent on draws.
Luke Hughes Placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve
In the second period of their win at Calgary this past Monday night, Luke Hughes left the game with an upper-body injury. On a play coming out of his zone, the back of Hughes’ jersey was given a tug by Flames forward Justin Kirkland. Afterward, Hughes was writhing in pain while favoring his shoulder as he came off the ice.
As expected, the injury will keep the 22-year-old defenseman out for a while. The Devils announced that they placed Hughes on long-term injured reserve due to the shoulder issue. At the moment, it doesn’t sound like he will have surgery, with the plan instead for him to rehab the upper-body injury.
After consulting with doctors, Luke Hughes will not get surgery for now and instead rehab his upper body injury.
The Devils placed Hughes on LTIR today; he’s expected to be sidelined through the Olympic break then TBD.
Since signing an seven-year contract worth $63 million last Oct. 1, it’s been a struggle for the 2021 first round pick. Only in his third season, Hughes hasn’t performed up to high expectations. Most notably, his defensive play has suffered due to poor puck management and blown assigments. In a loss to the Hurricanes on Jan. 4, he had two own-goals, which lead to a tough night at home with fans booing him every time he touched the puck. Despite the most difficult game of his young career, Hughes was accountable, answering questions at his locker following the game.
In a recent win over the Kraken on Jan. 14, Hughes picked up two assists, including a secondary helper that resulted in older brother Jack leading Nico Hischier for a breakaway goal in overtime. It was an important victory which followed a win over the Wild on the road.
After putting up over 40 points in each of his first two seasons, Hughes still looked like he was on track for a third consecutive year of 40 or more. Despite some inconsistency, he had five goals and 21 assists for 26 points over 49 games before missing Tuesday’s game against the Oilers.
Due to being placed on LTIR, Hughes must sit out another nine games before he becomes eligible to return to the Devils. For now, the Devils will further evaluate him without knowing what the timetable is. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, he’ll miss an “extended period.”
Kovacevic Steps Up
Without Hughes, Keefe went with a lineup that included Kovacevic teamed up with Nemec on the third pair. During the first period, Kovacevic delivered a clean hit on Connor McDavid, who fell to the ice. He immediately had to answer the bell, with Vasily Podkolzin dropping his gloves to challenge him.
Kovacevic was accountable by obliging Podkolzin in a quick scrap that energized the Edmonton fans at Rogers Place with 2:49 remaining in a scoreless first period. Podkolzin received an instigator and misconduct along with five for fighting to account for 17 penalty minutes while Kovacevic received only five.
In just his fourth game of the season, the 28-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native took 18 shifts and finished a plus-1 in 13:27 of action. Without Hughes, he’ll continue to remain in the lineup for Keefe.
The Devils recalled Colton White from Utica of the American Hockey League. In 23 games with the big club, White has four assists and a plus-2 rating while averaging 12:15 of ice-time. He met the team in Vancouver for the third of a four-game road trip that concludes at Seattle this weekend. The Devils take on the Canucks this Friday night at 10 PM.
Hamilton Runs Assist Streak to Six
Since being a healthy scratch at Winnipeg on Jan. 11, Dougie Hamilton has responded well by playing more inspired hockey. With a secondary helper on Gritsyuk’s goal, Hamilton ran his assist streak to six straight games. He’s tallied six apples during the Devils’ revival that’s seen them win four of their last five to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Despite all of the trade rumors surrounding the 32-year-old veteran defenseman, he’s played his best hockey of the season. If he can continue to provide offense while logging important minutes in the top four, perhaps Hamilton will stay put for now. When he’s playing up to par, he remains a key to the Devils’ success. Without Hughes at least through the Olympic break, Hamilton will be counted on by Keefe at five-on-five and on the power play.
Back In The Mix
By winning four of five, the Devils now sit 12th in the Eastern Conference with 54 points in 50 games. They are currently tied in points with the Flyers and Capitals. The Flyers have played two less games while the Caps have four more regulation wins (21-17) than the Devils, who trail the second wild card Bruins by four points.
With 32 games remaining, there’s still plenty of time to make up ground on teams ahead of them. It’s imperative that they continue to take care of business, with both the last overall Canucks and surprising Kraken opponents they’re capable of beating. If they can take both games, they’d go a perfect four-for-four on the road trip.
Hughes’ Goal Drought Now 14
While younger brother Luke is out, Jack Hughes has been in a scoring slump. Since getting a goal in his return on Dec. 21 versus Buffalo, he’s gone 14 straight without one. Although he’s still tallied 10 assists over that span, the Devils desperately need Hughes to get going.
His hand might be giving him trouble due to having successful finger surgery due to an accident at a Chicago steakhouse last November. Whatever the case, he’s been healthy enough to play for a month, and will represent Team USA at the Olympics. There aren’t any excuses for the Devils’ meal ticket.
They’ve won two straight low-scoring games by identical 2-1 margins. At some point, they’ll need to produce more offense if they want to qualify for the postseason. That starts with Hughes, who’s the straw that stirs the Devils’ drink.
Despite missing 18 games, he ranks third in team scoring with 31 points (11-20-31) in 32 games.
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