Captain For Captain: In one of the biggest deals ever, the Rangers and Lightning swapped captains with Ryan Callahan going to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis.
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In an absolute blockbuster of epic proportions, the Rangers have traded Ryan Callahan to the Lightning for Martin St. Louis. Astonishingly, the much ballyhooed rumor WFAN’s Boomer Esiason first leaked following the Olympic Break has actually happened. The deal became reality less than an hour ago. Of course, it wasn’t straight up. The Rangers threw in a 2014 second round pick and a first round pick in 2015 to complete the stunning transaction that sent Twitter into chaos.

Captain for Captain. There’s probably never been such a deal at the trade deadline. It’s as bold and daring as it gets. When it became official, I sat open mouthed. Apparently, Glen Sather wasn’t bluffing on holding firm to his final offer which was reported to be six years, $36 million for Callahan. Despite the two sides closing in on a new contract, apparently the no movement clause was a huge factor. When they re-signed Dan Girardi, he agreed to a limited no trade clause the first three years. The next three, he can be moved.

With the Rangers deciding they couldn’t afford to pay Callahan what he wanted due to the salary cap, Sather finally pulled the plug. St. Louis had indicated he wanted out of Tampa Bay and would only accept a trade to New York. That made it easier for such a deal to come down. In getting the electrifying 38-year old who’s tied for eighth in scoring with 61 points (29-32-61), the Rangers finally added another scorer to a roster starved for it. Adding him to Rick Nash, former Lightning teammate Brad Richards and Mats Zuccarello changes the dynamic. There’s little doubt that the highly skilled and speedy former Hart winner should fit into Alain Vigneault’s system. The big question is how much of an affect will such a move have on the locker room.

It can work. St. Louis has an incredible work ethic and is very coachable. He wanted a change. Tampa GM Steve Yzerman granted him his wish. It would’ve been easy for both clubs to hold onto their captains and wait till the summer. Unless he re-ups with his new team, Callahan is set to hit the market this summer. St. Louis is signed through next season and has a cap hit of $5.625 million. His 2014-15 salary will decrease from $6.5 million to $5 million. If he reaches free agency the following summer, he’ll be 40. St. Louis turns 39 June 18.

Such a trade is a huge risk. Sather is banking on St. Louis delivering for the short term. On paper, he should make the Rangers better. However, if you’ve followed this team you know how much Callahan meant on and off the ice. It wasn’t just about statistics. Rather intangibles that included his leadership on the bench and in the locker room. By subtracting their captain, the Rangers just became much softer. They weren’t a big or physical group to begin with. Callahan was the key ingredient that made them tough to play against. Now, it’ll be more geared towards offense and relying on Henrik Lundqvist in a run and gun. That style got exposed over the weekend in a 6-3 loss to Boston. A team they still don’t match up against.

Entering tonight’s pivotal home match against the Maple Leafs, the Rangers are clinging onto third in the Metro Division with 69 points. With last night’s win, the Blue Jackets have tied them but are the wildcard due to one fewer ROW (regulation overtime win) with the same amount of games (20) remaining. Both are only one up on the Capitals, who are on Wednesday’s schedule versus the second place Flyers. With their third win in four, the Devils have 67 and are two behind.

There’s no guarantee it’ll work. Given how great a player St. Louis is, you have to think the Rangers should be a playoff lock. If they don’t make it, Sather will have a lot of egg on his face. One of the stipulations for the trade is if the Rangers make the Conference Final in one of the next two years, Tampa sends them a pick back. One fact about the current roster is they are a win now team. At least Sather went for a player who fits that criteria.

Analysis: While it’s hard to argue against trading for a player of St. Louis’ stature, Sather gave up a lot. The 2015 first round pick in a very deep draft could come back to haunt them. I could’ve lived with it being a 2014 first rounder instead. It’s the reverse. The Lightning will get a second round pick this year and a first round pick next year. That’s quite a return for an aging star. If you want to look at the glass half full, I don’t believe St. Louis is close to done. Given the kind of shape he keeps himself in, he could play another five years. Nothing would surprise me.

Unless the Rangers reach a Stanley Cup Final, you have to rule the trade in favor of the Lightning. Sather has forever changed the foundation. It won’t be easy to replace what Callahan brought. Even if it probably was for the best long term. Like many, I will just be a very curious observer.