Yes, it’s early in the regular season. The trade deadline is still months away. But everyone knows the New York Rangers’ season won’t be judged on what’s happening now. It all comes down to the playoffs. And by the time those games come around, New York’s roster will likely look different.
General manager Chris Drury will surely aim to add at the deadline. Having another center could provide injury insurance, and he could also look to supplement his group of defensemen, who have been inconsistent to start the year. PuckPedia projects New York to have around $2.7 million in deadline cap space, which means it will have a bit of flexibility to add, especially if another team retains salary on a traded player. The Rangers don’t have glaring holes in their roster, but depth matters. The best playoff teams usually have good players watching from the press box when fully healthy.
With Chris Johnston’s trade board up and running, let’s take a look at a few names on the list who could make for intriguing Rangers targets, plus a few others not on Johnston’s list.
The defensemen
Marcus Pettersson, Pittsburgh
$4.025 million cap hit
No. 2 on Johnston’s board
Pettersson’s numbers (nine points in 21 games entering play Friday) aren’t overly flashy this year, but he’s been a reliable defenseman for the Penguins. Even last year, during a disappointing year for Pittsburgh, he was a team-best plus-28, double the No. 2 Penguin (Drew O’Connor, plus-14). Plus-minus is a flawed stat, but generally if a player has that good a mark, especially compared to his teammates, it’s telling.
“He’s skilled enough to play with other skilled players,” said Josh Yohe, one of The Athletic’s Penguins writers. “He’d be a good fit (with the Rangers).”
Pettersson plays on the left side, which could fill a need for the Rangers. Ryan Lindgren has had an up-and-down start, and coach Peter Laviolette doesn’t seem to fully trust Zac Jones. He scratched him earlier in the season and plays him less than any other defenseman.
Johnston put Ivan Provorov as No. 1 on his trade board, but he said the Blue Jackets will likely net a first-round pick for him. Pettersson might be more affordable, though that’s not a guarantee. He won’t come cheap.
Cody Ceci, San Jose
$3.25 million cap hit
No. 22 on Johnston’s board
Ceci, a right shot, went on a long playoff run with Edmonton last season, reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He’s a capable penalty killer and more of a defensive defenseman, which might be a bit redundant with some of the players New York already has, but he’s worth keeping an eye on as a depth option. San Jose is using all three of its salary retention spots, though, so it would not be able to help out on salary cap relief. A third team would have to get involved to take half of Ceci’s cap hit, and that team would want a draft pick in return.
Alec Martinez, Chicago
$4 million cap hit
Not on Johnston’s board
Seeing both Martinez and Jonathan Quick on the Rangers might be too much for New York fans after the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, but there’s a reason Martinez consistently gets ice time on good teams. The 37-year-old left-shot defenseman won the Stanley Cup twice with Los Angeles and once with Vegas.
Chicago, a struggling team, is counting on Martinez more than the Rangers would need to. Colleague Mark Lazerus, who covers him, said he can be “useful in a lesser role on a good team.” And who knows, maybe he’ll chip in a big goal. He’s been known to do that.
Ian Cole, Utah
$3.1 million cap hit
Not on Johnston’s board
Cole has bounced around the league, generally on pretty good teams. He has played in postseason games each of the past 10 seasons, representing seven clubs and winning the Stanley Cup twice with Pittsburgh. He signed with Utah and is on a tradable contract if the Hockey Club is willing to retain salary. Cole had a strong 2023-24 for Vancouver but suffered a cut that required stitches during the Edmonton series that negatively impacted his play.
“Cole is just a smart defender who knows how to play winning hockey,” said The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, who covered him last year in Vancouver. “Cole isn’t just a big-bodied, clear-the-net type defender whose effectiveness is limited by how much time he spends in his own end, he’s a sharp outlet passer and has the feel for pressure to get play moving the right way consistently. He’s also versatile enough to legitimately play the left or right side ably and is an excellent penalty killer.”
The centers
Mikael Granlund, San Jose
$5 million cap hit
No. 5 on Johnston’s board
The Rangers have a solid center group of Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil and Sam Carrick, but center depth is always a positive.
As with Ceci, a third team would have to get involved to cut down on Granlund’s cap hit since the Sharks have already used all three of their retention spots. Granlund has been nearly a point-per-game player since joining the Sharks ahead of the 2023-24 season. Obviously, he will get less opportunity on a better team, but he still could bring offensive depth to a lineup. And, as with many of these centers, he could move to the wing if needed.
Yanni Gourde, Seattle
$5.167 million cap hit
No. 14 on Johnston’s board
The Rangers’ front office liked Barclay Goodrow, Gourde’s Tampa Bay linemate, enough to sign him ahead of the 2021-22 season. Gourde’s offensive numbers (seven points in 20 games) are down this year in Seattle, but he could fill a role in New York as Goodrow did. He’s a feisty player who, at his best, is a pain to play against. The Rangers could have a tough time fitting in his contract unless Seattle eats half of the cap hit and a third team gets involved in the deal to retain 50 percent of the remaining cap hit. That would bring the cap hit down to a palatable $1.29 million.
Radek Faksa, St. Louis
$3.25 million cap hit
No. 13 on Johnston’s board
Faksa is a forechecking fourth-liner who could come in and out of the lineup for a team like the Rangers. He has playoff experience from long runs with Dallas, which never hurts. New York wouldn’t want to pay his full cap hit, but the Blues could retain 50 percent.
Nick Bjugstad, Utah
$2.1 million cap hit
No. 23 on Johnston’s board
At 6 foot 6, Bjugstad has size, and he’s coming off a 22-goal, 45-point season. He’s an ideal bottom-six center: someone who can generate offense while also remaining consistent on the defensive side.
Nico Sturm, San Jose
$2 million cap hit
Not on Johnston’s board
Sturm and Faksa are players who would be primarily depth adds: centers who can come in and out of the lineup as needed. The 6-foot-3 Sturm has some size and forechecks hard, and he won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022.
A reunion candidate
Frank Vatrano, Anaheim
$3.65 million cap hit
No. 6 on Johnston’s board
Vatrano doesn’t make a ton of sense on the Rangers’ roster after the Reilly Smith addition, but his manageable cap hit and familiarity with the club make him worth mentioning. He had 13 points in 20 playoff games in the Rangers’ 2022 run to the conference final, and he put up a career-high 37 goals with Anaheim last year.
A potential big swing
Mike Matheson, Montreal
$4.875 million cap hit
No. 19 on Johnston’s board
Matheson isn’t a pending free agent like the other players on this list. He’s got another year on his deal, which will both raise the price on acquiring him and lead to further cap ramifications. The 30-year-old is a strong offensive defenseman, though, with 13 points this season and 62 last year. He could slide into the Rangers’ top four, perhaps on the left of Jacob Trouba, whom he fought earlier this year. New York would have to pay a hefty price to get him, but it could be worthwhile in a year with high stakes.
One caveat: Canadiens executive Jeff Gorton might not be overly excited at the prospect of doing business with the Rangers, who fired him in 2021. If the Canadiens brass decides to move Matheson and has multiple good offers, New York probably won’t be Gorton’s top choice of a team to help out.
(Top photo of Marcus Pettersson: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
