The Rangers have some options to help improve their roster this offseason
Vincent Z. Mercogliano of LoHud: The New York Rangers now have the first overall pick to go along with nine other picks in the 2020 NHL draft. Winning the draft lottery options up some options for the Rangers this offseason.
Rangers GM Jeff Gorton when asked if he could move some picks in trades for players: “I think it’s reasonable to assume that we’ll be out there looking to see how we can better our team.”
The Rangers don’t have a lot of salary cap space to work with and need to re-sign some free agents.
Looking at some potential trade targets for the Rangers.
Sam Bennett (Flames) – may cost Alexandar Georgiev and a third-round pick.
Logan Brown (Senators) – may cost Georgiev and Yegor Rykov.
Anthony Cirelli (Lightning) – may cost Carolina’s 2020 first-round pick, Anthony DeAngelo, Lias Andersson or a defensive prospect.
Phillip Danault (Canadiens) – may cost Pavel Buchnevich, or DeAngelo, or Andersson, or Matthew Robertson.
Tomas Hertl (Sharks) – may cost Carolina’s 2020 first-round pick, Georgiev and Vitali Kravtsov.
William Nylander (Maple Leafs) – may cost Carolina’s 2020 first-round pick, Kravtsov, plus Georgiev and/or DeAngelo.
Jonas Brodin (Wild) – may cost Carolina’s 2020 first-round pick.
Olli Juolevi (Canucks) – may cost Georgiev and a third-round pick.
Hampus Lindholm – may cost Carolina’s 2020 first-round pick or Kravtsov, plus another minor prospect.
Don’t expect expanded playoffs next season
Sportsnet: It doesn’t sound like the NHL will be using an expanded playoff format in the future according to Elliotte Friedman.
“We’ve all enjoyed watching this and I was hoping it would create the momentum for the possibility of seeing this in the future… but this is not looking like it’s going to happen,” Sportsnet‘s Elliotte Friedman said on Saturday’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “There doesn’t appear to be the momentum for it and it doesn’t look it’s something that’s going to be tacked on to future NHL seasons.”