Katie Strang: It’s looking more likely that the Rangers will be trading Mats Zuccarello over re-signing him. Teams have been made aware that he is available.
David Pagnotta: As Strang reported, contract extension talks between Mats Zuccarello and the Rangers haven’t gone well. The Rangers have been listening to offers all week.
Pat Leonard: If the Rangers trade Zuccarello, it would be a money decision. They could maybe sign a cheap defenseman, trade for picks for Zuccarello and flip for a cheaper forward.
Pat Leonard: “It is Rangers’ job to do this due diligence, for sure. But it’d be tough to get better short-term by trading Zuccarello. I expect Rangers are finding out whether satisfactory return is possible on Zuccarello, then maybe revisit contract talks after doing their homework”
Mark Spector of Sportsnet: Teams may be able to get Blackhawks Antti Raanta as a “pot-sweetener” in a deadline deal or for likely a 5th round pick. It’s believed the Canucks would trade Zack Kassian. The Canucks could also look to trade Chris Higgins, but he’s got two years left at a $2.5 million salary cap hit. There haven’t been any contract talks between the Oilers and Jeff Petry leading up to the deadline.
