With the NHL trade deadline now less than a month away it is
fair to ask if the New York Rangers should and or will make a deal between now
and February 28. The team has been a
surprise to this point in the season, currently sitting sixth in the Eastern
Conference, despite a string of injuries that likely should have crippled their
season.
The good news is that in the next month there is reason to believe
the team will get closer to full strength than it has been all season. Ryan Callahan who has missed the last 19
games with a broken hand and Dan Girardi who missed the last two with a rib
injury should be ready when the team begins again on Tuesday. After those two the team should see at
various points the return of Erik Christensen, Brandon Dubinsky and Ruslan
Fedotenko for sure, with Vinny Prospal being the unknown wildcard.
With the forward core on the mend and the defense core
playing excellent hockey, is there really a need for a trade? If there is what should be the area addressed
most?
The Rangers are far from a flawless unit as they lack a true
number one center; the power play is horrendous, especially at the point; their
D is very young and half of it lacks NHL experience; they are among the worst
in the league in faceoffs.
Any one of those areas being addressed could make the team a
more legitimate threat this season, and any of those moves that could be had
without giving up future assets I would be ok with doing. The best move for the franchise is to let it
play itself out and see where this group can take them. It was never about this year. It was always about building for the future and
in that they have succeeded. This year,
even as it is, has been a successful one for the franchise as it is has
integrated in a number of young players and they have shown their ability to
play well against the best players in the world.
Obviously there will be rumors between now and then and I
will look at some of them to see if they make sense for the team, but outside
of a faceoff guy or an Anders Eriksson type 7th D I do not see the
Rangers having to make any moves at all.
Think of all the returning pieces as guys acquired in trades, which
might not be that hard to do since many of them have been out for significant
amounts of time. If come March 1, 2011
the New York Rangers have not made another trade, I will be happy knowing the
future remains intact.
