In a very interesting read, Joshua Smith at Puck
Press breaks down how the current, and a few future Rangers, came to be
part of the organization. It is amazing
how the ties to 1994 keep coming up even in the current crop. I have already looked at how Michael Sauer
was the best piece from the Brian Leetch trade, but as Joshua points out
Messier had a hand in bring in Callahan and Tony Amonte played a role in
Brandon Dubinsky’s drafting. Another
funny note is how many of these players that are taken with picks the Rangers
dealt to the other teams ended up being Rangers, even if for a short time.
Ryan Callahan – 2004, 4th round (#127 overall). In 2003, the CBA awarded a compensatory draft pick to teams who had an unrestricted free agent sign elsewhere. Planning to re-sign pending UFA Mark Messier, the Rangers traded him to the San Jose Sharks for a fourth round draft pick. The next day, Messier became a free agent and re-signed with the Rangers. The Sharks received a fourth round pick (#91) from the league, and the Rangers ended up with the draft pick that would eventually become Ryan Callahan.
This
was a frequent occurrence a few years ago in dealing away the rights to
players right before July 1 to ensure some level of compensation while they
could then re-sign them right after free agency started.
Brandon Dubinsky – 2004, 2nd round (#60 overall). In 2003, the Flyers picked up Tony Amonte from the Coyotes in return for prospect Guillaume Lefebvre and draft picks. Looking to trade down at the 2004 Entry Draft, the Rangers sent their second round pick (#50) to the Coyotes for the second round pick they’d acquired from Philadelphia (#60) and a third-round pick (#89). The Coyotes used that #50 to draft future Ranger (briefly) Enver Lisin; with the #60 pick, the Rangers selected Brandon Dubinsky.
Marc Staal – 2005, 1st round (#12 overall). With the Sharks very interested in Devon Setoguchi, they traded up to get the #8 pick from the Atlanta Thrashers, sending the #12, a second round pick (#49), and a seventh round pick (#207) to Atlanta. When Staal was still available at #12, the Rangers sent their first round pick (#16) and one of their three second round picks (#41) to Atlanta to be able to select him. With those two picks, the Thrashers picked up Alex Bourret (who would eventually become a Ranger, though very briefly) and goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.
People wonder why Atlanta had
trouble creating a winner down there and look no further than moves like this
in the 2005 draft. Instead of taking
Setoguchi or Staal they ended up with four picks that only netted them one NHL
player in Ondrej Pavelec. If you are
going to pass on guys like Setoguchi or Staal you have to turn those picks into
players.
Jesper Fasth – 2010, 6th round (#157 overall). This draft pick was acquired, along with a 2011 second round pick (#57), in the trade that sent Bobby Sanguinetti to the Carolina Hurricanes. Sanguinetti was originally drafted in the first round (#21 overall) by the Rangers in the 2006 Entry Draft.
I included this one in the rundown not solely because of
what Fasth can become, but because the second round pick in the Sanguinetti
deal was 1 of the 2 second rounders, along with Roman Horak the Rangers used to
get Tim Erixon from the Calgary Flames earlier this summer. Funny to think that the Rangers tremendous defense could be made of just one player that was selected with an original Rangers selection (Michael Del Zotto), even if Staal and Sauer were taken by the club.
Be sure to check out the full list for more interesting
routes some of the Rangers players have taken to get to Broadway.
