New York Rangers’ 2025 Trade Deadline Grades

If anything, Calvin de Haan feels like more of a throw-in. But you can make the argument that he alone is a better fit with the Rangers than Lindgren on the blue line. For the rest of the season, de Haan might only operate as the Rangers’ sixth or seventh defenseman – and there is no issue with that. He might be capable of playing up and down the lineup; the depth here is valuable.

But the most important aspect of the deal was getting the second-round pick. Before the trade, the Rangers were held without one of the choices through 2027. Now, the Blueshirts during the offseason can either use it at the draft or flip it for another player who can potentially help them in 2025-26 and beyond.

As for Lindgren, he gave everything he could to the Rangers. I always thought the upside with the 2019 second-round pick was a shutdown third-pairing defenseman. Well, he far exceeded those expectations and was a steady first-pairing defenseman for the most part in his Rangers tenure. The Minneapolis, Minnesota native played through a lot of pain and put his body on the line, which was something that led to a dramatic decline in his defensive game in the past two seasons, as sports analysis website SportsCasting recently pointed out. Just like Dan Girardi, Rangers fans can appreciate his services – but the time to move was overdue. Drury was right to be concerned that Lindgren’s troubling play last season could be more of a sign of what was to come, as we previously argued.

Now, perhaps Lindgren can find success in a new role with the Avalanche, logging less ice time behind Devon Toews and Cale Makar. While the Rangers would have liked a first-round pick-plus for the American defenseman in an ideal world, it’s hard to complain with the assets the organization got back here. Jimmy Vesey, in his second run in New York, rounded out the Rangers’ bottom six as a defensive stalwart at his peak at less than $1 million against the cap – but he did not provide value for the Rangers beyond 2024-25.

Grade A–

The Value for Smith Looks Better in Context

To Rangers: Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick in 2025

To Vegas Golden Knights: Reilly Smith

The Rangers also couldn’t afford to let Reilly Smith walk away without a return. At first glance, the assets received back might seem underwhelming – especially after Drury traded a second and a conditional fifth in the offseason to acquire the 33-year-old. But the context here matters. For one, that second wasn’t until 2027. Secondly, the third-round pick, which the Rangers flipped later in the trade deadline, was the San Jose Sharks’ third-rounder. Odds are they will finish as the worst team in the league, so in a sense, it could be thought of as a late second-round pick.

Also, let’s not overlook Brendan Brisson. He was a star at the University of Michigan, but unfortunately, things went south after turning pro. As a 23-year-old, in 2024-25, Brisson has posted just 19 points in 46 American Hockey League (AHL) games. Like Pärssinen, the Manhattan Beach, California native might benefit from a change in scenery. But first, he will need to find his game with the Hartford Wolf Pack, as he was sent to the AHL after the Rangers acquired him. It’s hard to see him getting an opportunity in the NHL this season, but perhaps he can make a positive impression on the coaching staff next training camp. I would rather take my chances on a reclamation project like Brisson rather than own a fifth-round draft selection, which has a far lower chance of turning into a regular NHLer one day.

Grade: B+

Dart Throw Taken on Carson Soucy

To Rangers: Carson Soucy

To Vancouver Canucks: 2025 third-round pick

Starting with the positives here, this is the exact type of thinking that matches what the Rangers should be looking at between now and the coming months: acquire assets and flip them for players that can help next season and potentially beyond. Carson Soucy fits that mold.

But a question remains if he will be the best fit with the Blueshirts going forward. To say the least, Soucy’s 2024-25 with the Canucks has been miserable. He has posted an expected goals (xGF) rate of 44.14 percent at five-on-five, ranking near the bottom of the list of Canucks defensemen this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. In 2023-24, he was much more effective, with an xGF rate of 51.13 percent.

The good news is Drury didn’t overpay and bought the 30-year-old with the Sharks’ third-rounder he acquired in the Smith trade. So there isn’t much risk involved. However, the Rangers are in desperate need of a top-pairing defenseman. Soucy is probably a safe bet as a stable bottom-pairing defenseman. While that does not necessarily mean he can handle top minutes next to Adam Fox, he should be given a shot. The 2013 fifth-round pick is going to get the rest of the season with the Rangers to audition himself for next season.

There are unknowns with this move, and it’s a bit of a dart throw by Drury. If Soucy doesn’t show the Rangers enough in the coming months, the organization should be able to trade him easily for a similar value to what he was acquired for. He will have just one year at an average annual value of $3.25 million. We’ll have to wait and see before we fully judge this trade. It might work out, but the odds are that he won’t be the solution on the left side of the top defensive pair, and the Blueshirts will still be looking to fill that spot between now and next year’s trade deadline.

Grade B-

A Potential Asset Given Away

To Rangers: Erik Brannstrom

To Sabres: Nicolas Aube-Kubel

This was the only trade the Rangers struck ahead of the deadline that was head-scratching. While Erik Brannstrom probably didn’t have a future in a Blueshirt sweater, he has shown flashes with his dynamic skating and ability to break out the puck on the blue line. Also, Brannstrom is still only 25 and has at least a year left under team control.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel, meanwhile, will be 29 years old in May and was immediately sent to play with the Wolf Pack following the trade. He’s also bounced between the NHL and AHL this season with the Buffalo Sabres. So, does Aube-Kubel ever even play a game with the Rangers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July? It feels like the Rangers gave away a potential asset that they could have deployed in a future trade for nothing here.

Grade: D

Overall Grade: B

Overall, the Rangers accomplished what was needed ahead of the deadline. Drury got multiple draft picks and added more young players. Some of those assets might be used in future trades, at the draft, or could be part of the organization’s future. The odds are that the Rangers don’t have their future first-pairing defenseman on the roster currently. But it’s easy to see why Drury wanted to take a shot on Soucy and hope he can shine and bring some stability to a flawed defensive core. Giving away Brannstrom wasn’t wise, but it probably won’t be too big a deal since the Rangers were probably never going to give him a shot anyway. So don’t put too much stock into the move.

Perhaps the Rangers left more to be desired on the brokering front, with around $16 million in deadline space, but you can’t say major changes haven’t been made. Since Dec. 6, Drury has made eight trades, which include saying goodbye to former captain Jacob Trouba and acquiring J.T. Miller. The organization will have more work to do in the offseason to complete the transformation, but now it’s time to evaluate some of the new additions from the deadline and younger players in the organization and see how they perform for the rest of 2024-25 as the team fights to qualify for the postseason.