The New York Rangers are in its Stanley Cup window and one trade proposal has them acquiring a star defenseman to bolster the blue line.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Rangers acquiring Vladislav Gavrikov from the Los Angeles Kings.
Rangers acquire:
- Vladislav Gavrikov ($1 million retained)
Kings acquire:
- Ryan Lindgren
- 2026 third-round pick
The proposed deal does make sense as the Rangers and Kings swap struggling defensemen, but New York gets the better defenseman to help its Cup window.
Gavrikov is in the final year of his two-year $11.75 million deal with the Kings. The Russian could be the Rangers’ third-pairing right-shot defenceman and make New York have arguably the best right-side of its defense in the NHL. The Rangers would have Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, and Gavrikov. In his NHL career, Gavrikov has skated in 362 games recording 24 goals and 84 assists for 108 points.
In return, the Rangers would deal Lindgren who has struggled this season. Lindgren signed a one-year $4.5 million deal. He could replace Gavrikov on the blue line while he’s 26 so he fits in with the Kings core while they can use the draft pick to add another play or select someone to develop.
Rangers’ Lindgren’s Name Has Come Up in Trade Talks
Lindgren has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate at the deadline.
The defenseman has struggled this season as he has been demoted to the third-pairing. Given he makes $4.5 million, clearing his cap space to acquire another player makes sense.
NHL analyst Eric Willsen of EmpireSportsMedia claimed New York should look to deal Lindgren.
“Peter Laviolette has opted to move Lindgren down to the bottom pairing, playing alongside rookie sensation Victor Mancini,” Willsen wrote. “With Lindgren being moved down to the bottom pairing, and it being a contract year for him, trade rumors have already begun to circulate. The Rangers could expect a massive trade deadline later this season, so clearing his cap hit would certainly be helpful… It’s still too early to tell, but a possible Lindgren trade- whether to Utah or elsewhere, is certainly likely.”
If the Rangers could deal Lindgren for another defenseman, like this proposed deal, it does make sense for New York to move him.
Rangers Tinkering With Blue Line
New York has been trying to find the right third-pairing.
The Rangers demoted Lindgren to the third pairing to try and find some chemistry, but it has been Braden Schneider and Victor Mancini on the third pair. Zac Jones has been a healthy scratch which he says is difficult.
“Listen, nobody’s happy when they get scratched, that’s for sure,” Jones said. “You can ask anybody in this locker room. They’re not going to be happy when they’re coming out of the lineup. It is what it is. It’s a business decision. I kind of just took it for what it was and used it as a reset almost.
“Tried not to think about it as being the seventh or being the odd man out, more of just take a reset, take a break, clear your head a little bit and whenever I get that next opportunity take advantage of it.”
The Rangers are off to a 6-1-1 start to begin the 2024-25 NHL season.
