Rangers May Look to Target Draft Picks in Upcoming Trades – The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis and More

Well, that’s officially it for Artemi Panarin on Broadway. Given the disappointing return of failing to produce a first-round draft pick, the New York Rangers may want to prioritize regaining premium draft capital in the next seller’s move before the trade deadline.

Related: Predicting the New York Rangers’ remaining trade deadline moves

Overall, given the circumstances, I actually don’t think general manager Chris Drury did as poorly as he got credit for in the Panarin trade. Don’t get me wrong, the return was disappointing, but the star striker didn’t give Rangers much flexibility given the freedom of movement clause.

But getting Liam Greentree, who is the Top prospect of the Los Angeles Kingsisn’t the worst consolation prize. He has a chance to become a top-six scoring forward if the Rangers can develop him properly.

Now the question becomes: what now? The Rangers have already acquired a quality prospect in a deal, with the organization needing to acquire at least a few more first-rounders in subsequent trades.

Check potential trade

Considering Trocheck’s near-point-per-game pace and favorable average annual value of $5.63 million over the next 3.5 years, the Rangers should absolutely be able to pull out a win. This is not the same as Panarin’s case, where Trocheck only has the power to block a trade to twelve teams, according to contract details at Puck Pedia. There will be a market for him.

Drury needs at least three major assets in return, and that’s certainly feasible considering Brock Nelson was able to land a first-round pick, a top prospect and a third-round pick as a rental last year.

You can bet that Trocheck will bring in at least a first-round pick in return, and then some. However, things get complicated for a team like the Minnesota Wild, who currently have just one first-round pick and currently no second-rounders in the next two drafts.

If the team ultimately becomes the Wild, the Rangers should target their 2027 first-round pick, young NHLer Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel as core pieces in a potential trade. But if you can seriously involve a team like the Carolina Hurricanes, which has more draft capital, Drury may want to target two first-round picks (one each in 2026 and 2027) and a top prospect.

Scenarios to consider with Schneider

While Trocheck will likely get at least a few premium assets in return, fans should expect much less from Braden Schneider. However, I feel confident in saying that his services will attract at least one premium asset, whether that be someone’s top prospect or a top pick.

First of all, Schneider is unique. He is a young defenseman in the NHL and has limited free agent control for several more years. The upside remains the ability to grow for the 24-year-old, who could now likely become a solid third defenseman on a Stanley Cup contender.

Normally, for a player of Schneider’s caliber, you can only get a second-round pick in one move right before the trade deadline. See, for example, the return that Brian Dumoulin achieved for the Anaheim Ducks last year. However, the age and the fact that this isn’t a typical strict rental situation should drive up the price and interest of bubble playoff teams.

Can the Rangers find a way to land a fantastic talent like Igor Chernyshov from the San Jose Sharks? If not, Drury should get a package centered around a first-round pick.

Other players who can make high and mid-round picks

With Schneider and Trocheck likely to bring back several of the Rangers’ premium assets, the organization has other deep players to sell to contending teams. This includes Taylor Raddysh and Sam Carrick. However, the Rangers are likely looking at second-, third- and mid-round selections if they choose to deal these players, rather than snagging a first-rounder or a top prospect.

Pending unrestricted free agents Jonny Brodzinski and Jonathan Quick are others who could potentially bring back more mid-round picks for the Rangers.

But the bottom line is this: If the prospects offered by teams in the Schneider and Trocheck trades aren’t ideal, prioritize draft pick compensation. The Rangers obviously don’t have to use all the picks they pick up in future trades before the deadline, but remember they become assets, with the organization having the flexibility to convert them if the right players become available.

With Drury having already acquired Greentree and likely at least another top prospect in a Trocheck trade, the Rangers may want to consider getting picky about acquiring more prospects. If not, take as many high-depth picks as you can get back.