Things keep getting CRAZIER…
things keep getting crazier as an NHL insider has revealed Chris J’s master plan for this off seasonason and that is acquiring not one but two young superstars in positions of need for this roster heading into next season and we’re going to break down all the details of this report in this episode of Rangers Digest because some of the details are insane and this team is going to look completely different come opening night of next season and we’re going to break it all down in this episode of Rangers Digest but before we do a quick reminder to hit that subscribe button about 74% of you who watch these videos are not subscribed to the channel so if you want to stay up to date with everything that’s happening with the Blue Shirts go down below hit that free subscribe button and you get to stay up to date with everything that’s going on with the New York Rangers but Brett today another bombshell report from Elliot Freriedman this time as it pertains to two superstars in the league one in particular that has been rumored to the New York Rangers you’ve done some videos on it i’ve done a video on it and that is JJ Purka but it’s becoming very real at this point before it was just a rumor a what if wouldn’t it be nice but at this point JJ Purka is going to get traded before it was told that you know JJ Purka is not happy in Buffalo him and his agent want out of Buffalo the Sabres didn’t want to trade him at this point from Elliot Freriedman this just dropped today as well you know they are now officially listening to offers he is on the trade block they are going to trade him and if you guys can remember back to the trade deadline I did a video on it the Rangers actually offered a first round pick and a roster player an active player on the roster for JJ Purka and the Buffalo Sabres said no so now at this point in time because of the situation they’re in I feel like the Rangers can take advantage of this opportunity and actually get him for maybe not necessarily less but a little bit less and we’ll get into what the return might be but what are your thoughts on this Brett first of all because you know I imagine you know we’re going to get into it there’s a certain player that would probably have to be involved in this trade i feel like this trade could actually be a lot bigger than just this and we’ll get into that as well but there’s so many moving pieces right now i feel like Chris Jury has his hand in so many different cookie jars and I think that’s a good thing because they have a massive opportunity in front of them here darius they certainly do have a massive opportunity here and this is a bombshell report like you said from Elliot Freeman and now it says the Sabres are all of a sudden listening to offers on JJ Purka who they had no interest in moving you know the Sabres have a ton of cap space and when they have a young player like JJ 23 years old on the rise they want to lock him up no problem no doubt about it the issue is is that the other party involved doesn’t want to be there has no interest in being there long term he made that clear his agent has really made that clear to Buffalo Sabres management and I believe that Sabers management must be thinking to themselves that if we continue to play this cat and mouse game we’re really going to have no leverage at all because you can see that they continue to lose leverage as the days pass by because the worst position in sports especially from a front office perspective is having a player that’s really good but has made it known to the whole entire league that he doesn’t want to play for your franchise anymore he doesn’t want to extend his contract with your team because what happens is you instantly lose trade value and the Sabres have now finally realized that if they continue to do this it’s going to be horrible for them and the Rangers absolutely will be involved on both of these players what I love about both of these players Darius both 23 years old and I keep preaching this the last three seasons and I always allude to this with Keandre Miller who keeps getting worse the Rangers clearly want players that are in the business of ascending not descending both players have taken massive strides these past three seasons and the Rangers and Chris Drury understand older stars it’s not sustainable anymore the Rangers had their run with the older stars up and down play it’s a it’s really a crapshoot from year to year these players are on the right track they’re going to come into a team with the Rangers with the right head coach who has seen it who has done it who has won at the highest level and you would not only get a game wrecker in JJ Purka you would get a lefty defenseman and Bo Byum that is very versatile could play up and down that line so yes I’m all in would definitely be interested in making the move for both of these players and like you mentioned you know uh and I I brought up at the beginning of the video I feel like this trade now with this new report could actually be a lot bigger than just getting either JJ Purka or Bo Byum like I brought up in a couple you know a couple videos ago or maybe a couple weeks ago at this point you know this could be a much bigger trade and I know that you’re a fan of JJ Peter like you brought up you need players who are ascending right now not descending or on the way out right you need players that are going to make a difference and these are two guys that I think will really find new life in New York and JJ Purka again just looking at his advanced analytics here all gas no breaks i feel like that is okay for what he is he’s an elite offensive player at his age and I feel like if he’s playing with guys like maybe Pat Paneran I feel like that could be a really good recipe for success now what’s going back the other way it’s pretty interesting Brett like you would imagine it’s got to be Alexi Lafrener and again we’ll get into the specifics of Bo Byum in a second and I feel like the trade could make a ton of sense because of other subsequent moves that are going to be made like moving out Amika Zabanagad which we touched on in a video uh or our last video but if you’re entertaining and this is from Blue Shirt Bulletin I think it’s an interesting point but if you’re entertaining a JJ Purka trade to solidify a young top six right-wing core alongside Alexi Lafrrener I think it can make some sense but if you’re considering trading it one for one it doesn’t make too much sense i could agree with this to a point but if you’re going to get Bo Byum as well Lafrenir probably has to be included in this trade and if you’re getting Bo Byum and also I’m just assuming you’re signing Gaov maybe Proverb as well one of those guys to kind of you know strengthen and lengthen the defense if you’re getting both of these guys this team looks way better and if you’re trading Lafrenir the other way it’s almost like canceling out for Purka except I think Purka maybe has a higher ceiling at this point and he’s going to make roughly the same amount of money on that contract so how do you feel about that you know are you do you really want to keep Lafrenir are you okay with letting Lafrenir go because I think that the trade would be a little bit bigger it wouldn’t be one for two that makes no sense but um you know if it is Bo Byron and obviously Peter coming back the other way for Lafrrenier and maybe a couple other pieces that makes all the sense in the world to me well yeah I am certainly okay with trading Alexe Lafernier in the right deal and Darius this would be the right deal i made a video about Lafernier about a week ago and I said I titled the video something like the Rangers must keep Lafernier something along those lines that they must not trade him but what I was alluding to in that video is that Lafrenier is coming off a bad season let’s just call it what it is he’s coming off a bad season started off great got the contract extension and we saw his play dip fast but you don’t want to trade a player like this with low value you just it’s not good business and I really believe that the Rangers should hold on to him but when you get presented an opportunity where the Sabres are looking to pick pick up the pieces here quite frankly looking to acquire some type of compensation not just draft picks but some some players that are ready to be inserted into the lineup right now who have played well who have shown flashes but maybe they believe okay we could further develop Lafernier like we did Purka like we did Bo Byum and others for whatever reason the Sabres are just not a great organization and they haven’t been able to put the pieces together they have a lot of interesting fascinating pieces we’re talking about two of them right now but Lafrrenier should certainly be traded in the right deal and I know Chris Drury doesn’t like to make significant trades in the Eastern Conference we’ve seen his track record but this is a player that is an upgrade i I’m not afraid to say that he is an upgrade over Alexi Lafrrenier considering the fact they’re both in the same draft Darius and Afraneier was a camp miss number one overall prospect and and Purka is a second round pick and the trajectory of his career is just insane right now the jumps that he’s made from year to year i get it all gas no breaks he doesn’t play defense but the Rangers need a game wrecker and whether it’s JJ Purka whether it’s a Jason Robertson something like that you know you can’t have it all the Rangers need a game wrecker and inserting him on that line with a Paneran who’s a playmaker with a JT Miller who is really aggressive he’s quick and he just controls the puck very nicely if you put him on a line like that or even with a Troche on maybe a second line who handles the puck nice plays a little bit more defense maybe than a JT Miller i just think Purka is a really nice fit Darius and he’s young he’s a game wrecker and he has the skill that Chris Drury really wants to bring to this Rangers team absolutely and I think that when you’re looking at the lineup right if you were to make a trade like this a lot of people at this point are probably asking how does this work how does this make the team better you know again like I mentioned I’m assuming that you’re signing maybe a Gabov or a Prov or somebody to play that topline pairing and if you brought in Bo Byum he could play on the second pairing with Will Borggan now your defense looks a lot better that is very competitive your forward group looks better because you’re essentially swapping out Lafrenier for JJ Purka who like you mentioned same draft but is playing a lot better putting in the work how does this work with the salary now we can kind of get into that because it is very interesting and if you look at Bo Byum right uh and on paper by the way this trade wouldn’t make too much sense for the Buffalo Sabres but their backs are kind of against the wall they’re going to have to make a move here and if you’re at least offering them Lafrenier who yes you might be selling low on it does make sense for the Sabres because at least they get a piece back so that could make some sense but um again he’s projected at $6.6 million with the Chris Krider trade you could afford this um and obviously JJ Purka 7.3 that’s what he’s projected at by the way JJ Purka 68 points in 77 games on the Buffalo Sabres very impressive much better numbers at the same age as Alexi Lafrennier so um you know $7.3 million if if Lafrenier is included in the trade you know you’re kind of canceling it out in terms of the contracts there so that could make some s sense we just talked about in a previous video that Mika Zabanagai could be on his way out if you’re freeing up $8 million that makes a ton of sense you still have cap flexibility you can still sign Will you can still sign Matt Rempy and then the team looks completely different it’s a little bit younger but you still have a good you know core group of players in terms of the leadership group which I imagine would be captain JT Miller maybe Vincent Troch as the assistant but that’s you know a story for another video but any final thoughts Brett on that because the salary I think would you know I hate to say work itself out but you know it would work they could be you know be able to make it work and I feel like this makes the Rangers younger and better and let’s not forget Bo Byron specifically has won a Stanley Cup before with the Colorado Avalanche so a very good piece yes a very good piece indeed and my final thoughts are here i don’t think the Rangers are you know necessarily one or two pieces away this off season from winning a Stanley Cup i really I really don’t see that i’m just in the business of playing it smart here and would you rather make the playoffs with some young ascending players like Bum like Beta or would you rather make the playoffs maybe go a game or two further or maybe just get bounced in the same fashion with some older veteran players i I really want to take that first route and it’ll be nice to have a mix of some young stars on the rise and also some some middling players like a JT Miller like a Troche you still have a veteran presence like an Orti Paneran who hasn’t really slowed down i mean this is a guy that is still at the top of his game i know he had last season you know when he had 120 points that was just absurd but this season I know he took a step back but 92 points is still very good and he’s playing at an elite level still so you kind of have a nice mix there you have some veterans you have some guys in the middle of their prime you have some guys on the rise so you just want to play it smart here the Rangers like I said Chris Drury clearly sees it Darius he wants to bring in players to help him win now make the playoffs this season but continue to push this narrative forward we keep talking about next year’s free agent class who knows what could happen Darius maybe this situation if the Rangers get these young stars maybe it becomes more attractive to some stars on the market next off season and then who knows where this thing could go so just play it smart get better but get better the right way absolutely and get younger I think right and not for the sake of getting younger but get some good get some star power in the lineup as well right which I think Purka and Bo Bowen Byron could help with that like you mentioned there’s some star players that could see this team as being attractive a young team that could use some leadership and you know is a superstar away from making a difference like a Conor McDavid like a Jack Eel it could become very attractive because the Rangers living in New York playing for the New York Rangers it’s attractive to free agents it really is and they can offer a lot of money uh next season as well because the salary cap is going up a significant bit every summer after this summer but let us know how you feel in the comments about a potential Lafrenier for JJ Purka Bo of course there would be other pieces involved in it but man I think this could make a lot of sense for the New York Rangers not even heading into next season but for the future this would you know establish perhaps a new core group of players it could be pretty interesting so let us know how you feel in the comments
Darius Domingues and Bret Botfeld break down a massive trade that would completely change the Rangers.
Rangers Digest is a YouTube Channel dedicated to bringing you the latest news, trades, reports, analysis and rumors surrounding the New York Rangers. We cover everything from game highlights and player performances to in-depth analysis of team strategies and management decisions. Our channel focuses on key players such as Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, Chris Kreider, and JT Miller, as well as the insights of Head Coach Mike Sullivan and General Manager Chris Drury. Join us for comprehensive coverage and engaging discussions on all things Rangers!
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27 comments
If we can get both JJ & Byram… that would be amazing
Players excel – – – after leaving Buffalo.
But what's the cost for either one? Laffy being gone is an extra benefit to NY.
Who's the competetionfor these players.
Devils fan here…I'm not trying to burst everyones bubble, but many many teams are going to try to trade for peterka, and quite a few will be looking at Byron too.
If you think the Rangers can just low ball the Sabres for a 30 goal scorer your out of your mind. Its going to take more then 2 players who didn't do so great this year.
No way Buffalo does that
If you were head of another team, what would you be willing to give up for K. Miller? How much money?
No no come on , the Rangers will give away half the team just to bring Marty St.louis out of retirement ,It doesn't happen like that …we don't get amazing deals, we normally we give away the kitchen sink and end up with washed up players……Callahan, McDonough, etc….amazing players and ended up with crap…..DOLAN MUST SELL THE RANGERS OR ELSE THE RANGERS WILL BE POLISHING THE CUP FOR THE KRAKEN NEXT SEASON
you guys are nuts. Laffy cannot leave. No one had a good year last year!!! Who was “great?!” No body!
Knies Matthews Panarin would be an awesome first line in Toronto in 2026 and possibly even beyond. 🐀
Laferenier is not getting traded, even if we go after Peterka. I love how you guys come to the conclusion that it would be Laferenier though…. just because. 😂
K miller laffy othmann for perterka byram
BB is one concussion from being Chytil 2.0 (who I love but we traded to VAN for a steal) Provorov is hot trash. K’Andre Miller can be developed be we actually need to do that. Paired with a healthy Schneider we don’t need to trade down.
Drury is killing this team, Rangers don’t bring players that make a difference the cap controls their moves. Don’t get your hopes up this trade won’t happen. 😂🤣😂
U guys r delulu. This team does not need another undersized dman. If u pay any attention to playoffs, u can clearly see teams who r successful have big bodies on d. We already have Fox, Jones is still on this roster( idk y). This team and shesty will get pummeled.
Bombshell?
Here’s one for you, Kevyn Adams says he doesn’t want to deal with the Rangers. Otherwise Eichel would be here.
Enough bombshells, Kreider traded is a bombshell, t he e rest are just rumors or speculation.
Sign me up!
As a Sabres fan I do think the Rangers can land JJ. Thing is the Sabres have full control with JJ. Outside of a Offer sheet that is 4 first round picks, the Sabres will match any offer even if its 2 first and a 7 year deal pissing off JJ. I think the Sabres need to play hardball with him.
However if the rumors are true that the Rangers want both Byram and JJ, and Lafreniere is a part of that package deal. I think the Sabres will be willing to move both. Things I think what the Sabres will want is both Lafreniere and Schneider. The Sabres want a RHD for a Power partner which Schneider is. Then then the Rangers need to throw something more into that trade.
Lets be Honest here we can see Lafreniere is not living up to his draft status or his contract. Schneider while a good stay at home defensemen. You are getting a #2 D in Byram and a 1st line winger in JJ who is playing far better than Lafreniere with less time in the NHL.
Are the New York Rangers gonna be the New York Rangers or are they gonna be the New York strangers?
No way – NOT worth it for BUFFALO, need more for the SABRES.
Byram sucks and is another concussion away from retirement
Where's the Cap space coming from???
I agree getting JJ and Byram but I want Tuch too (he is on the market as well). Now what goes to Buffalo? Laffy, K.Miller, 1st round pick and finish this trade out. Tuch is that big power forward to replace Kreider.
Laffy is absolutely horrific and yet in a long line of first round busts for the New York Rangers. You’ve got to get rid of this feeble and no talent player.
JJ and Tuch all day .. Byram no no no !!
Buffalo is the joke of NHL in the past decade. Ever since McDavid lost they haven’t regroup
Pterka is far from a superstar
The Sabres won’t trade with NY, not after the lowball disgrace offer they made for Eichel, wanted to give up a middle line guy and some 12th best prospect lol, didn’t even offer up bust Kakko Krappo
Sabres don’t need a left shot D at all