{"id":458216,"date":"2026-02-14T21:06:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T21:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/458216\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T21:06:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T21:06:17","slug":"2026-nhl-trade-deadline-primer-new-york-rangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/458216\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Rangers are right back where they started after releasing a letter to their fans in February 2018. The front office attempted to prepare their supporters for a rebuild when they released that letter, but a series of events that led to Artemi Panarin<\/a> falling into their laps caused them to change course and attempt to contend. The best they could do was two Eastern Conference Finals losses, and now, as the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline approaches, the Rangers have released another letter<\/a> outlining plans to kick off another retool. <\/p>\n

Rangers Status at the Trade Deadline: Sellers<\/p>\n

Ironically, the Rangers\u2019 first retool ended when they signed Panarin, and now the next one begins with them trading him to the Los Angeles Kings before the Olympic break. There is no reason for Chris Drury<\/a> to rest on his laurels now, as any player with value should be up for discussion at the deadline. With Panarin out of the picture, Igor Shesterkin<\/a> and Adam Fox<\/a> out with injuries, an aging core, and not a whole lot of prospect depth, the Rangers\u2019 only path forward is to be sellers. <\/p>\n

Rangers\u2019 Salary Cap Space<\/p>\n

The Rangers currently have $6.4 million in cap space<\/a> with Fox on long-term injured reserve. They\u2019ll likely further increase that space by trading some of their big contracts at the trade deadline, and they\u2019ll also get Panarin\u2019s retained salary off the books this summer. Chris Drury has the chance to free up a ton of space to go big-name hunting in free agency, but there aren\u2019t a whole lot of prizes left, and he\u2019d risk running into the same mistake as the front office made in 2019 when they signed Panarin and paused the retool. <\/p>\n

Rangers\u2019 Trade Chips<\/p>\n

Vincent Trocheck<\/a> is the most certain trade chip<\/a> to be heading out the door before the trade deadline. The two-way center can produce points at a top-six clip, kill penalties, play reliable defense at five-on-five, and is also an elite faceoff man. He has three years remaining on his contract after this one with a manageable $5.625 million annual cap hit. <\/p>\n

\"VincentVincent Trocheck, New York Rangers<\/p>\n

Braden Schneider\u2019s name is another making the rounds<\/a> in trade rumors. While trading a 24-year-old, right-shot defenseman seems counter-productive to a retool, his upside isn\u2019t as high as New York would want, and he is still due for a raise in the offseason. The return a young right-shot defenseman would get on the open market is more valuable to the Rangers than keeping him on the roster. <\/p>\n

Alexis Lafreniere<\/a> is another rumored name for Drury and the Rangers. He has shown flashes of the brilliance that made him a first-round pick, but the play is too inconsistent for the Rangers\u2019 front office to stomach. Drury won\u2019t make the trade unless the return is worth it, given his age and upside, but the general manager will leave no stone unturned at the trade deadline. <\/p>\n

What Are They Buying?<\/p>\n

Acquiring Liam Greentree in the Panarin trade was a good start to restocking the prospect cupboards. However, there is still a long way to go, and Greentree doesn\u2019t move the needle as much as fans thought in their expected return for Panarin. The Rangers already have two first-round picks this season and six picks in the first three rounds. Draft assets will still be welcome for Drury, but you have to think he\u2019s looking to land at least one top prospect. <\/p>\n

Bottom Line for the Rangers<\/p>\n

New York can\u2019t take any half measures when it comes to this retool. They did it in 2018 and missed the playoffs over the next seven years as often as they made the Eastern Conference Final. Panarin was a big-name addition for the franchise, but in the long run, attempting to contend with their organizational depth was crippling, with little success to show for it. <\/p>\n

Next: Rangers Top Center Won\u2019t Be Following Panarin to the Kings<\/a><\/p>\n

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