Two Star Players Suddenly Made Available by the Rangers and Both are Excellent Fits for the Maple Leafs
The New York Rangers have officially made two very big names available for trade and both are tremendous fits for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While a 12-6-1 doesn't look all that bad on paper, those 25 points are good for just 4th place in a very tough and competitive Metropolitan Division. The Rangers, whom many believed would challenge for the Metro Division title in 2024-25, are not satisfied with mediocrity, and now, some heads may roll for the mediocre start.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has reported on Monday that the Rangers are actually pondering trading two of their biggest pieces on the roster in forward Chris Kreider, and their captain, Jacob Trouba, on the blueline.
Among the names indicated are Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, although other options will be considered."
It's worth noting that Igor Shesterkin is reportedly looking to break the bank with his new contract, which could see him secure an $AAV at or above $12M by the time all is said and done, meaning that the Rangers could be looking to move some money around in order to facilitate his new deal.
The Rangers are coming off of back-to-back losses and have now lost 4 of their last 8 games. Management knows that a .500 record moving forward is not going to get them into the playoffs. Something's gotta give as we approach American Thanksgiving, which is typically when teams begin looking at their rosters and making moves to address their needs just past the quartermark of the season.
The Maple Leafs have been rolling of late, winners of 7 of their last 8 games, all without their captain, Auston Matthews. This team will definitely be looking to add ahead of the trade deadline, as they appear to be true contenders after bolstering their blueline and their crease this summer.
In Kreider, the Leafs would be getting a leader, a high-caliber goal scorer, and a very tough player to solidify the left wing position.
In Trouba, the Leafs would be getting a hard-nosed defensive defenseman who would force opposing team to keep their heads up whenever he's on the ice or face the threat of being blown up by a huge open ice hit.
Both players bring different elements that might appeal to the Leafs, and while they both have significant contracts to consider, the Leafs can also use some recent draft picks acquired in trades to have a third team come in and retain some salary to help broker the deal as we've seen them do so many times in the past.
At this point, Friedman has not indicated which teams might be interested in these players, but we know that Brad Treliving is often on the phone, checking in on different players around the league, so if these guys are available, it wouldn't shock anyone if Treliving calls the Rangers to inquire.
