The 2024 NHL Draft is just days away and trade rumors around the league are heating up as a result. The New York Rangers have been linked to nearly every star on the trade block as general manager Chris Drury seems determined to revamp the roster this offseason.
But not only are the Blueshirts contemplating which star to trade for, but they are also deciding on which players and prospects they will make available to trade away. According to a recent report, a number of core players are on the table, and so is nearly every prospect in the Rangers’ pool.
The Rangers are open to trading nearly any prospect in their pool
The Rangers have made several core players available for trade this offseason, per Vince Mercogliano of Lohud. Wholesale changes could be coming this summer as the Blueshirts could trade away the likes of Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Lindgren.
Also according to Mercogliano, the “belief around the league” is that the Rangers will also make available for trade “this year’s first-round pick at No. 30 overall and any prospect not named Gabe Perreault.”
The Rangers’ prospect pool has some talent, but simultaneously leaves a lot to be desired. Their pool ranked No. 19 in the 2024 NHL prospect pool rankings earlier this year. The group is headlined by 2023 first-round pick Gabe Perreault — the prospect aforementioned by Mercogliano who Drury has labeled off-limits in any trade scenarios.
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Could Brennan Othmann be traded this summer?
Outside of Perreault, anyone is on the table, including 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann. Seeing that Othmann could be available for trade might come as a surprise to some Rangers fans. The 21-year-old winger received some NHL playing time last season amidst a stellar campaign in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. There is some belief that, with a little more development, Othmann could become a core player for the Rangers as early as next season.
Othmann would be a valuable bargaining chip in any potential trade, however. The Blueshirts seem intent on adding premier veteran talents to their lineup in an effort to maximize their championship window.
If the right superstar becomes available, Drury will need to decide whether or not he is willing to mortgage the team’s future to win now. Trading away a prospect like Othmann could be the key to adding that next star, but would severely diminish the talent left in New York’s prospect pool.
