The Rangers have to make early trades in the 2024-25 season

The New York Rangers are off to a slow start to the 2024-25 season. With 27 points from 23 games, the season is far from over, but they don’t look as good as last year. Their 114-point regular season resulted in a President’s Trophy, but did not equal a Stanley Cup. Now that a season is over, the Rangers should trade Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider soon.

These hypothetical deals have their roots in reality. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last week that GM Chris Drury was considering trading Trouba and Kreider. The report sent shockwaves throughout the hockey world and the Rangers did not respond positively. A loss to the Flyers showed why they need a shakeup and why these trades need to happen.

Kreider was the more surprising addition to this report as he is a career Ranger and plays at a high level. His nine goals in 20 games played puts him at about his career level, but he has no assists. For a team that has so many needs and is aging quickly, it needs younger players who can provide support. Kreider isn’t a great defender and if he doesn’t rack up assists, he isn’t valuable to this Rangers team.

A young team looking for an experienced spark would be wise to sign Kreider. The 33-year-old’s contract runs for two years after this season and costs $6.25 million per season. His reasonable cap hit makes the move easier, especially if the Rangers were willing to keep half of the deal.

The Colorado Avalanche had a similarly difficult start, but that was largely due to injuries. While goaltending is a more important need, they could use someone to come in and dominate the power play. Adding Kreider’s net-front game to Nate MacKinnon’s passing game would be a great combination.

The Rangers should swap their captain this season

The Friedman Report said nothing about Jacob Trouba that everyone didn’t already know. The Rangers captain was brutal in the postseason, took much of the blame for the loss to the Panthers and was on the trade list last summer. Despite being from Michigan, he used his trade protection to deny the Red Wings a trade. Now things are going downhill this season and Trouba hasn’t gotten much better. If they can avoid the 16-team no-trade list he submitted, sending him elsewhere would be beneficial.

Trouba is under contract through the 2025-26 season with a cap hit of $8 million. Although he has declined significantly in recent years, Trouba is only 30 years old and could bounce back in a new environment. The Red Wings would be a great fit as they have two young defensemen who could use a strong mentor. Simon Edvisson and Moritz Seider are the future of Detroit and if Trouba helps them develop, it will be a worthwhile investment.

The Utah Hockey Club would be an even better fit. The youngest member of the NHL is dealing with serious injuries on the blue line and could use another defenseman. Plus, they’ve been losing a lot lately and could use a big name to attract people to the arena. Trouba fits both categories and would be a great fit.

If the Rangers trade Trouba, they won’t get much in return. That’s why Utah is a great fit, as the Coyotes have their locker full of mid- and late-round draft picks. It’s enough for New York to get most of its cap hits off the books.

What comes after these veteran trades?

The first move Chris Drury should make after trading Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba is to re-sign Igor Shesterkin. Their goalkeeper is striving to become the highest paid goalkeeper in the league and is sticking to that line. While the Rangers’ future is in question, Shesterkin can stabilize a team with any skill set.

Other upcoming free agents include defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Artemi Panarin, whose contracts run until 2026. Expansion and adding new members to this core are the most important steps Drury should take.