Rangers lure elite talent from the West

The New York Rangers have acquired forward Vladimir Tarasenko in a massive deal.

Although the trade deadline is in a few weeks, the local New York Rangers and New York Islanders have made significant progress in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Following the New York Islanders trade that brought star center Beau Horvath to Long Island, the Rangers made their own big move.

On February 9, the Rangers sent Sammy Blais and Hunter Skinner — a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick — to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for star forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola. While this trade may seem simple, there are various caveats and questions associated with it. Each player and asset has an intriguing history and a noteworthy future.

Forward Blais is returning to St. Louis after a short two-year stint with the Rangers that began in 2021. Previously drafted by the Blues organization in 2014, he played for the club from 2017 to 2021 and won the Stanley Cup. in progress. An intelligent forechecker with an impressive physical sense, Blais cannot contribute to an attack, making him expendable. While the Rangers will miss his fitness, the organization will likely be able to find a better replacement for him through withdrawals.

Skinner, however, is a more intriguing name. A young defensive prospect drafted by the Rangers back in 2019, Skinner has been in various minor leagues, but he looks like he has some potential as an NHL player. However, after not making much of an impression on the Rangers front office, they let him go as part of that deal. He’s a bit odd for the Blues, given that he wasn’t drafted and still hasn’t scored in any league. Perhaps the Blues see his size, strength, and power as a benefit to both his minor league team and his role in the deep NHL. Still, it will be interesting to see if he develops into a powerful NHL regular.

The two picks that go to the Blues, especially the first-round draft pick, are where much of the value of this side of the deal lies. The Rangers have two first-round picks this year: the one they got in Dallas, and the other one. The Blues will get weaker of the two. However, if Dallas’ pick is in the top 10, the previous terms dictate that the pick would go to the Stars, and then the Rangers would get Dallas 2024 in the first round. If that happens, St. Louis will get the weaker of the 2024 first-round picks.

Potential 2023 first round player intrigues as this year’s draft getting ready to be one of the best in recent memories – comparable even to the 2015 and 2003 drafts. There are four or five players who could be selected first in other drafts, and all of the top 40 players are viable candidates for a successful NHL career.

Most teams are trying to stay in this year’s draft, so if you’re lucky, St. Louis could get a serious franchise asset.

Mikkala is the least valuable of the two players coming to the Big Apple. A solid third pair depth defender, Mikkola is a big, physical player with surprisingly good strides. He didn’t have much success in St. Louis, but a change of scenery and a move to a much more successful club this season should help him. In the playoffs, when the game gets more physical and fast, having a brutal defender is a very valuable advantage. In addition, with frequent injuries, any additional depth is useful.

The biggest piece in this whole deal is Tarasenko. A four-time All-Star, Electronic Arts Sports NHL18 cover athlete and Stanley Cup winner, Tarasenko is a superstar. Being stable winger with 30+ NHL goals, Tarasenko is an elite, clean shooter who adds reliable scoring to a team that feels too dependent on striped players. While his seasons have been inconsistent, this can be attributed to a longtime injury that kept him out of action during the 2019–2020 and 2020–21 seasons. Last season, when he was healthy, Tarasenko scored an incredible 34 goals and scored 82 points.

More recently, this season has been a difficult one due to a sharp decline in the quality of the Blues’ play, as well as perceived disagreements between Tarasenko and management. However, the chance to play compatriot Artemy Panarin and a much more dynamic club should lead to a quick increase in goals. The main reason this deal went through is because Tarasenko’s contract is expiring and the Blues have kept 50% of his salary. If possible, the Rangers should try to renew his contract, if only to trade him. However, the second half of the season has arrived, which means that hockey promises to be even more exciting.

Contact Ahan Sabherwal at [email protected]