On Saturday, the New York Rangers got a lot younger by subtraction.
Marc Staal, and a 2021 draft pick, was sent to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations.
Staal, 33, was the odd man out as the Rangers have a waiting list for defensemen longer than the Broadway hit, Hamilton, when it reopens.
Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers
“The trade accomplishes a couple things,” Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said. “One, as part of our rebuilding process, we’re trying to add draft picks, prospects, young players, future assets, really, to help us down the line. That’s kind of where we are. In this trade, obviously we’re acquiring … we get a second-round pick in the [2021] draft. But also we have to ice a team. We’re trying to be competitive. We’re trying to improve at the same time. So in this deal, not only [do] we get a defenseman that will go right into our lineup, that plugs a huge hole for us, we add future assets as well.”
Staal will be in his final contract year next season and the Rangers needed cap space freed up.
“We’re looking to fill spots on the left and right side to be honest,” Yzerman said. “There’s a huge hole on our [defense]. We won’t be bringing back Jonathan Ericsson. We won’t be bringing back Trevor Daley. (Each will be a free agent). So there’s two spots on our left side that need to be filled, and we have Patrik Nemeth, Danny DeKeyser (eight games last season, back injury), and Marc Staal fits in nicely on the left side. He’s a good, solid defender, good size (6-foot-4, 209 pounds). Obviously he’s been in the League a long time. He’s a good penalty killer. So he plugs a hole for us on the back end.”
Staal has been a blueliner for the Rangers for 13 seasons.
“I would like to thank Marc for everything he has given to the New York Rangers during his 13 seasons with the team,” Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton said. “The success we had throughout Marc’s tenure, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, would not have been possible without his tireless efforts on and off the ice. The respect we have for Marc is immeasurable, and we wish him and his family all the best.”
It’s been 26 year since a Stanley Cup was skated around Madison Square Garden, and the closest the franchise has come was 4-1 series loss to the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
This is a business and making room for new talent and new monies is essential.
“Marc Staal has been an exemplary hockey player, teammate, and person from the moment he joined the New York Rangers organization,” Rangers President and Alternate Governor John Davidson said. “A consummate professional, Marc’s perseverance and dedication to the game made him such an integral part of our organization. Marc, his wife Lindsay, and his children Anna, Emily, and Jack will always be a part of the Rangers family, and we wish them all the best going forward.”
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist #30 and Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers battleTravis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers
The Rangers missed the playoffs in the 2018 and 2019 seasons and this season they lost in the play-in tournament to the Carolina Hurricanes in three straight embarrassing games.
There is a wealth of talent in the organization, something that has not been commonly said of the Rangers for generations. The club also holds the number one selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft set for early October.
The Rangers are expected to select Alexis Lafreniere, with the selection. There have been rumors of trading the pick, but that seems to be a reach.
“I feel like things are coming together, there’s a lot of work left to be done, don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but I think it’s a good night for Rangers fans,” Gorton said after learning they would pick first. “It’s never happened before for the Rangers, the first time ever picking first. That’s a long time.”
A late season charge by the Rangers was derailed by the #COVID19 shutdown of the NHL. New York was just a few points back of playoff spot and playing their best hockey of the season.
The play in tournament was a disaster that exposed the roster for its inexperience in big situations and also showed them for their timidity. They held a lead in the three-game series for less than two minutes.
They need deeper scoring punch and more production from last season’s number two selection in the Entry Draft, Kaapo Kakko.
Taking pressure off the second year prospect may be the trick.
Marc Staal may the first, but he also may not be the last move from Gorton and Davidson.
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