The New York Rangers are likely to shake up their roster this offseason after a disappointing year.
The website PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Rangers dealing Mika Zibanejad in a four-player blockbuster deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Rangers acquire:
- Tyler Bertuzzi
- Oliver Moore
- 2025 seventh-round pick
Blackhawks acquire:
- Mika Zibanejad
- Zac Jones
- 2025 fourth-round pick (Anaheim’s)
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster and one that does make sense for both teams as New York moves on from someone from their core while Chicago gets a star to help them rebuild.
The Rangers would acquire Bertuzzi, who’s in the first year of his four-year, $22 million deal. Bertuzzi would add some physicality to the lineup and give the team a different look. He’s recorded 21 goals and 21 assists for 42 points in 78 games.
New York would also acquire Moore, who was a first-round pick in 2019. The centerman has skated in 5 games, recording 0 goals and 2 assists, and would compete for a roster spot next season.
In return, the Blackhawks would acquire a fourth-round pick as well as Zibanejad, who’s the focal point of the deal. Zibanejad has five years left on his eight-year, $68 million deal. Zibanejad would add some much-needed offense alongside Connor Bedard to the Blackhawks’ roster.
The Blackhawks would also acquire Jones, who’s a solid NHL defenseman but is a pending RFA. He could be flipped for other assets or be a third-pairing defenseman for the Blackhawks, who appear to be loaded on defensive talent.
Rangers Involving Zibanejad in Trade Talks
With New York unlikely to make the playoffs last season, the Rangers will likely look to shake up their roster this summer.
The Rangers already traded Jacob Trouba and were shopping Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, among others. Zibanejad does have a no-trade clause and when his name was mentioned in trade talks, he didn’t seem too concerned about a deal.
“It’s something that was negotiated and earned,” Zibanejad said to The Athletic. “There’s a reason why there are clauses like that. That’s what it is right now. But I don’t think about anything. My focus has always been here. My focus has never been on anything else.
“Of course there are going to be more talks when we’re not winning,” Zibanejad continued. “And it’s New York, so there’s always going to be extra talk about the situation. That’s nothing new. I’ve been here for quite some time. I know how this goes. I’m just trying to focus on what we have at hand.”
Zibanejad has recorded 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points in 78 games this season with the Rangers.
Blackhawks GM Wants to Add More Talent to Team
Chicago was hoping to be a much better team this season, but that wasn’t the case.
However, entering the offseason, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson says the plan is to add more talent to the roster this offseason.
“It’s safe to say we’re likely moving away from that,” Davidson said after the trade deadline on March 7. “Making trades is hard, and you don’t necessarily take a player or a situation and be like, ‘I’m going to get another player in this, or I’m going to get draft capital in this.’ It either works that way or doesn’t. Money dictates that sometimes, but I think it’s safe to say we’ll look more at those types of trades or situations moving forward. We have a ton of draft capital.”
The Blackhawks are 22-46-10 and have the second-worst record in the NHL.
