Krider and Rangers 1st round pick (Winnipeg, let's say 24th overall), to Chicago for their 3rd overall and 34th overall?
Not sure Chicago would agree to that trade plus, I think they should hang on to Kreider. Getting the 3rd overall and an early 2nd rd pick would be great but, from what I've read there is a precipitous drop off in talent after Hughes/Kakko. The Rangers can still get an impactful player with the Winnipeg pick and hang on to Kreider who is a known commodity.
There isn't a chance in hell Chicago would do that. They are rebuilding as well. They also have cap issues with the monster contracts Kane and Toews have. They got lucky getting the third. They can get a kid who will be dirt cheap and can make an impact. Especially if they put him with Kane. The only chance I figure the Rangers have to move up is at 8 with the idiot Oilers or 10 with the Caschmucks. I figure Edmonton who is wasting McDavid's career needs to win now. Rangers also need to clear some players out to narrow their protected list down for the expansion draft. Jets first rounder, Fast, Pionk and Namestnikov for the Oilers 8th overall first rounder. This a more than fair deal. Those three players would help the Oilers a ton. Fast played hurt a lot last year. Their role player forwards are total garbage. Pionk is better than some of the crap defenseman they use. To Vancouver same deal but I would want a later draft pick back from them with the 10th overall.
I really like the idea of trading up but I don’t think we need to go all the way to 3. After Kakko and Hughes the talent isn’t necessarily underwhelming but there’s a group of 6-7 guys who would all be decent picks whether at 3 or 10. I’d rather trade much less and get the guy who slips to 8 or 9, as opposed to giving up more to pick a guy 3rd who IMO wouldn’t be that much more of a sure thing to justify the extra price. We have the extra ammo to make a move up and I’d rather get one more top end guy than another couple later 1st rounders- we’re already starting to see a bit of a log jam at certain spots among damn good but not elite prospects.
Dach, Cozens, Turcotte and Zegras are all legit center prospects that will go somewhere in the top 10. Any one of them would be a great pick at say 8. I’d stay away from the Russian winger, though I said that about Kravtsov and am eating my words. If Bryam the righty D somehow slips past 6 or 7 we should have him in our sights as well unless Gorton has a plan to get Fox’s rights from Carolina.
Yeah we're definately in a great spot having at worst 2 extra 2nds to go with 2 1sts. Add a 2nd and Fast/Namest to Winnipegs pick and bump up from like 22 to 11ish.
The team is very deep now in all areas. I think Gorton will be extremely aggressive trying to move up to 8 or 10. Plus as I said, protection with expansion draft will be a problem with players like Strome and Fast so might as well move one of them.
