With the 2015 draft a day away and today being the start of the "open talks" with free agents throughout the NHL, the rumors are flying everywhere. You can go on sites like TSN, The Hockey News, Hockeybuzz, etc. and see all the wild and sometimes not so crazy rumors out there. A big part of some of the rumors is common sense figuring out and some are liget like Dreger, McKenzie, etc.... The first common sense trade will be Cameron Talbot for a 1st round draft pick or a 2nd+ prospect since Dreger and Larry Brooks have reported the Rangers have already turned down a proposed trade for "multiple 2nd rounders". Once the Talbot trade happens, I would guess then the rest of the goalies and position players will be moved and the real fun starts for the draft where there is usually a few big deals that go down on draft day.
The Rangers trade rumors that I would love to see happen are: first I would like to see the Talbot for a 1st (if they hold out long enough for one of the teams of Edmonton, Buffalo, or San Jose to blink first) or the 2nd rounder and Martin Mancinin a 6'4" restricted free agent (think Tampa Dman Sustr type). Like I said last week, I could see the Rangers picking up Linback, who is a Swede and a big body of 6'4" to be used at the backup goalie for around $1 mil for 1 or 2 years.
The next deal I would like to see made is the rumored Yandle for Milan Lucic. Yandle is on the cheap again this season but then becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent and could run up to $7.5 mil caphit a year to keep. Time to move him is now if the if that deal is really there. Lucic (6'4" 235 pond beast that can also fight if needed), will be in his last year of the $6 mil caphit (really making $6.5 mil) and will probably sign for somewhere around the $6.5 (give or take ) on an extension of anywhere from 4-6 years.
Now that the backup goalie and a huge power forward, the Rangers could make the Rick Nash to Detroit deal that has been rumored. There has only been an overall rumor but I would love to see Danny Dekeyser (6'3" dman-25 years old) and Anthony Mantha (6'4" 190-20 years old) come back in the deal.
I know it's a dream world of deals and rumors, and only 1 deal out of 20 actually gets done for one reason or the other, but the Rangers essentially would deal Rick Nash, Keith Yandle, and Cameron Talbot for Milan Lucic, Danny Dekeyser, Anthony Mantha, Martin Mancinin, and the #33 pick in this years draft and gain over $1,5 capspace this coming year. The lines would look something like this if these rumors were to actually happen and the Rangers were to resign Martin St. Louis for $2 mil caphit($2 mil and $1 mil for easy bonus money), J.T. Miller for $2 mil caphit, Jesper Fast for $1.5 caphit, Derek Stepan for $6 mil caphit for 6 years, and Lindback for a $1 caphit.
You can switch guys and forward sides: and still have $2.5 mil cap to still use
Lucic----Brassard---Zuccarello
Kreider-Stepan----Miller
Fast---Hayes-----MSL
Glass--Moore----Mantha
McDonagh--Girardi
Staal-------Boyle
Klein-------Skjei
Mancinin
The King Henrik
Linback
That is just a quick overlook at some of my favorite rumors out there right now but don't count out just the Talbot deal happening either. The Rangers are really close and just need a tweak, not an overhaul. Players that rode the bench while the Rangers were on the latest playoff run over the last 2 years like Ryan Bourque, Ryan Haggerty, Dylan McIlrath, Oscar Lindberg, and Chris Summers seem to have the best shots to get an extra long look this summer. Good Luck to us all in Rangerworld over the next few days as there will be some changes. Which ones will actually happen is the question!! LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
