Rangers go massive with Patrick Kane

NHL

By Ethan Sears

March 3, 2023 | 3:11pm

So a lot occurred within the weeks main into March 3 that the commerce deadline itself was virtually anticlimactic by default.

Outside of some drama surrounding James van Riemsdyk’s vacation spot, as a reported commerce to the Red Wings was nixed, and Jordan Greenway getting dealt to Buffalo, Friday was fairly quiet.

But the NHL noticed a slew of high-profile strikes main into the deadline, with all three New York-area groups dealing for superstars.

The Post’s Ethan Sears grades probably the most energetic groups.

New York Rangers — Grade: A

The Rangers are the NHL’s largest winners on the deadline, including Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola, Tyler Motte and Patrick Kane to a lineup already filled with stars.

Tarasenko and Kane, whose saga got here to an finish on Tuesday after an extended dalliance and appreciable cap-saving measures, add an enormous scoring punch to the lineup.

The expectation on Broadway is now Stanley Cup or bust.

New Jersey Devils — Grade: B+

We would have favored to see the Devils add a bit extra sandpaper and playoff expertise to a younger lineup, however a megadeal that despatched Timo Meier to Newark remains to be wonderful work from GM Tom Fitzgerald.

The Devils’ prime six is packed to the gills now with Meier, who comes having scored 52 factors in 51 video games with the Sharks this season.

With him being a restricted free agent this season, Meier will seemingly be a Devil for a very long time to come back.

New York Islanders — Grade: B+

The Islanders made the primary massive splash of the season by buying Bo Horvat for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a conditional first-round decide all the best way again on the finish of January, then inking Horvat to an eight-year extension.

Getting the celebrity middle locked down for the long run will get them the grade right here, and including rental winger Pierre Engvall to the combo at the price of a future third-rounder was a needed transfer for a playoff run.

Boston Bruins — Grade: A-

The Bruins had been already favorites, they usually bolstered their probabilities of successful the Stanley Cup for the primary time since 2011 by including Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov from Washington, plus Tyler Bertuzzi from Detroit.

By buying and selling their first spherical decide this season and conditionally subsequent season, the Bruins are pushing all their chips in to win now, however that appears just like the sensible factor to do with their NHL-leading file and an older core. 

Vancouver Canucks — Grade: C

Filip Hronek is an effective defenseman, however dealing away the Islanders’ first-round decide plus their very own second was a head-scratching transfer for the Canucks, who’re simply now beginning a rebuild.

The return for Horvat was tremendous, and Beauvillier has produced since his transfer to Vancouver, however that decide was arguably probably the most helpful piece of the deal.

Getting a third-round decide for Luke Schenn is just about as anticipated, and there are worse issues than taking a flier on Vitali Kravtsov, who clearly wanted a change of surroundings from Broadway.

Ottawa Senators — Grade: B+

The Senators wanted a defenseman they usually ended up with Jakob Chychrun, seemingly the perfect participant available on the market and somebody below contract via 2025.

That might assist them make a playoff push this yr or subsequent, and it got here at a comparatively low price in comparison with what the preliminary asking worth for Chychrun was considered when he got here available on the market over a yr in the past. 

Philadelphia Flyers: F

We are just a little bit confused by the Flyers, who publicly declared themselves sellers solely to have Zack MacEwen and Patrick Brown be the one gamers traded away, with the online return of a 2023 sixth spherical decide, a 2024 fifth spherical decide and Brendan Lemieux.

A scuttled commerce that may have despatched James van Riemsdyk to Detroit requires rationalization from Chuck Fletcher, and signifies that the pending unrestricted free agent will seemingly depart Philadelphia for nothing.

Ditto for holding Justin Braun, who confirmed final yr with the Rangers that he will help a playoff crew.

Toronto Maple Leafs — Grade: A-

Over a two-week span, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas performed what might virtually be described as a roster reconstruction, dealing for Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty and Erik Gustafsson whereas shedding Engvall, Rasmus Sandin and a handful of depth items and picks.

The result’s a Leafs crew that appears significantly better outfitted to tackle the Lightning in an anticipated first-round collection with extra toughness and compete degree up and down the roster.

Detroit Red Wings — Grade: B-

From a purely pragmatic standpoint, Steve Yzerman’s strikes had been comprehensible. Getting a primary and second-round decide for Hronek is a superb return, as is a 2024 first and 2025 fourth for Bertuzzi, an expiring contract.

Getting rid of Jakub Vrana’s contract, which provides extra cap flexibility, made sense as nicely.

But for a winning-starved fanbase and with a crew in playoff rivalry for the primary time in a very long time, it’s robust to swallow.

Just have a look at Dylan Larkin’s feelings in a press convention to announce his personal eight-year extension in Detroit on Thursday.

The Red Wings, sooner or later, want to begin seeking to win now as an alternative of later.

Nashville Predators — Grade: A

On the opposite aspect of the coin, the Predators lastly appeared to acknowledge as a corporation {that a} teardown is required, dealing away Nino Niederreiter, Tanner Jeannot, Mattias Ekholm and Mikael Granlund, with principally picks coming again in return.

The 5 picks that got here again from the Lightning for Jeannot alone make this deadline a win for David Poile, who shall be stepping down for Barry Trotz on July 1.

Columbus Blue Jackets — Grade: B+

This deadline was about accruing picks and cap house for Columbus, which efficiently did each.

Offloading Gustav Nyquist to Minnesota, Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov to Los Angeles and Jonathan Quick — a Blue Jacket for all of some hours — to Vegas, Jarmo Kekalainen introduced again a conditional 2023 first and fifth spherical decide in addition to a third-round decide in 2024 and a seventh-round decide in 2025.

Trading Jakub Voracek to the Coyotes, at the price of attaching a 2023 sixth-rounder, added $8.25 million of flexibility to their cap as nicely. It’s not thrilling, however it’s sensible.