trade/signing target: Steven Stamkos

It’s a tough decision for BriseBois to make, but it’s worth considering. At 31 years old and with three seasons remaining at $8.5 million, Stamkos still has value on the trade market despite his high cap hit and recent health problems. The first-overall pick in the 2008 Draft played only 95 of 126 games over the last two seasons due to injuries, and only a short part of one game in the 2020 Playoffs, although he still managed to score a key goal, of course.

 

Stamkos’ effectiveness wasn’t at all compromised by injury, as he recorded 100 points over those 95 contests. He played in all 23 of the Lightning’s games in the 2021 postseason and recorded 18 points.

 

So, would he fulfill the Rangers’ needs? Faceoffs: A career-best 57.2 win percentage in 2020-21 and five straight seasons of at least 52.2 – check. Two-way play: A career Corsi for percentage of 57.0 – check.

 

Stamkos and Mika Zibanejad would give the Rangers the 1-2 punch at center they’ve craved for some time, and he would be a perfect fit on the roster. He is still in his prime and plays the type of game that’s aging well – provided, of course, that the injury bug doesn’t become a constant later in his career. His healthy postseason run in 2021 provides at least some encouraging evidence that the past two seasons will prove to be outliers – though he has dealt with some injury issues in his 13 NHL seasons.

 

However, Stamkos’ timing would be perfect for the team, in the dressing room, and on the bench. Though the parallel is hardly perfect, another star centerman came to Broadway via trade at about the same age as Stamkos and transformed the franchise: Mark Messier.

Stamkos’ contract, while also a big one to swallow, expires after the 2023-24 season, two years before Eichel’s. It wouldn’t haunt the Rangers’ cap situation deep into the future and should make re-signing Zibanejad to a big extension more feasible. There’s also a limited number of teams that can absorb the contracts that Tampa Bay wants to trade – especially with a flat cap next season. However, with upwards of $20 million in cap space for 2021-22, the Rangers are among them.

 

Though Eichel is seven years Stamkos’ junior, ownership and management have made it clear that they don’t consider the overwhelmingly young roster an asset. Dismissing the former regime – president John Davidson and Jeff Gorton – by owner James Dolan was done, in part, because Dolan felt the club was moving too slowly; that contention was too far away after three-plus seasons of rebuilding. That new management is expected to try to add a veteran defenseman who can play significant minutes this offseason seems to be in line with that thinking.

 

We know the club has a leadership void. There are not enough experienced, respected voices who can direct a bunch of talented kids who need just that. The Messier acquisition was criticized by some at the time for bringing in an aging player who didn’t have much left. Instead, Messier proved to be the missing ingredient, the veteran presence who generated urgency and imposed a championship goal around which the entire organization rallied. Could Stamkos do that too?

https://thehockeywriters.com/rangers-another-messier-effect-stamkos-trade/

--

Interesting take..... at first I thought hell no but after reading, im open to the idea.

rather have Landeskog if we're adding a vet as he can play center and might not even have to trade for him

If Colorado let’s him hit free agency drury absolutely needs to find a way to add him

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Colorado let’s him hit free agency drury absolutely needs to find a way to add him

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd even swap Buch or Chytils rights for his if he signs prior but i still think its all just chatter and Landeskog wont be leaving COL.

I'd even swap Buch or Chytils rights for his if he signs prior but i still think its all just chatter and Landeskog wont be leaving COL.

I agree. I know he was upset they havent reached a deal yet but honestly there is still plenty of time for that.

So tired of still hearing about Messier and '94.

Don't want Stamkos. Don't need a center that's not a bull for the 3rd line.

I'll pass.. He's on the wrong side of 30 and has a history of core and lower body injuries.. And if we are being honest, he's a much better regular season guy.

He's like a point-a-game playoff guy, dude. Cmon.

It's not the worst idea, honestly. I like the idea of Stamkos a helluva lot more than Eichel. But history tells us Rangers trading with Tampa (Yzerman in DET now aside) means they'll still somehow lose out... hard.

It's the rule of pro sports - never trade with Tampa.

Why would anyone want Stamkos at his cap hit.

Just gonna go out on a limb here, but maybe because he has 34 points in 38 games this past regular season, 66 in 57 the year prior, 98 in 82 the year before that, and 86 in 78 the year before that? Oh, and he's a 0.8 P/GP player in the playoffs and has two Cups.

The guy is always hurt.

Yeah, this is a misnomer. He's played 255 of 290 possible games the last four seasons. He's missed a few sizable chunks in a couple of seasons due to injury, yes, but the idea that he's "always hurt" isn't remotely accurate.

I have zero interest in having Chytil or Kravtsov weaponized against the Rangers. No to Tampa. Nope.

This. No more sending Tampa anything. Would also prefer Landeskog over Stamkos. Not that I think either a reality rn

This. No more sending Tampa anything. Would also prefer Landeskog over Stamkos. Not that I think either a reality rn

Agreed. Let's reunite the duo.

Just send Kreider to Colorado in exchange for Lando's rights. Re-sign him immediately and name him captain.

Landeskog-Zibanejad-Buchnevich would crush.

He's like a point-a-game playoff guy, dude. Cmon.

He's a 1.02 ppg player in the regular season

He's a .76 ppg player in the postseason, including a couple of disappearing acts, most notably the 15 Finals.

I'll absolutely agree he had a really nice run this year in the postseason, and did it with health. I think we can and should look for more.

Ill agree to it only if they make them go shopping at Roosevelt Field Mall on a Saturday the week before Xmas

This should be a requirement for any UFA who is entertaining signing with the Islanders. After that, they should have to drive back and forth between that mall and the new arena about five times.

Not to worry, Dolan simply must have put a No Trades With Tampa rider in Drury's contract. Yes, there would be no better way to light a fire under Chytil or Kratsov than to trade them to Tampa. I guess we could trade Howden to Tampa and say "I dare you to make him into a serviceable NHL player."

Stammer was "good" but he wasn't driving that team in the playoffs the way he used to. I can think of better additions if we are going to have to endure a cap crisis next year for it. I'd love to see Stammer traded to Toronto so they could go be the Big 5 and the Band of AHLers.

Just send Kreider to Colorado in exchange for Lando's rights. Re-sign him immediately and name him captain.

 

Landeskog-Zibanejad-Buchnevich would crush.

This.

Also, for a LW, Landeskog takes a ton of faceoffs.

I can’t see Colorado letting their Captain walk under any circumstances. Not when they’re building a legitimate contender that’s right there.

They’ll find a way to keep him, Makar, and Mackinnon in the fold

This.

 

Also, for a LW, Landeskog takes a ton of faceoffs.

Yeah, he apparently played center early on in his junior career before moving to wing full-time in his draft year, or so I've been told by Twitter experts. Grain of salt, and all.

Just gonna go out on a limb here, but maybe because he has 34 points in 38 games this past regular season, 66 in 57 the year prior, 98 in 82 the year before that, and 86 in 78 the year before that? Oh, and he's a 0.8 P/GP player in the playoffs and has two Cups.

 

 

 

Yeah, this is a misnomer. He's played 255 of 290 possible games the last four seasons. He's missed a few sizable chunks in a couple of seasons due to injury, yes, but the idea that he's "always hurt" isn't remotely accurate.

AT his cap hit. $8.5M for the next 3 years. I'd be curious to what his production 5 on 5 is. It seems like most of his production comes from the power play which he's one on many lethal options. The guy always has some injury going on. He may play through them but that's only going to harder as he get's older. Maybe I'm wrong but he seems to be on the downward side of his career. At $8.5M cap hit that seems crazy to me that anyone would want him at that. He's hardly a driver on that Tampa team.

He has 2 cups. One of which he did not participate in the post season to earn.