Uncomfortable with the Names We are Hearing

While I could accept a smart, winning Gaborik trade for a young C, and D and a first round pick, I'm not at all onboard with trading for Dan Boyle or Jerome Iginla.   First of all, that's too much money coming our way coming up on a year when the cap will go down and that we have to re-sign 3 of our young core guys.  Secondly, trading for veteran, established stars is something you do when you're on a cup run.   The Rangers are currently not even a playoff team, though, by later tonight they could be back in.   They're in survival mode and that's anything but a cup run.   What's more, even when the Rangers did go on a cup run back in `94, they traded a hell of a lot of talent, like Doug Weight, and others to win one, when keeping them might have meant more.   So it's a pretty bad gamble even when you win one.

When I see articles that say Glen Sather is itching to get an impact player, I get a little worried.  It's telling me he's suddenly not listening to his scouts.    He may already have impact players.   Look at what Derek Stepan has turned into of late?   And, frankly, kids like Miller and Kreider could be even better.   So, I wouldn't object to the right Gaborik trade, but it has to be one that gets us younger and restores a pick.    It can't be two big salary chunks, like Gabby for Boyle would be.

The Rangers have shown no signs of going on a run this year, and may not even be a playoff team.  In this artificial, lockout shortened season, it would be unwise to trade youth for age.   It would be wise to trade age for youth and cap space.

In more exciting Ranger news, it looks like Jesper Fast could be over this week, with Oscar Lindberg coming over, too, once his season is over.   Fast was a pick and Oscar was a trade, but both moves were representative of the Ranger scouting savvy of the Clark/Gorton era.   Both 21 year olds had breakout seasons in Sweden, and are really starting to be reminiscent of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nillson.   They should be the Ranger pickups in this phony season.   Start building some kid lines around those two and Miller and Kreider.   And if trades are to be made, either trade Gabby for youth or prospect for prospect like we did when we turned Werek into Lindberg.   It's not time for an impact player.