ARLINGTON, Virginia — Pro athletes check their phones, too.
That’s why, try as Gerard Gallant might, he knew the latest NHL trade rumors would inevitably breach the walls of the New York Rangers’ locker room.
“I can’t say no,” the head coach said when asked if it’s been a distraction. “It always does. At this time of year, it’s tough on some players. But at the end of the day, you’re trying to make your team better every day, and that’s what management does. It’s going to be over in a week’s time, but you just have to focus on playing the games. I think we lost a little bit of focus (Thursday) night.”
Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings was disappointing, but it felt like an afterthought given everything else that’s swirling around the team.
Rangers team president Chris Drury appears to be setting various wheels in motion to make room for one final deadline splash, with his sights now set on Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.
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That became painfully obvious when forwards Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn − widely considered to be the two salaries Drury prefers to shed to fit Kane − were held out in Detroit for what the team labeled “roster management reasons.”
Neither participated in Friday’s optional practice or were spotted at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks held Kane out of practice for what they deemed “maintenance” reasons.
“We think we’re one of those teams that has a chance to legitimately win, and you try and make your team better,” Gallant said. “Management is on the same page, coaches are on the same page and the players are on the same page.”
While Drury works behind the scenes to solve a complicated trade puzzle, Gallant is focused on cleaning up his team’s defense.
The Rangers have allowed three goals or more in five consecutive games, with losses in each of the last three. Their average goals against in nine games since the all-star break is sitting at 3.44. For comparison, it was at 2.59 in 49 games prior to the break.
“We’ve been maybe a little too loose,” defenseman Ryan Lindgren said. “(Gallant) showed some D-zone clips and some rush clips. We’re just giving up too easy of opportunities, where, if we’re in the right spot, we’re going to eliminate those. … We know what we’re supposed to do out there. It’s all about skating and playing hard and getting to the right areas.”
Lindgren acknowledged the anticipation of what might happen before the March 3 trade deadline could be contributing − “You hear stuff,” he said − but he also noted that the team is motivated by the prospect of an improving roster.
“It obviously means that they have some trust in us and we’ve proved that we can be a good team this year,” he said. “It’s always exciting when you add guys.”
No waiver activity Friday
While the Rangers worked Friday to correct their defensive issues, the waiver deadline came and went without any activity from their front office.
The clock is ticking, particularly if the only active players they’re willing to sacrifice are Kravtsov and Leschyshyn.
The Rangers are believed to be fishing for a trade partner for Kravtsov, but there is less of a market for Leschyshyn. The latter has yet to post a point in 35 games played this season, making waivers feel like an inevitability. But perhaps Drury has something else up his sleeve.
Either way, if Kravtsov is going to be part of the package that ultimately goes to Chicago for Kane, the deadline for shedding Leschyshyn and his $766,667 average annual value is Saturday. They would need each of the ensuing days to accrue the incremental bits of cap space needed to fit Kane.
On the other hand, if the Rangers are going to trade Kravtsov to another team in the coming days − rather than waiting until March 3 − they can afford to hold Leschyshyn for a bit longer. But not much.
We should know which route they’re leaning toward before the end of the weekend. The only other possibility is sacrificing a third active player − some have wondered whether seventh defenseman Ben Harpur could be at risk, but he practiced Friday − and potentially committing to a league-minimum roster of 20 players.
Fitting Patrick Kane
The Rangers will need every penny to squeeze the three-time Stanley Cup champion onto their roster, which is why they may have to wait until next week to make any deal official.
If Leschyshyn is either placed on waivers or traded Saturday, they’d be left with about $1.56 million in available cap space, according to PuckPedia. Add Kravtsov’s $875,000 salary and that number jumps to $2.435 million, which is still short of the $2.625 million target. But by the March 3 trade deadline, they would accrue enough cap space to make it work.
That $2.625 million is the magic number because it represents one-quarter of Kane’s $10.5 million AAV, which is how much the Blueshirts will be on the hook for if all the pieces fall into place.
The expectation is that the Blackhawks will retain 50% ($5.25 million) to facilitate the trade, while the Rangers hunt for a third team to take an additional 25% ($2.625 million). Whichever team that ends up being will likely require a mid-round draft pick for their end of the bargain.
And what will Chicago’s compensation be? That remains up in the air, but there are reasons to believe it’s a lower asking price than it was just a few weeks ago.
How we got here
One person with knowledge of the situation told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Kane has wielded the power of his no-movement clause to insist on New York as his deadline destination. That’s changed everything for the Rangers in a matter of days.
Initially, they budgeted to acquire one star right winger. Drury narrowed in on Kane and St. Louis’ Vladimir Tarasenko as his two primary targets before deciding that the latter was the preferred choice for a variety of reasons on Feb. 9.
At that point, the Rangers were prepared to move on. They allowed other opportunities to accrue cap space to pass by without much urgency because they were comfortable with where they stood. But this week, it became abundantly clear that Kane was thinking Broadway or bust.
Drury was faced with a decision: If Kane is trying to force his way here and leaves the Blackhawks with little option but to lower their demands, is it worth recalibrating his plans?
Ultimately, it seems, the prospect of adding the future Hall of Famer at a discounted rate was too good to pass up.
There are still several hurdles to clear before they can make that deal happen, but the expectation is that it will no longer require the Rangers to part with their remaining 2023 first-round pick, any core members of the active roster or top prospect Brennan Othmann.
That’s how the Rangers went from being out on Kane to being the runaway favorites.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
