Four contenders emerge in Nils Lundkvist sweepstakes as he wants out of New York!
But there seems to be an issue…
HockeyFeed
The New York Rangers are trying to find a taker for Nils Lundkvist. Last week, it was confirmed that the defenseman informed the team that he will not report to training camp later this month and would like a fresh start with a new NHL team.
Lundkvist has not been getting what he seeks: has been essentially blocked in the Rangers’ system but more established defensemen like Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider and Ryan Lindgren. In the case of Miller, Schneider and Lindgren, Lundkvist has been an equal or better pedigree, but has failed to gain the trust of head coach Gerard Gallant. He put up just one goal and four points in 25 games with the Rangers last season, but three goals and 15 points in 34 games with the team’s AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. It is believed that GM Chris wants a promising young center in return.
Per Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News, “Clubs in need of right-side blue line depth, such as the Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks, could express an interest in Lundkvist.”
However, he believes that Drury will be patient with this potential trade.
“He could retain the young defenseman if no one meets his asking price. That risks Lundkvist refusing to report to camp but it won’t hurt the Rangers’ blu eline depth for the coming season.”
That’s the problem for Lundkvist: we understand the kid wants a better shot, however, Drury does not need to move him right away. He could eventually use him in a package for a bigger move and let him wait in the minors for now.
Hockey is a business and we have a feeling, while Drury might get calls from Arizona, Detroit, Montreal and Vancouver, that he will wait for the best offer out there before pulling the trigger.
