It is no secret the New York Rangers have been shopping around for a third-lone center since early January. Although no deal has been made up to this point, it does not mean the search has ended.
There was speculation that the Rangers could be interested in getting Mike Santorelli formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Toronto pulled the trigger on a deal that sent him to Nashville earlier this month. However, it now appears the Rangers have another Leaf in their crosshairs, and this one has plenty of upside.
According to
NBCSN/TSN insider Bob McKenzie, New York has shifted it’s focus to Leafs center Tyler Bozak.
McKenzie spoke about a possible deal between the two clubs as per
Nichols On Hockey:
“Right now you’ve got some teams, traditional powers in the Eastern Conference – the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers – who I think are getting a little bit antsy here.”
“The New York Rangers were in on Daniel Winnik and had to pull out. They were in on Andrej Sekera and they had to pull out. They are looking to make something happen.
“One name that’s been linked to the New York Rangers is Tyler Bozak, a center with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who would not be an easy deal to do because of the financial implications. Bozak has term and dollars left on his deal, so it’s not easy for a cap team like the New York Rangers. But at least that’s one player’s name who’s out there as maybe the Rangers having some interest if they could find a way to facilitate the dollars.”
Bozak has had a very decent season (especially for a Leaf) and has 16 goals and 21 assists this season, and at 28 years old, he is entering the prime of his career.
He may not be the top center the Leafs have so badly needed for years now, but could he be nice fit in a lesser role on a better team like the Rangers. With the trade market drying up fast, the Rangers may be tempted to make a move to bolster the bottom-six come playoff time.
The Leafs could see a nice return for Bozak as well considering he is not in the teams plans and a desperate Rangers squad could overpay for him with high draft picks.
Is this a good deal for the rebuild?