Rumor: Rangers to re-acquire former first round pick?

Rangers insider Larry Brooks leaks the details of a potentially huge deal for the Blue Shirts…

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Rumor: Rangers to re-acquire former first round pick?
Keystone Press

With winger Chris Kreider (blood clot) sidelined for at least the next two months, the New York Rangers will undoubtedly be looking to acquire a forward or two between now and the NHL’s February 26th trade deadline. One player worth taking a look at according to New York Post columnist and Rangers insider Larry Brooks, is former Rangers first round pick Anthony Duclair

Duclair was shipped to the Arizona Coyotes at the 2015 trade deadline as part of a package for defenseman Keith Yandle and has had mixed results with the Coyotes to start his NHL career. He was considered one of the hottest young players in the NHL when he put up a 20 goal, 44 point performance in 2015-16, but since then he’s struggled to fill the net with regularity. In 31 games with the Coyotes this season, Duclair has seven goals and 13 points. 

According to Brooks:

There’s that age-old question about Duclair’s ability to bring it on a consistent basis, but the 22-year-old — with seven goals in 30 games and a handful of healthy scratches in the desert — has top-end skill in a league that rewards it, and the AHL Wolf Pack isn’t exactly overflowing with NHL-ready talent up front.

It’s an intriguing proposition, but what would the asking price be from the Coyotes? They’re not about to give up on a 22-year-old with with 20+ goal potential. The Coyotes are a young team after all and everything they’ve done in the past three years points to the future. Unless they’ve truly had it with Duclair and his inconsistency, or the Rangers make an offer that cannot be refused, don’t expect Duclair to be shipped out of the desert anytime soon.

Source: Larry Brooks