Trade in the works in New York!

There's a lot more chatter than normal, says Elliotte Friedman.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
Trade in the works in New York!
Zuma Press

There is a buzz in New York City and it is coming from the front office of the Rangers. In his latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that trade chatter is picking up. So much that a trade could be in the works. 

The NHL insider noted that there’s some interest around the league in Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov and Friedman believes that the Blue Shirts general manager Jeff Gorton is listening to offers. Namestnikov’s playing time has reduced under new Rangers head coach David Quinn.

"Vladislav Namestnikov was down to 9:25 Tuesday night against Florida. There’s some interest in him, and you certainly see the Rangers willing to listen. I think there are a lot of things New York will consider as long as it doesn’t involve their cornerstone youth."

While Quinn is making him pay for his slow start this season, the 25-year-old player remains a versatile forward who can fill a hole on the wing or down the middle. He remains an offensive threat while being accountable on the back end. He’s signed through 2019-20 with a $4-million annual cap hit and could be attractive to playoff contenders seeking second- or third-line depth.

On Friday morning, Friedman continued talking about the interest surrounding Namestnikov on the air of Calgary's Sportsnet 960. 

“The Rangers, I think people are going to look at them. Namestnikov the center, he’s out there. And apparently the Rangers, as long as you’re not asking about their young core players, they’re a team that’s willing to listen.
“I do think there’s a lot more chatter than normal for this kind of year, but I don’t know if that means anyone is going to pull the trigger.”

The Rangers, who are embracing the whole rebuilding process for the franchise, could make the choice to trade Namestnikov, especially if the return means that New York can get a suitable draft pick or prospect in return.

Source: Sporstnet