NHL Draft could seal Kaapo Kakko’s Rangers fate

LAS VEGAS — The stars were out at the NHL Awards Show here Thursday, but not a single player from the team that finished with the NHL’s best record this season was represented.

The Rangers, Presidents’ Trophy winners, were out of sight. Artemi Panarin did not get a nomination for the Hart for his 49-goal, 120-point season. Adam Fox was not a finalist for the Norris, as he had been in two of his first four seasons while winning it as a sophomore in 2021. Peter Laviolette was not nominated for the Adams as coach of the year.

Nope, the Blueshirts were out of sight. That does not mean they have been out of mind. While the free-agent market does not open until Monday — and we can reinforce that both Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos have piqued GM Chris Drury’s and the hierarchy’s interest — the Blueshirts could do some business on the draft floor Friday.

Glen Sather made his final trade as Rangers GM on the 2015 draft floor in Buffalo before stepping up exclusively to the team presidency. Hopefully, any deal by Drury will be more constructive than the one nine years ago in which The Last Lion of Winter sent Carl Hagelin to the Ducks for Emerson Etem and a favorable exchange of second-round selections.

The Rangers were going to face cap issues with Hagelin, but there was no need for that kind of deal at that time. And the exchange of second-round draft positions seemed favorable until the Blueshirts used the 41st-overall selection on winger Ryan Gropp while those such as Erik Cernak, Roope Hintz, Jordan Greenway and Jeremy Lauzon were still on the board.

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The day was saved to an extent hours later when Jeff Gorton, who had ascended into the GM’s role almost immediately after the Hagelin trade, pulled his very first swap in his position by obtaining Antti Raanta from the Blackhawks for Ryan Haggerty after the draft concluded. It was one of his better ones, too.

There is every chance Drury will make a deal on the floor at the Sphere as the Blueshirts look to move up from their 30th overall spot — that’s what you get for finishing with 114 points and losing in the conference finals — by using Kaapo Kakko as part of the allure.

Perhaps Gorton, now exec VP of hockey operations for the Canadiens, would have some interest in Kakko, whom he selected second overall as Blueshirts GM in 2019. The Canadiens have the fifth and 26th overall picks in the first round.

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The Rangers’ 30th overall represents the club’s only pick through the first three rounds, so if efforts to move up do not succeed, Drury could look to move that first-rounder for multiple picks in the second or third rounds.

Late momentum seems to building around a potential trade of Jacob Trouba, whose 15-team no-trade list is due Monday but has been requested a bit earlier than that. As of early in the week, my best information was that the team was not going to aggressively market the captain — who has two years remaining at an $8 million cap hit per — but rather would listen to offers. That appears to have changed over the last 48 hours.

The Rangers have no credible replacement within the organization for Trouba. If they were to move the most physical and menacing defenseman on a team that was not physical or menacing enough against Florida, they would have to acquire a replacement via trade or free agency.

There are no replicas on the free-agent market. We’re told the Rangers like impending Dallas righty free agent Chris Tanev, but the 34-year-old would cost if he gets to the market. I don’t see the Blueshirts investing $5M-plus on a third-pair righty, but the club would also have to replace Trouba on the club’s first penalty kill unit.

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Anaheim’s 34-year-old righty Radko Gudas, a mean one who was fifth in the NHL in hits among defenseman with 232 in 66 games (Trouba had 191 in 69 games) and who has two years remaining on his contract at an annual cap hit of $4M, could be a trade target if Trouba is dealt.

The Rangers, we have it on good authority, are not shopping Filip Chytil. Indeed, management has Chytil — working out without restriction in Czechia after getting the all-clear — penciled in as the third line center. I guess that ends the concept of acquiring a matchup, physical centerman to anchor the third line.

Drury expressed interest in Tanner Jeannot leading up to the 2023 deadline before the Predators were able to extract an enormous price —five draft picks, including a first and second, plus a young defenseman — for the physical winger from the Lightning.

Tampa Bay is looking to move on from the 27-year-old Jeannot, who has one year left on his contract at a $2.75M cap charge ahead of unrestricted free agency. If Jeannot is available as a distressed asset, it could work for the Blueshirts.

The Rangers could be active here, perhaps independent of the actual draft that concludes Saturday with Rounds 2-7. They won’t be out of sight or out of mind.

I’m just here to hear Gary Bettman thank Jim Dolan for his hospitality.

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