Posted by As with the annual rumors suggesting Ed Jovanovski to be traded to the New York Rangers, the same can go for Keith Tkachuk of the St. Louis Blues, but I think this season above all others it makes the most sense. Last season the Rangers were loaded with wingers but even though they weren’t producing, there was still no place to fit in. The season before that when the rumors were at their height, the same situation occurred and the Blues ended up trading him to the Atlanta Thrashers for a first round draft pick.
To say John Davidson is an intelligent man is an understatement. Year after year while knowing his team won’t be able to compete for the playoffs, he signs aging stars on the downward spin of their career. Sounds stupid, right? But when the playoffs roll around what is the one type of player that teams target when trying to make a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup? Those same, aging veter
ans. Grizzled, battle hardened warriors that have seen it all and can help both on the ice and in the locker room. Davidson did it once with Doug Weight, and twice with Keith Tkachuk, and now with the Blues sitting in dead last in the Western Conference, it appears that he will do it again, and I don’t blame him.
The Rangers lack the voice of an experienced, older player int he locker room (something they could have had with Brendan Shanahan for under a million dollars, but hindsight is 20/20) which leads to Keith Tkachuk being the perfect fit. At 37 years of age, three younger then “Shanny”, he still has enough gas left in the tank for at least two more solid seasons, but the Rangers don’t need him long term, just to help solidify a stagnant offense, and piss-poor leadership problems.
John Davidson and Glen Sather are pretty good friends and have already traded once before, last season when the Rangers sent a second round pick to St. Louis for defenseman Christian Backman. The player the Rangers got in return ultimately ended in failure, but didn’t really cost the Rangers much. A deal for Keith Tkachuk wouldn’t cost them much either.
In my eyes, all it would take for the Rangers to land Tkachuk is Petr Prucha and a second or third round draft pick. St. Louis sits in last place with no light at the end of the tunnel and Prucha, who scored 30 goals in the season that Davidson was color-announcer for the Rangers, would be in the lineup every day racking up the scoring chances by driving to the net. He would also get power play time and get the chance to play alongside Brad Boyes, Patrik Berglund, and David Backes; three young and exciting bright spots on this team. And St. Louis could always re-sign Tkachuk in the offseason, which basically gives them Prucha and the draft pick for free.
Another player whose name is constantly being mentioned on St. Louis is defenseman Barret Jackman. Sather tried hard to get him last season but Davidson wouldn’t budge, and the Rangers settled for Backman. After a few weeks with his new team, it lead many Rangers fans to say “We got the wrong ‘ackman’.”
When you look at it, Jackman is exactly what the Rangers need; that nasty, hard hitting, crease clearing defenseman and for that reason his price will be much, much higher. I don’t know what kind of deal Sather would have to orchestrate to land him because the only cheap defensemen they have are free agents next season (it is likely that St. Louis wouldn’t want to acquire someone in their “walk year”) and the defensemen on contract for multiple seasons are too pricy for their liking. If St. Louis demands a defenseman in return, all the Rangers can really offer is Dmitri Kalinin, and maybe along with a draft pick, a prospect, and some heavy persuasion, it could come to fruition, but don’t count on it.
Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
Caggy’s Rumor Mill: Jovanovski to the Rangers is a Strong Possibility
Caggy’s Rumor Mill: Rangers Waive Fritsche; More Moves Coming?
Caggy’s Rumor Mill: Martin Gerber to the New York Islanders?
Caggy’s Rumor Mill: An NHL Return for Jaromir Jagr?
Traverse City is Wrapping Up.
A look at an interesting rumor.
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