The exact direction the New York Rangers will take between now and the March 7 trade deadline remains unclear. Right now, the plan probably leans more towards sellers. However, that doesn’t mean the Original Six hockey club can’t do some soft buying, as they sit just two points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference at the 4 Nations break.
The Rangers already made a big splash by acquiring J.T. Miller. The move will help them not only to win now but also in the future. There’s another move that could be made to potentially accomplish something similar – but on the blue line instead of upfront. That’s considering a reunion with Erik Gustafsson, who has the rest of the season and next left on his contract at a $2 million cap hit.
Gustafsson Would Be an Underrated Move
Acquiring Gustafsson would be an underrated move. It’s not something that has really been talked about in the rumor mill regarding the Rangers. For one, he’s not a big name and won’t get as much attention as others on the trade market such as Ryan Lindgren and Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders.
But sometimes the biggest names aren’t the best ones. That was proven after the Rangers gave up a ton of assets in 2023 to land Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, only to get bounced by the New Jersey Devils in seven games during the postseason. The season prior, the Rangers went further in the playoffs and made smaller moves. For example, Justin Braun and Frank Vatrano played major roles at the expense of only a third and fourth-round pick, respectively.
While the circumstances are different for the Rangers compared to the last few seasons, considering where they are in the standings now – perhaps Gustafsson would be a wise choice if they decide to do a little buying.
History With Laviolette
In 2024-25, the Swedish defenseman hasn’t been the best fit with the Detroit Red Wings, as he ranks fifth among defensemen in expected goals percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick. But Gustafsson has played for Peter Laviolette multiple times in his career – last season with the Rangers and the season before that with the Washington Capitals.
For the most part, Gustafsson has been given third-pairing minutes under Laviolette and has been exceptional in his role. Over the summer, hockey analytics provider JFreshHockey graded Gustafsson 80 percent for offensive, and 84 percent for defense impact. A reunion with Laviolette could get the 32-year-old’s game back to where it was. The Rangers have been a mess defensively this season and need some stability.
Erik Gustafsson, signed 2x$2M by DET, is a two-way puck-moving defenceman who's especially useful in the offensive zone. Has come into his own in the past two seasons as a very strong option to win minutes with a third pairing. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/h6UxNOTRP1
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2024
Interestingly, when Lindgren was shelved with injuries in 2023-24, Gustafsson spent some time playing with Adam Fox. The two in about 145 minutes together rocked an xGF of 68.24 percent last season. While he may not be the full-time solution on the first pair, there’s some trust there under Laviolette. The worst-case scenario is the potential reunion doesn’t work out and Gustafsson finds himself playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack or gets dealt around the draft. The bury penalty won’t be too much since he only counts $2 million against the salary cap.
Low-Risk High Reward
Gustafsson is far from a perfect solution – but it’s a low-risk, high-reward type move. If general manager Chris Drury pulls the trigger on the move, it shouldn’t cost any more than a mid-round pick.
Regardless, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Lindgren, who is scheduled to become a free agent in July, will be playing for another franchise in the coming months. The Blueshirts will need another defenseman. So why not take a flyer on Gustafsson?
