The New York Rangers are going to be in the market for forward depth as the March 8, 2024, Trade Deadline gets closer. One name that has recently surfaced as a potential option is the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steven Stamkos. He is in the final year of his deal, and as of now, it doesn’t seem set in stone that he will be staying in Tampa after this season. With this and the fact that the Lightning have been struggling for parts of this season, Stamkos’ name has begun to make waves as a name to watch.
While he is still a good player, the Rangers do not need to trade for him. The salary cap, the trade package it would require, and the fact that the Rangers don’t need a left wing or center are reasons why the team should stay away from Stamkos.
Rangers Lack Salary Cap Space
This isn’t the first time the Rangers have been connected to Stamkos. They had a deal in place back in 2010 to acquire him from the Lightning, but the Lightning owner nixed the trade. Back then, the Rangers would have gotten him on his entry-level contract. Now, he’s on the final year of an eight-year, $8.5 million deal, and the Rangers could not make this deal work at that price. Even if the Lightning would retain half of the money, the Rangers would still not be able to take him on without moving out a player who makes a higher salary on the team. With Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil likely returning at some point this season, the Rangers would only have around $2 million at the deadline to work with.
If the Rangers wanted to trade for Stamkos, one player who would likely have to go back in the deal is Barclay Goodrow. His contract has been one Rangers fans have wanted the team to move on from for a few seasons now. He plays a fourth-line role and makes $3,641,667 per season for the next three seasons after this one. He also has a modified no-trade clause and would need to give the green light to be traded. While he has a history in Tampa, the Lightning would not want to take on his cap hit, and Goodrow just had a baby with his wife, so it’s likely he wouldn’t want to uproot his family. A trade for Stamkos would not work salary-cap-wise.
What Would a Trade Package Look Like?
If Stamkos is made available by the Deadline, many teams would be interested in the soon-to-be 34-year-old forward. The package to acquire him would likely be too much for the Rangers to even consider. As mentioned earlier, the Rangers would want to move Goodrow’s contract in the deal, but the Lightning wouldn’t want him at that cap hit, and the player has a say on what team he would go to. The Lightning would want a younger player back in the deal, and that would most likely be Chytil because he is a center and has also played on the wing previously. Moving him would also make the cap work on the Rangers’ end because he makes $4,437,500 per season, which would offset Stamkos if he were to be in the deal at half salary.
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For the Rangers, why would they want to give up the 24-year-old who they just signed to a long-term extension for a player who is most likely just a rental for the rest of this season? The Rangers would also have to add to the deal, so it would also likely cost them a prospect and a first-round pick in this year’s draft. This seems like too much to give up for a player who would likely be gone this summer. The Rangers should keep their younger players around for the future, as their core isn’t getting any younger.
Stamkos Not a Fit In the Rangers’ Lineup
For the majority of his career, Stamkos played center, but for the past few seasons, he has been playing on the left wing and center when he needs to. If the Rangers get their players back and healthy, Stamkos would not be a fit for what the team is looking for. They already have Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider on the left wing and would have three great centers down the middle. What they need is a player who can fit into the top six on the right wing, and Stamkos does not play that position. Some would say to just stick him there and see if it would work, but a player who has played as long as Stamkos would ideally feel more comfortable in the positions he has played throughout his career.
If the Lightning continue to struggle and make Stamkos available for trade, he has the choice of where he wants to go. The Rangers might be a team he would want to be traded to, but they should stay away from him. The deal would be too tricky to navigate, and he would not be a fit for what this lineup currently needs. The Rangers should focus on other, cheaper options over another aging superstar.