Arthur Staple’s recent remarks about the New York Rangers’ potential interest in Brady Tkachuk have sparked more speculation rather than tempering it. In his article, Staple downplayed the likelihood of a trade, calling it a long shot. However, by stating that the Rangers would be “all in” if Tkachuk were to become available, he has only intensified the conversation surrounding the possibility.
This past week, he wrote:
“Outside of Mitch Marner, there aren’t a lot of UFAs worth ponying up for. There’s Brady Tkachuk, but let’s not get anyone in trouble talking too much about him. If he ever expressed a desire to leave the Ottawa Senators, though, the Rangers would be pushing to get to the front of the line, no question.”
He went on to mention that Rangers GM Chris Drury has a track record of making strong trades, despite not always being the best communicator with his players. He also suggested that this could involve exploring whether Artemi Panarin, who will be in the final year of his contract, would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join another team.
Would the Senators Trade Tkachuk to Rangers for Panarin?
Staple also mentioned other names, such as Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, but Panarin might be the most intriguing option for the Senators. Moving his $11.64 million cap hit would give the Rangers valuable cap flexibility, while the Senators could comfortably take it on, especially if they clear Tkachuk’s $8.2 million salary.
However, it’s uncertain whether Panarin would agree to a trade to Ottawa. With a full no-move clause, he has complete control over his destination, and the Senators would likely need to show real playoff potential before he considers leaving New York. Plus, it’s worth questioning how eager Panarin would be to leave the Rangers only to join an Ottawa team without Tkachuk.
To be clear, Staple didn’t specifically propose a Panarin-for-Tkachuk trade. Instead, he suggested that moving Panarin could allow the Rangers to make a major move. But if the Senators do trade Tkachuk, they’d need to bring in a big-name player in return.
Be the first to comment