With the NHL trade deadline less than a month away on March 3, speculation about the New York Rangers’ potential targets is beginning to ramp up. At last year’s deadline, general manager Chris Drury worked out trades that propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals, and fans expect more of the same from Drury after an underwhelming first half of the season. Although none of the acquisitions from last season remain on the team, the Rangers may be looking to trade for a player they can sign long-term, but a boost come playoff time is the ultimate goal. 

Nick Ritchie seems to be the name thrown around the most in connection to the Rangers, and sources around the league state that he was a player the front office was looking at last March. The 27-year-old left winger has 21 points in 47 games this season with the Arizona Coyotes and would be a good fit for the Blueshirts’ fourth line. Just before the All-Star Break, the Rangers were rolling with some solid line combinations, and it’s difficult to see exactly where Ritchie would fit besides on the fourth line. Nevertheless, the Rangers seem to be targeting him for the second season in a row, and an upside is that he wouldn’t warrant much of a return in terms of draft picks and prospects. 

The Rangers have also been linked to San Jose Sharks’ forward Timo Meier, and he appears to be the leading candidate. The New Jersey Devils, a division rival, have also been linked to Meier, so his price keeps getting steeper. He has 48 points through 51 games this season, and would most likely take Jimmy Vesey’s spot in the newly shuffled first line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. In order for Meier to join the Rangers, salary cap space would need to be cleared to make room for his $6 million hit. If they were thinking of re-signing him in the off-season, his qualifying offer is $10 million, and at only 26, he’s definitely looking to remain on a team long-term. It would require a lot of reshuffling to finish out the season and to keep him on the team, so that is something to keep an eye on. 

A couple of St. Louis Blues players have also been mentioned by league sources: captain Ryan O’Reilly and forward Vladimir Tarasenko. O’Reilly is looking to stay with the Blues, but Tarasenko’s name has been thrown around in connection to the Rangers for the past few trade deadlines. Coming off of a career season, he’s been underproducing this year but would slot in nicely with the first line and gain a boost in production from Panarin’s exceptional passing ability. He would have to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt, and his cap hit is even higher than Meier’s at $7.5 million. At 31, he’s probably looking for a medium term contract, but at a higher average annual value. 

Coming into the season, one potential deadline target seemed enticing to Rangers fans: Patrick Kane. Kane and Rangers’ star forward Panarin played together in Chicago, and became one of

the best duos in the league in the 2015 season. A potential reunion seemed like it could be on the horizon back in October, but injury concerns and Kane’s looming contract renewal don’t make him as appealing a target as he once was. The Rangers have minimal salary cap space to sign a star player in the medium to long-term future, so the Panarin-Kane reunification is unlikely. 

In terms of trade chips, the Rangers have prospects and multiple high-round draft picks to use. Alexis Lafreniere has been struggling this season, but he picked up his play at the end of January after “the kid line” reunited. He could be a potential trade chip, but it would only be in a blockbuster trade — there’s no sense in giving up on his development this early. Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil seemed to be in the conversation at the beginning of the season, but their play is vital to the team this season. Prospects like Will Cuylle, who just recently got called up the team, may be more suitable in exchange for a deadline acquisition. The window is wide open for them, and this season is no different than last: Stanley Cup or bust. With the experience they gained in the long playoff run last year, the pressure is on.