Was the 30-Year-Old Vancouver Defenseman Worth a 2030 First-Round Pick?
Sometimes, to go all the way, some risky moves are needed. Philadelphia has clearly demonstrated this recently with their offer sheet to Anaheim's Leo Carlsson: a five-year, $90 million offer. While the Ducks matched and kept the former second-round pick, a move like this potentially restricts Anaheim's future roster flexibility. Though it seems no risk can come close to that, the New York Rangers were up there in a recent trade. This move certainly shows that Chris Drury is staying committed to this retooling stage, though if it fails, 2030 is looking like a rough Summer for the Blueshirts. As free agency hit July 1st, the Rangers joined the offseason trade chaos and acquired Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a top-10 protected, conditional 2030 first-round pick. Fans wanted moves, Drury gave them moves, and is sure as hell confident this team can rebound by 2030 and make a run. Like it or not, the deal is done, but was it really worth it for Pettersson?
No matter the player, trading a first-round pick four to five years out can be quite a risk. A move like that leaves teams vulnerable if their roster just keeps regressing; something Ranger fans have constantly seen over the past two seasons. It seems they have a case to show their distaste with this move. If the retool fails and New York still falls far from contending by 2030, that’s a highly valuable, unprotected lottery asset that won’t likely be worth the sacrifice. The first-round pick is gone, and there’s no going back now, but judging by the former Canucks recent season, this may not have been worth it in the slightest.
It was a tough year for Vancouver all around, ending their 25-26 season in dead last. As you may predict, not many of their players had anything near career years, and Pettersson's stats on that season likely will make Ranger fans want to knock Drury’s teeth out after this move. The 30-year-old finished last season recording three goals and 15 assists with the Canucks, with a -19 rating in 82 games. You look at these stats and will likely think of a move like this as some kind of sick joke their general manager made. Nope, it’s real, and the Swedish defenseman joins the Blueshirts in their 26-27 crusade. The negativity makes sense, but are there some aspects that could make this trade worth it?
Let’s look at the upside; you may be shocked there is any, but indeed there is. Pettersson joins the Rangers for the 26-27 season, reunited with head coach Mike Sullivan, whom he played extensively in Pittsburgh. The familiarity may yet give him his chance to comfortably fill a top-four role with the former Utah defenseman Sean Durzi. The left-handed defenseman has established himself as a legitimate top-four defenseman in his career, logging heavy minutes almost every game he goes into. With a left-handed shot like his, this gives the Rangers some likely balance out of their defensive pairing. From how long fans have wanted to see a defense worthy of contention, it’s likely they’d gladly give up a first-round pick if that meant that day would soon come to pass. A top-four, puck-moving defenseman joins the Blueshirts in a 26-27 season to look forward to; can he and Durzi give the fans a second-pairing to be proud of?
