What the Rangers Can Offer for Minnesota Superstar
The news has been up for some time, but if you didn't hear, Kirill Kaprizov turned down a record-breaker. Minnesota offered the 28-year-old an eight-year extension, with a record-breaking offer of $128 million, which would have made him the highest-paid player in NHL history. To walk away from a contract of that height could mean only one thing: this young Russian has no interest in continuing his career in Minnesota. It's already been made clear that plenty of superstars are up for grabs after this season, so fans have much to look forward to. With plenty of teams looking to have interest in the young forward, some suggest the 28-year-old may be interested in joining the Blueshirts. The New York Rangers look to start a new beginning with a new coaching staff, so a player like Kaprizov would be very much welcome. When it comes to the NHL, anything is possible when it comes to trades; all that is left to wonder are what the Rangers are willing to give for such a superstar.
Though Kaprizov is no Connor McDavid, he's still a player teams will surely give plenty for. How this forward differs from the other targets throughout the season is that he has quite a connection with some Blueshirts. Not only is he quite close with Artemi Panarin, but he's also quite close with New York's goaltender, Igor Shesterkin. Close comrades like them give him a great reason to join them in MSG his production is something New York very much needs with a struggling defense. The chance is definitely in their hands, so what can fans expect them to trade for him?
A trade for a player like Kaprizov will definitely cost the Blueshirts some potential first-round picks. Names that have come up in exchange for Kaprizov are Braden Schneider, Brennan Othmann, and Alexis Lafrenière. If New York were to think about an extension with Panarin, those names wouldn't be the worst option, especially if they clear Lafrenière's salary. The real question would be whether the 28-year-old is willing to sign long-term. With the production Kaprizov has shown over the last few seasons, as well as his skating abilities on the ice, this trade is almost a pipe dream for New York fans. Now, let's say a trade of this proportion is a done deal. What does Kaprizov bring to the Rangers after such an off season?
Over the course of the last few seasons, Kaprizov has shown tremendous amounts of production, especially last season. Just last season, the Minnesota Wild missed a good amount of the season due to injury, but still managed to make the most of their time on the ice. In the span of 41 games played last year, he still managed to score 25 goals. Production like that is very much needed in New York. The offense alone already has trouble helping out Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. At the same time, this goaltending tandem continues to be spectacular, and if the defense won't be anything different, they'll need more production than ever before. A new season is just less than a month away from commencing, and fans can be sure that that this opportunity will be on Chris Drury's mind as the season begins, if it's not already.
