The New York Rangers are making waves as potential front-runners in what could be this season’s biggest trade sweepstakes.
They’re not being subtle about it either. According to Vince Mercogliano of lohud.com, the Rangers are aggressively pursuing a game-changing deal that could reshape their future.
Their potential offer looks pretty serious: defenseman Braden Schneider, center Filip Chytil, a protected first-round pick in 2025, and a third-rounder in 2026.
But they’re not alone in this chase.
The Montreal Canadiens are getting restless with their rebuild. Team President Jeff Gorton’s got a history of making bold moves – just look at his time with the Rangers, where he landed Jacob Trouba and convinced stars like Artemi Panarin to sign on the dotted line.
Montreal’s putting together an impressive package: Kaiden Guhle, Kirby Dach, Christian Dvorak, and a protected 2025 first-round pick.
Then there’s the Carolina Hurricanes, who seem like a perfect fit for someone like Elias Pettersson. They just watched Jake Guentzel slip through their fingers, but landing Pettersson? That would give them a deadly one-two punch down the middle with Sebastian Aho.
The Hurricanes are dangling Martin Necas, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Tyson Jost, and a protected 2025 first-rounder.
Things are getting desperate in Detroit. The Red Wings are looking at their ninth straight year without playoff hockey – which would set an unwanted record for Original Six teams. It’s already cost coach Derek Lalonde his job.
They’re willing to part with young center Marco Kasper, Michael Rasmussen, a protected 2025 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-rounder.
The Buffalo Sabres might be the dark horse here. GM Kevyn Adams knows Buffalo isn’t exactly a free agent hotspot – they’re staring at 14 straight years without playoffs. But this could be their chance to land a 100-point center who probably wouldn’t consider them in free agency.
Their offer? Dylan Cozens, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, and a 2026 third-round pick.
The next few weeks should be really interesting.
