New York Rangers and GM Chris Drury encouraged to reunite Peter Laviolette with his favourite player
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The March 7th Trade Deadline inches closer, and the New York Rangers could end up being buyers. If they do end up spending money they should look to bolster the blueline with defenseman Erik Gustafsson.
The New York Rangers have made a major move before the trade deadline, trading for JT Miller to shore up the top six.
Now, in order to help secure a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a wild card spot, they should look to Detroit and Erik Gustafsson.
Gustafsson would be an affordable reunion, as he only carries a $2 million cap hit, and offers help the Rangers could use.
While he's not a big name that would make the waves during the trade deadline, he could find a way to reunite with the Rangers and be a part of something special once more.
Depth Players Are Vital
Players like Vladimir Tarasenko were a major part of the Rangers 2022-2023 playoff push. The Rangers would have to give up assets to land the once superstar forward, but he provided skill and scoring touch the team needed at the time.
The season prior, the Rangers went further in the playoffs and made smaller moves. For example, Justin Braun and Frank Vatrano played major roles at the expense of only a third and fourth-round pick, respectively.
While Gustafsson could find a reunion with the Rangers irresistible, GM Chris Drury would have to reach out to the Red Wings.
A club he's had difficulty finding a spot in, with Todd McLellan. However, his time with Peter Laviolette with the Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers has led to success albeit limited usage.
For the most part, Gustafsson has been given third-pairing minutes under Laviolette and has been exceptional in his role. Over the summer, hockey analytics provider JFreshHockey graded Gustafsson 80 percent for offensive, and 84 percent for defense impact.
In an interesting statistic, he found himself in a top-paring role with Adam Fox last season and would provide meaningful play.
Interestingly, when Lindgren was shelved with injuries in 2023-24, Gustafsson spent some time playing with Adam Fox. The two in about 145 minutes together rocked an xGF of 68.24 percent last season.
Gustaffson could be a low-risk buy-in for the Rangers, and a reunion would only cost $2 million against the salary cap.
A cap that will be raised in the future, should the pain should only be temporary for the team if they do decide to pursue him.
Previously on NYRangersInsider
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