During their Stanley Cup window, the New York Rangers had the option to strengthen their defense through a trade proposal.
One user suggested a transaction that would see the Rangers acquire Shea Theodore as part of a package in a blockbuster deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. PuckPedia is a website where users can make their own deals using a new tool called PuckGM.
Rangers are awarded:
The Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore Grigori Denisenko receives:
Reilly Smith
Braden Schneider first-round selection in 2025
The Rangers are going all in to try to win the Stanley Cup, and Vegas is getting younger and a first-round selection, which is exactly what the Golden Knights need, so this suggested transaction is fascinating.
Theodore has been with Vegas for the previous seven years and is about to reach the last year of a seven-year $36.4 million contract. He played a crucial role in the Golden Knights’ 2022 Stanley Cup victory. He skated in 47 games the previous season, scoring 42 points with 5 goals and 37 assists.
Conversely, the Florida Panthers selected Denisenko in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, he has had difficulty making the NHL full-time. Although he has only played in 32 NHL games and has only contributed seven assists, he might provide the bottom of the lineup some more depth.In contrast, Schneider, who is 22 years old, was selected in the first round of the NHL draft in 2020. Theodore, a reliable second-pairing NHL defenceman, would be replaced by the defenseman.
Smith, on the other hand, was brought back to Vegas by the trade pitch, where he contributed to the team’s 2022 Cup victory, after being acquired by New York this summer to provide some offensive punch.GM of the Rangers Said to Be Changing This Offseason
In six games, the Florida Panthers defeated the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though New York remains a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, Rangers general manager Chris Drury alluded to making significant changes this offseason after the club lost once more.
On June 7, Drury stated, “We’re looking at a lot of different things.” Additionally, there are other routes we can take to reach our goals. Really, nothing seems off the table to me. We’re working to improve. Like I stated, we’re attempting to accomplish the main objective here. We’re currently in the midst of that process and attempting to determine what comes next and how we might improve.
While the Rangers had a quiet summer, New York acquired Sam Carrick and traded for Smith.Star Players Leave the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights lost key players in free agency, including Chandler Stephenson, Alec Martinez, and Jonathan Marchessault, which made Vegas’ offseason challenging. In addition, Anthony Mantha, Michael Amadio, and William Carrier left Vegas.
Kelly McCrimmon, general manager of Vegas, noted that the first day of free agency was difficult since the team lost a number of important players.
“Fans find days like these difficult,” McCrimmon remarked on July 1. “I know our players better than our fans do, but the fans think they know our players.” I have personal ties to all of these men. According to the collective bargaining agreement, you have to protect their rights as unfettered free agents. Instead of trading these guys, we made an effort to keep them.
The Dallas Stars eliminated Vegas from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round the previous season.
