Rangers' Top Players to Target and Avoid at 2024 NHL Trade Deadline

The New York Rangers are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season. They are also in need of one or two pieces at this point to help solidify their status among the elite.

With the trade deadline approaching on March 8, and needs at center, expect the Rangers to be active.

Which players should they target, though, and which potential addition carries a cap hit too steep?

It remains to be seen if the Seattle Kraken will trade center Alex Wennberg but if they do, the Rangers would be a perfect fit for the 29-year-old.

New York is likely to look for center and wing help at the deadline, both being areas of need. Wennberg is adaptable and could conceivably play both if need be. He primarily plays third-line center but can play second, and does just about everything on the ice well.

Wennberg is the definition of a team player and on top of that, has 25 points and the most ice time (18:46) of his career this season.

He is also durable, with Thomas Drance of The Athletic writing, "This season, Wennberg has held up in heavy usage for the Kraken. He's producing points at a clip consistent with his career rate and helping the Kraken outscore their opponents five-on-five."

Wennberg carries a cap hit higher than what Rangers GM Chris Drury will be working with, but Peter Baugh (in the same Athletic piece) wrote, "Seattle could retain up to half of Wennberg's cap hit. Drury would potentially have to fork over a bigger package to make that happen. For added flexibility, that's probably a worthwhile tradeoff."

Wennberg would solidify the Rangers' third line and enhance their opportunity to make the most of what has been an excellent season to this point. He brings depth, the ability to contribute to different facets of the team, and provide them durability and stability over the long haul in what is a jam-packed East.

The Rangers could use a center, and Yanni Gourde of the Seattle Kraken is certainly an option, but the cost of making a move for him would be too high, and thus, New York should avoid the 32-year-old Canadian.

Gourde has one year left on his current deal that carries a cap hit of $5.17 million, per Arthur Staple of The Athletic, making a deal to bring him on board nearly impossible for New York. Add to that the Kraken "loves what Gourde brings to the team" and the price is likely even higher in terms of what Seattle would expect in return.

The aforementioned Wennburg does a little bit of everything and is an easier transaction to pull off, making him a greater potential target for the Rangers.

The loss of Filip Chytil for the season due to an upper-body injury has left the Rangers in need of a scorer and Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks should be one of the team's prime targets.

The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported it is a matter of when, not if, the Ducks trade the veteran.

Through 58 games, Henrique has tallied 17 goals, 24 assists, and a shooting percentage of 15.6. He is on pace to eclipse his career bests and has continued to prove his value as a scorer. Henrique is also a versatile player, a center who can win faceoffs but plays well with others and doesn't command the puck.

Beyond that, he has played in the NHL for 14 years and has yet to sniff the playoffs, a staggering fact for someone who has been so consistently good, yet played for consistently mediocre-to-bad teams.

The Rangers would likely have to give something up beyond a draft pick for Henrique, with Arthur Staple and Eric Stephens of The Athletic suggesting forward Kaapo Kakko could be part of a deal that sent not only Henrique to New York, but also Ducks' goals leader Frank Vatrano in a package deal.

Such a move would be huge for a Rangers squad that leads the Metropolitan Division but still sits behind the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins in the East and will look to bring as many players on board to help them keep pace.