2013 NHL Draft: The New York Rangers Are Not Trading Into The Top 5
The New York Rangers would love to be in the top five of this loaded draft, but that's not happening.
The NHL Draft is always exciting. Bad teams get an instant jolt of energy from a young big-name player, while better teams get to try to find some gems deeper in the draft.
For the New York Rangers, this year's draft is going to be a little less exciting. The Rangers don't have a pick until the third round, where they have three selections. That's a long wait, especially in a draft when there are supposed to be some difference makers. And since the Rangers don't have a first or second round pick, fans have started speculating about the possibilities of getting into the top five.
Let me put the brakes on that idea right now: It's not happening.
Do you have any idea how hard it would be to trade into the top five if the Rangers did have a first round pick? It would still be really hard. Just to put it in perspective, Elliotte Friedman (who has the best column on the web) talked about what it would take for the Colorado Avalanche to trade the first overall pick. Here's the blurb from his story:
So ... about the first overall pick? "To pass below (No. 3 overall) will take a heck of an offer, something we are going to say ... no choice but to take it," [Patrick] Roy said.
I know, I know. The first round pick is a big get, but Roy is saying that with the assumption that whatever haul they get includes a first round pick in the draft. The Rangers don't have a first round pick, so who are they going to move? More importantly, why would anyone in the top five be willing to move their pick for nothing back in the first round?
It's a nice thought, but it isn't happening. Or, if it did happen, you wouldn't like the cost.
Think Chris Kreider, John Moore (or Michael Del Zotto), Carl Hagelin or even Ryan McDonagh or Derek Stepan. Names you don't want to give away. And it wouldn't just be one or two of them, it might be a whole hell of a lot more. The Rangers, who watched what happened when they sacrifice depth for one player before the trade deadline this year, probably aren't going to go down that path again.
Do I think Glen Sather has something up his sleeve to get back into the first round? Yes, I do. But it's not a grand master plan to get into the top five. Still doesn't mean the Rangers can't surprise you, but that would be a massive move.
Thoughts?
