2020 Pre-Deadline Day Open Thread

Following last night’s game against the San Jose Sharks, the Rangers will be out of action until the 2020 Trade Deadline comes and goes. Weeks of speculation, predictions, and rumor mongering will come to a head over the next 30 hours as teams around the league race to make deals prior to tomorrow’s 3 P.M. EST deadline.

Even as the Rangers have gotten themselves back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, they still find themselves squarely on the sellers side of the ledger this season. Chris Kreider has been the top forward option on the rental market since Taylor Hall was traded in December, and in spite of reports emerging that the Rangers would like to reach a contract extension with him, his status as the premier winger on the market means he’ll likely be traded before tomorrow’s deadline.

Jesper Fast and Alexandar Georgiev are two more candidates to be on the move sooner rather than later. New York’s goaltending trifecta is starting to become an ugly situation, with Henrik Lundqvist sitting as a healthy scratch for the first time in his career on Friday night. While the Blueshirts won’t move Georgiev just for the sake of moving him, it’s hard to imagine the team carrying three goaltenders for the remainder of the season. As for Fast, a reunion with former Blueshirts’ bench boss Alain Vigneault in Philadelphia could be in order.

Whispers of other Rangers possibly being shipped out have emerged as well. Pavel Bucnhevich, Ryan Strome, and even offseason acquisition Jacob Trouba have seen their names thrown out in trade talks by varying media sources in the last couple of weeks, so it’s hard to say who’s truly safe in the final hours leading up to the deadline.

Use this as your open thread for today. And make sure to be as hyperbolic and melodramatic as possible if Jeff Gorton seals the deal on any trades leading up to the deadline. Enjoy the day!