Media Bytes: Hot Laf Takes, Seravalli, Road Warriors

Welcome back to Media Bytes, a weekly column from Blueshirt Banter. Every Sunday, we’ll help you start the week right with a quick catch-up on the latest stories and developments around the New York Rangers and the broader NHL media landscape.

Hot Takes! Part Deux

1. On Monday’s Morning Cuppa Hockey, Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen got into a heated debate over mock trades for Andrei Svechnikov, sparked by Elliotte Friedman’s Saturday report that Svechnikov had been open to a trade earlier this season.

Lazarus compared Svechnikov to Alexis Lafrenière, saying he believes "they’re more similar than they are different," which stunned Cohen. As the argument escalated, Lazarus doubled down and said a one-for-one swap—Lafrenière for Svechnikov—wouldn’t be "ridiculous." Cohen immediately shot back: "I am saying that’s f-ing ridiculous."

Lazarus insists he wasn’t proposing a one-for-one swap, but it’s hard to read his comments any other way. Even so, I’m not sure he’s entirely off base. The disappointment surrounding both players is obvious, and it’s easy to imagine a “my problem for yours” type of deal built around them. It probably wouldn’t be a straight one-for-one trade, but the framework is there. Salt and pepper to taste.