Sporstnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Rangers will try to move Smith to an American team, which makes a move to the Maple Leafs hard to envision unless he has not added Toronto, a bonafide contender, to his eight-team no-trade list.
The Rangers had a lead with less than 10 minutes to play against the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals and let it slip through their fingers. The resulting 3-2 overtime loss on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden prevented their first three-game winning streak since mid-November.
Change is upon the New York Rangers. In reality, it has been since the day captain Jacob Trouba was shipped out to Anaheim.
On Sunday, the New York Rangers took on the Nashville Predators. The Rangers won 4-0, but the game’s actual story came a few hours before puck drop when it was reported that former Vegas Golden Knight Reilly Smith would be held out for “roster management purposes.
The jury is still out on the Dec. 18 trade that shipped Kakko to Seattle. Will Borgen has solidified the right side of New York’s defense and earned a five-year extension, which certainly adds value, but Kakko has taken off with the Kraken, posting 19 points (six goals and 13 assists) through his first 28 games.