As the NHL trade deadline approaches, the New York Rangers are focused on being their best.
The Blue Shirts are fighting for playoff position, with a 39-18-5 record, which brings them two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, and 5 behind the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.
The trade deadline, which is noon on Monday, March 21, would allow the team from MSG to add some new talent — though they seem to be finding their groove without major changes.
“I think we’re confident in our group,” said right winger Barclay Goodrow. “Our job is to go out there and play and play to execute the game plan that coach put out for us and play the hardest we can. We can’t control what’s going to happen in the next 48 hours, it’s not our job. That’s Dru’s job to worry about that and our job is to go out there and play.”
Rangers veteran center Mika Zibanejad reiterated Goodrow, saying the team was focused on their coming matchups, rather than the trade deadline.
“It’s not our job to do that anyways,” Zibanejad said. “We’ll just worry about the games and worry about what we can do on the ice and then the rest is not up to us.”
Ahead of the deadline, the team signed free agent defenseman Brandon Scanlin, a college prospect that played for the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms with college free agent defenseman Brandon Scanlin.
Full details ⤵️
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 20, 2022
Beyond that, the team has been relatively quiet, believing that they can potentially hoist the Stanley Cup trophy without making any major changes.
Head coach Gerard Gallant, who has headed the team since the offseason of 2021, commented of rumors of a potential trade, saying he didn’t believe a major change was necessary for the Rangers to succeed.
“I don’t have to learn anymore about our team, I know what our team is all about,” Gallant said. “We’ve been good all year. Our players don’t have to prove anything more to me.”
Still, the team from MSG could use defensive help to help out superstar Adam Fox — opening them up to a potential move for Seattle Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano, or Robert Hagg from the upstate Buffalo Sabers.
“We’re in a playoff spot right now, but you’re not in until you’re in,” Gallant said. “Last two games were playoff style hockey and we had 20 guys going.”
