Expect Some Trades to be Made

This is probably music to your ears, because I know for a fact that when the word "trade" is mentioned the heart of a hockey fan generally starts to beat faster. Now we are not talking blockbusters here, but general manager Glen Sather is expected to move some players around during training camp to rid the team of loose change that is doing nothing but consuming precious cap space. This especially holds true now that defenseman Marc Staal has re-signed with the club, even though he took an apparent pay-cut compared to what we expected him to receive.

Steve Zipay of Newsday made this statement on his Twitter account yesterday following the Staal signing:

Here's a lock: With Staal signing, trades, waivers coming during NYR camp, which opens Friday

For whoever does not crack the lineup out of training camp, they will most likely be up for trade. Glen Sather is not going to want these guys sticking around as spare parts or crowding up the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) roster. The more reasonable thing would be to ship them off to another team that may find a use for them. Just look at the Atlanta Thrashers, who are capitalizing on the Rangers letting extra players go by inviting Enver Lisin to their camp on a tryout basis yesterday.

I have already voiced my opinion on the trade that I would have made as GM, but I will go ahead and refresh your memory anyway. If I was Glen Sather - and by all means, he may have tried this - I would have packaged veteran blue-liner Michal Rozsival along with forward Brandon Dubinsky in an effort to clear cap space and gain a young prospect or a prime draft pick. Trust me, I would not be thrilled to see Dubinsky go, but there is not, at least I don't think there is a team out there that will just take Rozsival straight up. There has to be an attractive piece in that package and I think Dubi is it.

We will also see some players placed on waivers as well. The most anticipated of those will be D Wade Redden, whose $6.5 million salary is expected to be buried in Hartford in just a few weeks. I think that is a given at this point, because with Staal signed there is no way the Rangers can afford to keep Wade around.

I still think Sather has a surprise up his sleeve for us that is on its way. Someone who we do not expect to be moved will be shipped off and we will be taken by surprise. Realize this is speculation here, just something I am basing on a gut feeling I have.

Not sure who that player might be, but something tells me there will be an unexpected twist before opening night on October 9th in Buffalo.