The New York Rangers will be a team to watch this offseason, as New York is rumored to trade several key players off their roster.
The website PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Rangers acquire Owen Power from the Buffalo Sabres.
Rangers acquire:
Sabres acquire:
- K’Andre Miller
- Jaroslav Chmelar
- 2025 second-round pick (Florida)
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster, as New York would acquire a former first-overall pick defenseman for a package that seems fair for both teams.
The Rangers would acquire Power, who was selected first overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. The defenseman is entering the second year of his seven-year, $58.45 million deal. Power would replace Miller and add some much-needed youth to the Rangers’ blue line. Power recorded 7 goals and 33 assists for 40 points in 79 games.
In return, the Rangers would deal a second-round pick as well as Miller, who would replace Power. Miller is a pending RFA, and New York has a decision on whether or not they want to commit to him long-term. He recorded 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 74 games. Miller is 25.
The Rangers would also trade Chmelar, who’s 21 years old and a big-body winger. He would have a chance to crack the Sabres roster next season and add some size and youth to the lineup.
Rangers’ Miller Named as Trade Candidate
New York is a fascinating team to watch this offseason, and Miller is someone who could be dealt.
Miller is an RFA and could be at risk of an offer sheet. With that, his name has been brought up in trade talks. NHL insider Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff named Miller his 10th-ranked trade target this offseason.
“One of the biggest lingering questions for GM Chris Drury is the makeup and foundation of the Blueshirts’ blueline,” Seravalli wrote. “It’s no secret the Rangers have not defended well enough in front of Igor Shesterkin, and that spans multiple head coaches now. It’s on the personnel. Miller is just 25 and skates so effortlessly and efficiently, he should be part of the solution. But he’s also due a sizable raise and a contract that will have to buy UFA years. That’s expensive.”
Miller was selected 22nd overall in 2018 by the Rangers. In his career, he’s skated in 368 games, recording 36 goals and 96 assists for 132 points.
Sabres Willing to Make a Bold Move
Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011, and the Sabres are looking to end that streak.
Heading into the offseason, NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period believes Buffalo could make some bold moves this offseason.
“Trade chatter is about to pick up and with a shallow free agent pool, some teams may be more inclined to dive into the trade market in the weeks leading up to the NHL Draft in Los Angeles…,” Pagnotta wrote. “The Sabres, who brought in Jarmo Kekalainen as a Senior Advisor, will be an intriguing team to watch in the weeks ahead.
“With multiple players uneased with the team’s lack of advancement, there is an opportunity for Kekalainen and GM Kevyn Adams to be active – it is time the organization takes the next steps in its progression,” Pagnotta added. “We have already reported Bowen Byram is in play, again, in Buffalo. Ahead of the trade deadline, names like Owen Power, J.J. Peterka and Alex Tuch were also tossed around as the vultures circled their prey. Is there more of a willingness to make bold moves now?”
The Sabres enter the offseason with just over $23.2 million in cap space.
Trade Pitch Sees Rangers Acquiring Former 1st-Overall Pick in Blockbuster