Three Potential Trade Destinations for San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund

New York Rangers

Another Metropolitan Division team that may desire the services of Mikael Granlund is the New York Rangers. This is a team that currently sits among the best in the NHL. They are definitely going to be one of the clubs looking to try to strengthen their roster where they can at the trade deadline. New York also has a history of enjoying the pursuit of the biggest and best names on the market.

With third-line center Filip Chytil out long term with a concussion and right winger Kaapo Kakko out with an injury suffered to his leg after colliding awkwardly with the boards, the holes in the New York Rangers roster seem to be distinctly Granlund-shaped. With former Rangers like Ryan Carpenter and Anthony Duclair on the roster, there are links between the two organizations. Former Shark Barclay Goodrow is a member of the Blueshirts right now.

Where things get difficult for making this work is the cap space. I mentioned both Kakko and Chytil are out with long-term injuries, which is true. However, both are expected to return long before the end of the season, making it quite difficult for the Rangers to take on the $5 million of Granlund. I mentioned former Shark Barclay Goodrow is on the Rangers' fourth line. Perhaps taking him back to make the money work could be possible for the one-time Shark.

As for the assets the Rangers could part with to make this deal happen, they have their own first-round pick but lack a couple of mid-round picks that would keep them in a potential bidding war. They do have some very high-caliber prospects, such as Brennan Othmann and Gabriel Perreault, but Granlund doesn't hold enough value to justify asking for one of them in addition to the high-round pick the Sharks will want.