The New York Rangers are currently in their Stanley Cup window, and one trade proposal involves acquiring a star defenseman and forward. A user on PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool suggested a trade where the Rangers would land Jonas Brodin from the Minnesota Wild.
This potential blockbuster deal would see New York acquiring star defenseman Brodin and reuniting with former forward Zuccarello, while giving up three NHL players and two draft picks.
Brodin, entering the fourth year of his seven-year, $42 million contract, would strengthen the Rangers’ defense. Last season, he played 62 games and posted 27 points (7 goals, 20 assists).
Zuccarello, who spent the first nine years of his career with the Rangers (2010–2019), would return as a middle-six forward. In 69 games last season with Minnesota, he notched 63 points (12 goals, 51 assists).
In return, the Rangers would send a 2025 first-round pick and Kaapo Kakko, the former second-overall pick, who has struggled to meet expectations. Kakko could step into Zuccarello’s role in Minnesota’s lineup and add youth to the team.
Ryan Lindgren, at 26, would help Minnesota’s blue line by replacing Brodin and bringing youth to their defense. Last season, Lindgren played 76 games, scoring 3 goals and adding 14 assists.
Lastly, Jonny Brodzinski, a forward known for his physical play, would provide the Wild with depth scoring as a potential third-line option.
Rangers Focused on Winning Stanley Cup
Last season, New York had the top record in the NHL, but the Rangers were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Looking ahead to the 2024-25 season, Rangers GM Chris Drury emphasized the importance of taking the next step.
“Our ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup,” Drury told reporters, per USA Today. “Personally, I’m always striving to improve in my role and find ways to keep us in Cup contention every year. That process starts with training camp, and I’m excited for (head coach Peter Laviolette’s) second camp. Hopefully, we’ll have a strong camp, a solid regular season, and set ourselves up for another playoff run.”
The Rangers are once again considered Stanley Cup contenders, having reached the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
Wild Have Quiet Offseason
Last season, Minnesota missed the playoffs, and with salary cap constraints from the buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, general manager Bill Guerin had limited flexibility in making moves.
In free agency, the Wild signed forward Yakov Trenin to a four-year contract and acquired center Jakub Lauko in a trade with the Boston Bruins.
As a result, the Wild’s roster remains largely unchanged from the team that finished 39-34-9 last season.
Minnesota will begin the 2024-25 NHL season at home on October 10 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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