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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers Predicted to Trade Star to Kraken Amid Offseason Rumors
Rangers Predicted to Trade Star to Kraken Amid Offseason Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Rangers are entering a crucial offseason that could see them move on from a few players. Multiple key pieces to the Rangers' success could be on the move, including defenseman K'Andre Miller. Advertisement Miller has been a highly talked-about name in trade rumors, and it could see New York move on from him. One team that could be interesting as a landing spot for the defenseman is the Seattle Kraken. The Kraken missed the postseason this past season, finishing the year with a record of 35-41-6. Seattle has been pushing toward getting back to the playoffs, but they haven't found much consistency on the ice. One way to make that happen could be for the team to be aggressive in adding talent this offseason. Seattle has plenty of cap space to work with, opening the door for a potential deal between the two sides. NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report linked the two teams together. Advertisement "They have some salary-cap flexibility; they have a need; and they have plenty of draft capital over the next few years. Miller could arrive in Seattle and immediately be one of its best all-around defensemen and bring some much-needed mobility and offensive upside.", Gertz said. New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) celebrates with defenseman K'Andre Miller (79) after scoring a goal in the third period against the Carolina Cruz-Imagn Images Miller could instantly spark the defensive unit of the team, even with him putting up a down season of seven goals and 20 assists last year. The star ranked 50th out of 214 defenders, who logged at least 500 minutes of ice time, by being on the ice for 2.78 goals per 60 minutes. The defender has all the potential in the world to keep getting better, and a team like Seattle could be perfect for him. Due to the Kraken having loads of draft capital to work with, the Rangers and them could likely come to terms on a deal. Advertisement Seattle needs to start pushing toward contention, and adding a player like Miller could be exactly what they are missing. The Kraken have missed the playoffs three of four seasons, but this offseason could be a time to change the trajectory of the franchise. Related: Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner Linked to New Eye-Opening Landing Spot Related: Surprising NHL Team Expected to Be 'Major' Players in Free Agency This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Senators offseason targets, and should they keep their 2025 first-round draft pick? Mailbag
As we settle into the early days of the Ottawa Senators offseason, there's no better time to get to your mailbag questions. We received many questions, so this month's edition has been split into two parts. Part 1 addresses which potential trade and free-agent targets the Senators could add to their top six. Note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Great work covering the Senators for the first time this year! Should the Sens give up their draft pick this year or next year? I'm leaning this year, seeing as next year's supposedly a deeper draft, but what are your thoughts? — Erik S. Thank you for the kind words, Erik! It's a question that I go back and forth on, to be honest. The 2026 draft class looks deeper compared to the 2025 class. If the Sens choose to give up this year's first-round pick — they have to give up their first-rounder in either 2025 or 2026 due to their mishandling of the Evgenii Dadonov trade in 2022 — they'll have a lottery ticket for that stellar class. But giving that pick away might be premature if the NHL is willing to forgive them. And if the Senators improve next year, they'd pick lower than this year's No. 21 spot. One more thing (this is just an idea I have): The Sens have three second-round picks in 2026. Maybe there's a way to trade into the late first round with those picks. Advertisement Ultimately, the Senators are hoping the NHL relieves them of their draft pick punishment. If they keep the pick this year and behave next season, there's a world in which they keep both picks. I still envision a scenario where the Sens are told their first-round pick is the last one of the first round and cannot be traded. That's what happened to New Jersey back in 2014. So, today, I'd keep the pick. What are some options, either via trade or free agency, for the Sens to add a top-six winger? — Michael R. Last week, I wrote about some free-agent possibilities for the Senators, including Nikolaj Ehlers, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Donato and Brock Boeser. I like Ehlers a lot for the Senators, especially since he has speed. According to NHL Edge, Ehlers has the ninth-fastest recorded max speed in the league this year at 36.98 km/h. But let's wait and see what his intentions are if he hits the free-agent market. Ehlers could make for a decent consolation prize for teams that miss out on the Mitch Marner sweepstakes, if that's still a thing come July, which might hurt the Sens' chances at getting him. Speaking of Marner, I get there's a small faction of the Sens fan base that would like to see him go from blue to red. But I don't see Ottawa as a top destination for Marner. I'm also starting to change my mind about whether he'll leave Toronto. (I think he stays; this playoff run should prove his worth.) Pius Suter is further down the list of pending UFAs, but he's coming off a 25-goal season in Vancouver. I don't know if he's a long-term fix for a scoring winger, however. If the Senators wanted to go the trade route, they'd have to get creative. Pittsburgh's Rickard Rakell is a player I'd consider, but he has an eight-team no-trade clause, and it seems like he'd rather stay in Pittsburgh. There's also Seattle's Jared McCann, another versatile forward with a penchant for scoring goals. But it remains to be seen if Seattle would want to part ways with him. Advertisement As for restricted free-agent targets, don't expect it. The Senators aren't eligible to make offer sheets above $6,871,374 because of their draft pick pool situation (unless they make an offer above $11,452,295). Long story short: Giving up their 2026 first-round pick complicates things, and they also don't own their 2026 second-round pick. They instead own the Buffalo Sabres' pick, which partially explains why they couldn't afford the offer sheet compensation. So there's no need to put Marco Rossi or JJ Peterka in a Senators uniform through Photoshop or AI just yet. What would be a reasonable contract for both Claude Giroux and the team to keep him around while understanding he is not likely a top liner going forward? — Chris B. I still like the David Perron contract as a base for a potential Giroux contract. For those who remember from previous mailbags and posts, PuckPedia estimated a new deal for Giroux could be between $4.85 million and $5 million and listed Perron's contract among its comparables. Perron is entering the second year of an $8 million deal ($4 million AAV). If I'm GM Steve Staios and want him around, I'd try to keep Giroux at $4.25 million on a one-year deal. Anything more hampers the Senators' chances of being active in other areas this offseason. Signing Giroux at that rate would still give the Sens over $13 million in cap space. If you're looking for a deal that would be fair to both sides, I think this is the one. We know how much Giroux means to the Senators; his influence in the dressing room and on-ice play could be worth keeping him around. But the Sens need to be cautious with how much money and term they dole out to a 37-year-old forward whose statistics have been trending downward. They also have some leverage with Giroux's age and his wanting to be closer to home. Do you see the team choosing to trade Drake Batherson? If so, who would be viable teams and who or what could Ottawa expect coming back in the trade? — Eric O. I don't see the logic in moving Batherson unless you're getting a bona fide top defenceman or a younger talent who can score goals. That's at least what I'd aim for if I were the Senators. Batherson is entering his prime, knocking on the door of a 30-goal season on a team-friendly contract with an AAV under $5 million through 2027. That makes his contract appealing to teams. But if you deal him away, your need for goal scoring becomes more of a focal point unless you get another goal scorer to replace him. The Senators could ill-afford to start next season with fewer goal scorers after ending the season with the 19th-best offence and the second-worst goals scored at five-on-five. Advertisement If Batherson has to move on, it means the Senators are putting a full-court press on somebody (either through free agency, trade or other means) to supplement that scoring. Anyone can be traded, but it would need to make too much sense for the Senators to move on from the scoring winger. Do the Sens need a right-shot defenceman to upgrade on Nick Jensen? — Cory D. I'd argue the Senators would need one even if Jensen is healthy enough to play in time for next season's training camp. The Sens could use another body to help solidify their top six with newly signed Nikolas Matinpalo rotating in and out as a seventh defenceman. That new defenceman could either suit up with Tyler Kleven or Thomas Chabot. For those wondering, no, I don't think the Sens should rush Carter Yakemchuk into that spot. Let him play AHL games and get his bearings at the pro level before slotting him in. The defencemen market this summer seems relatively thin compared to that of the forwards. But it won't stop the Sens from being linked to some potential talents. I mentioned Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson a few days ago — if, of course, the Flames decide to trade him. Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad and Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Dante Fabbro (who was on waivers this past season) are among the right-shot rearguards available in free agency. Depending on how the Sens address their scoring issue, maybe they opt for a cheaper depth option on defence. But yes, I think the Sens could benefit from having more depth at the back end. Especially if Jensen's health continues to be a question mark this fall. (Top photo of Nikolaj Ehlers and Mads Sogaard: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)
