Vladimir Tarasenko is officially a member of New York Rangers.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have acquired F Vladimir Tarasenko and D Niko Mikkola in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Sammy Blais and Hunter Skinner.
Full details ⤵️https://t.co/HF8rg4uq40— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 9, 2023
Word emerged early Thursday afternoon that a deal sending Tarasenko from St. Louis to the Rangers was imminent, and after a lot of waiting and Twitter refreshing the deal was confirmed. Niko Mikkola is also heading to the Rangers, and he will most likely be the team’s new third-pair LHD.
To acquire these players the Rangers parted with a conditional 2023 first-round pick, Sammy Blais (acquired in the Pavel Buchnevich trade) a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, and defensive prospect Hunter Skinner.
As for the conditions of the first-round pick, Mollie Walker has more.
Per a #NYR source:
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) February 9, 2023
Blues are retaining 50 percent salary.
1st rounder will be later of 2 first-round picks, either theirs or Dallas'. If Dallas finishes with top 10 pick it will shift to next year and be later of those two. https://t.co/wdNqTwl2xn
This is a perfectly fine low risk trade which gives the Rangers some upgrades. Tarasenko is having a down year, but is a proven goal scorer who could be reinvigorated by joining the Rangers and good friend Artemiy Panarin.
The Rangers still have many of their prime trade assets at their disposal, and are in a position where they can hold onto them, or use them at a later date like the offseason. Before the trade was made official, Libor Hajek was placed on waivers, and once he clears or is claimed the Rangers will have around $1.6 million in projected deadline space assuming no other moves are made between now and then.