Rangers’ Early Number One Trade Need Is a Center – The Hockey Writers New York Rangers Latest News, Analysis & More

Even though the 2025 Trade Deadline is still four months away, it is never too early to look at what possible needs your team might be looking to fill as that day gets closer. While it seems like the New York Rangers might need another defenseman, that shouldn’t be their number-one priority. The position they need to focus on is center and although they have three legitimate centers on the team already, all three have been dealing with their own issues to start this season.

If the Rangers want to avoid not having enough center depth heading into the playoffs, then they are going to have to address this need in the four months leading up to the trade deadline.

Rangers Can’t Rely On Filip Chytil to Stay Healthy

Although this is tough to say, an injury to Filip Chytil was bound to happen at some point this season. With his vast injury history leading up to this campaign, it was almost a guarantee he would not be stay healthy enough to play all 82 games this season. That is truly is a shame because when he is healthy and playing at the top of his game, he is effective Arguably the Rangers’ best center so far this season, he has four goals and nine points in 15 games and has been part of the teams’ best line with Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko on his wings. The issue for him was always going to be his health and he is once again out of the lineup.

Chytil was injured after accidentally colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller on Tuesday. He played one more shift after that hit, but has not played since. He has missed two games so far and many thought he was dealing with another concussion. However, the Rangers got some good news yesterday as it was reported that he met with specialists and it confirmed he was not dealing with a concussion; he will join the Rangers on their current western Canadian road trip. While this is great news, it also proves the point that the Rangers can’t rely on Chytil to stay healthy for the entire season and since they don’t have any center depth behind him, the need for a center grows more important each day.

Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad Getting Off to Slow Starts

Another reason why the Rangers should be going after a center is that their top two centers, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, have both been underwhelming so far this season and have yet to truly play up to the level they have in seasons past. Zibanejad has seen a well-documented decline in play since the start of last season. He is just looks like a shell of the player he once was and like he is not having fun out there anymore. He has picked up his play over the past three games, with two goals and three points, but overall, he isn’t playing how a number-one center should and since this type of play is continuing from last season, it should be a major cause for concern.

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Trochek’s slow start is more surprising since he is coming off the best season of his career playing on a line with Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin. He only has four goals and 10 points 17 games this season and he hasn’t looked like the player he was last season. He isn’t playing with the same aggressiveness and tenacity he was last season and that is a problem for the Rangers. He and Zibanejad not playing at a higher level yet this season, in addition to Chytil’s injury history, gives even more reason as to why the Rangers are going to need a center sooner rather than later.

Way-Too-Early Potential Trade Targets

With the majority of trades in the NHL not happening until closer to the trade deadline, the Rangers likely won’t be making a move until at least January. So for right now, we are going to a name a couple of possible trade targets for them to consider in these next few months. The most popular name out there right now is Yanni Gourde of the Seattle Kraken. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent after this season and his role and ice time with the Kraken has been reduced this season. The San Jose Sharks could have a couple of interesting names including Nico Sturm and Luke Kunin. While these aren’t the biggest names, the Rangers don’t need big-name players. They are just going to need guys who can play center and these three are just a few of the potential options for them to consider.

The Rangers have gotten off to a good start with an 12-4-1 record, but still have some areas of concern, a major one being the center’s play and health. With so much uncertainty surrounding them, they are going to need to go out and add another center just in case; if they don’t and one of them gets injured or isn’t playing well, they are going to be in serious trouble.