As much as we all want to focus on the on-ice product, the next two weeks will be filled with trade deadline rumors, targets, and hopes. But with the rumors comes speculated packages, and sometimes they just make you laugh. Beyond the “Adam Fox for JT Miller” fun that Canucks fans seem to think makes sense, there are too many names out there that Chris Drury simply wont’ trade for a rental. It’s time to go through the Rangers players likely to be traded at the deadline, so we can hopefully ignore some of the sillier rumors.

Remember, this is just at the deadline, not the draft. Timing does matter. Also this is for rentals only. And yes, JT Miller is considered a rental.

Not getting traded

Let’s start with those players whom the Rangers will not be trading. There are the obvious ones like Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Artemiy Panarin, Jacob Trouba, etc. You know, the guys with the big contracts and term that no team will take on at the deadline. It’s exceedingly rare for players with more than 1-2 years left to be moved at the deadline. It happens, but it’s not often. Barclay Goodrow is included in this section.

But then there are the guys that we will call “Canuck fan pipe dreams.” You know the guys. These are the ones that we’ve seen bounced around that all of them need to be included in Miller trades. It’s humorous. These guys are players like Braden Schneider, K’Andre Miller, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere. Off the roster, I think it’s safe to add Brennan Othmann to that list.

Highly unlikely to be traded

While we know the above guys won’t be traded, there are a ton of guys that likely aren’t getting traded either. There is no rhyme or reason to these guys, just it doesn’t make sense for the Rangers to trade them and/or I can’t imagine Drury or Gerard Gallant wanting to trade them for a rental.

This would include the Ryans: Ryan Lindgren, Ryan Reaves, and Ryan Strome. It’s not to say they can’t or won’t get traded, it’s that it’s tough to find the right situation for any of them to be traded at the deadline. I’m willing to add Zac Jones to this list, in the sense that there are very few rentals where Jones would be required over Nils Lundkvist to make the deal happen. Plus all signs are pointing to Jones-Schneider next year.