Like your comment. Teams shouldn't be trading good RFAs unless they get fair value in return. Now Rangers cap situation might force a trade next summer...but as you say, try other alternatives for cap relief.

Yeah, I don't agree at all with Tony D trade rumors. He's our best defenseman right now.

But one of Strome/Kreider, and one of Georgie/Hank need to be traded, in terms of contracts that are or will be big (unless we get a Christmas miracle and can move Smith/Staal with little to no retention). Neither of those are easy choices. I don't envy Gorton's job right now, because no matter what he does here will garner criticism and potential "What if...?" scenarios down the line

Not to mention the Georgiev trades. The Rangers are perfectly setup with their AHL goalies playing well and not requiring waivers, they’d be fools to trade anyone until Lundqvist retires and they see who rises to the top. Maybe you trade one in a couple years when waivers forces the issue, but for now just let the guys develop and ride the hot hand.

What you're missing is:

A. The expansion draft. We will lose one of Hank or Georgie for nothing in return if we still have both.
B. Igor can/will/is likely to skitter back to the KHL if he isn't called up next season after posting these insane numbers.

So we could potentially lose one or more goalies with nothing in return. Hank isn't guaranteed to retire at his contracts' end. He still keeps us in the games.

As a fan, I want to see Hank retire a Ranger, and the best and most profitable way to do this is to trade Georgie and run Igor/Hank until Hank retires, then Huska if he's still around

Hank has nothing to do with the expansion draft. He'll be a UFA and no need to protect him or certainly draft him.

You’re right they’d have to expose someone to Seattle, but given what teams paid Vegas to leave their good players alone, losing a goalie for nothing beats trading him now for a 2nd round pick. You’re going to lose someone, better to be someone from a position of depth. I say that as a Wild fan who watched Fletcher send over Haula and Tuch so Vegas wouldn’t touch any of their top 4 D.

As for the KHL, that’s great if Igor wants to make pennies on the dollar to what he would make in the NHL as a starter if he’s that good. I doubt that influences NY’s decision making, the expansion draft is more of a threat for them to do something.

And if the rules are the same as the Vegas draft, the 2 AHL goalies are exempt so they’ll sign a journeyman like Hutchinson to expose while protecting Georgiev and bury the journeyman in the AHL the next season.

Thanks JayTea. Believe there is a rule of players of a age, years pro would still be eligible for the draft. So some AHL goalies will draft eligible, although why would Seattle draft one?
The issue would be if both Georgiev and Igor would be Seattle draft eligible. But as you suggest, if isn't....Rangers are looking really good in net in 2021/22. No reason to make a hasty trade of Georgiev now.

I dont know where you get your reports about locker room love, but im sure both players are fine (TDA has had issues previously), but guys get traded all the time. Strome is a guy who is going to get overpaid, he's a good passer who can be a 20 goal scorer but he's borderline top six vs middle six in my opinion. He's definitely benefiting from playing with Bread. Who wouldnt. As for trading him. Id rather be on the side of the team who trades him when his value is highest vs overpaying for him and carrying him as an overpaid 3rd line winger in 2 years when they'll really want the cap space. Now the reason for trading tda is he's a very good offensive defenseman and maybe he's ok at the defensive part. Its hard to know their system is so passive. But you have 2 other rhd def with offensive ability and more in the prospect pool its probably smart to trade the one who you can trade who is going to be expensive then signing him to a long deal. Id rather have fox then tda and that seems to be the choice considering trouba isnt going anyway and the cap is crunched in 2020. Its all about net present value vs future value + positional strength. You deal from strength to fill weaknesses. if you can.

If we deal Kreider, we will not have any cap issues. Plenty of open $ for Strome, TDA, Georgiev, Fast, and Lemieux. But I think they need to deal Kreider, Strome, and Fast. Get picks and continue to stack the future.

?????? Kreider next year isn't an issue. Rangers have about 18m in cap space with 9 players to be signed. If the RFA are kept Deangelo, Strome, Lemieux, Gordiev, With term those guys cost at least 12m.
So the leaves 6 m for 5 players...and trying to avoid bonus carryover that 6m maybe can't be spend. So it looks like one of the RFAs Strome might have to be replace with a cheaper player. Those buyouts totalling about 8m next year really hurt. But Rangers look pretty good with young players coming up, and in couple of year that buyout money gone as well as Staal, Hank, and Smith.