As the season continues along, the uncertainty around Filip Chytil continues to grow. He has not played since Nov. 2, 2023, after getting injured in the game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He is currently out with a concussion, which is believed to be the fourth of his career. While Chytil is skating on his own, it is uncertain when he will return to practice.
The Rangers have two great centers with Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, but they would rather have someone else than Nick Bonino centering their third line. Bonino is a great fourth-line center, but he is over-exposed in a third-line role. If Chytil continues to be out for the majority of the season, the Rangers will need to consider trading for a third-line center. Here are their potential options.
Sean Monahan
From the Montreal Canadians, Sean Monahan would be a good fit for the Rangers on the third line. He has more offensive upside than Bonino and has scored nine goals and 20 points in 33 games played this season. He has had an up-and-down career with his career-high 82 points in 78 games coming with the Calgary Flames during the 2018-19 season. Injuries and other factors have led to him not being able to get back to that kind of scoring, but he is still a good offensive player and is good in the faceoff circle, winning 57.1 percent of his draws this season.
It likely wouldn’t take much to trade for him as the Canadiens are still in a rebuild and would likely take a third-round pick or prospect for the upcoming unrestricted free agent. His cap hit also would be in the range that the Rangers can afford without the other team having to retain salary, as he makes $1.985 million, and as previously mentioned, his contract expires after this season. It would be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Rangers, and if he can remain healthy for the rest of the season, he would be a good fit for what the Rangers need.
Alexander Wennberg
The Seattle Kraken are another team that, as of this writing, find themselves on the outside of the playoffs, three points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They had a poor start to the season, and now, they might have to be sellers come the March 8, 2024 trade deadline. If they are sellers, Alex Wennberg will likely be a player who is moved to a playoff contender, as teams always need more players who can play center. The Rangers would be a good fit because, like Monahan, Wennberg has more offensive upside than Bonino, although he’s not as good in the faceoff circle, winning only 47.6 percent of his draws.
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Wennberg matched his career high in goals last season with 13 and currently has five goals and 14 points in 36 games played. While he hasn’t been able to get back to the 59-point mark he reached during the 2016-17 season, he has been a good middle-six center for the majority of his career. In terms of what it would cost to trade for him, likely a similar package of a third-round pick or a later pick and a low-end prospect. One issue might be his contract, as he currently makes $4.5 million, and the Rangers would need Seattle to retain half. Even then, the money would still be tight for the Rangers. He would be a less likely option than Monahan due to his cap hit.
Adam Henrique
A name that Rangers fans are very familiar with is Adam Henrique. He ended the Rangers’ playoff run in the 2012 Playoffs and, since then, has gone on to become a reliable middle-six center for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks. He is in the final year of his contract, and the Ducks could look to move him by the trade deadline. He currently has 10 goals and 19 points in 33 games played. He has been a consistent 40-50 point player in his career and would fit on the Rangers because he brings more offense than Bonino while also being defensively responsible. He has won 53.3 percent of his draws this season, which is better than Bonino’s 52.2 winning percentage.
The issue again with bringing in Henrique is his cap hit. He makes $5.825 million, and even if the Ducks retain half, the Rangers would still have an issue and would likely have to involve a third team in the deal so they could retain more of his cap hit. In terms of what a package could look like, it might take more since the Ducks could keep him around as a good veteran presence in their locker room. It could cost the Rangers their second-round pick this year or one of their better prospects. Out of these three names, Henrique would likely be the best fit for the Rangers because he provides both on the offensive and defensive side of the puck.
These are just three potential names that could be looked at as options for the middle-six. The Rangers could look at bigger names like Elias Lindholm, but would it be worth giving up tons of assets to play him as the third-line center? The Rangers need to focus on getting a player who would cost less to acquire and could play the role they need him to fill.