The New York Rangers are in on Jonathan Drouin, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.
They are one of what is sure to be many teams (though count the Panthers out) that are looking at the 20-year-old forward who has requested a trade out of Tampa.
One source told Brooks that the Rangers “are in big-time on this.” That’s supported by the revelation that the Rangers have been discussing acquiring Drouin since before the news of his trade request was made public. The GMs discussed a trade when the two teams met last Wednesday, making it sound like there’s been a somewhat recent escalation of trade talks.
The move would make some sense for the Rangers, who are up against the cap and looking for an elite scoring option for the future. There’s certainly no guarantee that Drouin is that, but he’s put together some incredible seasons in major junior and has played very well in the playoffs/Memorial Cup/World Juniors, when the pressure is on. He could be a nice fit for the blueshirts, though a high-upside forward on an ELC is a good fit for a lot of teams.
Expect this to be the first of many rumors that will be triggered after Drouin and his agent made his trade request public over the weekend.