Lightning acquire Rangers' Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller in blockbuster trade, per report

The Tampa Bay Lightning have landed New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller in a blockbuster trade before the Monday deadline, according to NHL Network’s Brian Lawton. The other details of the deal aren’t known yet, but we do have his tweet from Elliotte Friedman that suggests it’s going to be wild.

This McDonagh deal sounds like it's really something
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 26, 2018

The move is the latest sign that the Lightning are all-in on trying to win a Stanley Cup this season. They’re already first in the Eastern Conference with a 42-17-3 record and just added a legitimate top-pairing defenseman and a solid 24-year-old winger to their roster.

McDonagh, 28, has been named in trade reports for weeks since the Rangers announced to their fans that a rebuild was underway. The team captain isn’t set to become a free agent until 2019, but he was one of the biggest pieces New York could offer to bring in assets for the future.

Since his first full NHL season in 2011-12, McDonagh has finished among the top 20 in Norris Trophy voting all but one year. He’s been a steady cog for many good Rangers teams that took deep playoff runs in his early 20s. This season, he’s recorded two goals and 24 assists in 49 games with New York.

The trade of McDonagh isn’t too surprising, but the inclusion of Miller might be. The young forward is second on the team with 40 points in 63 games and doesn’t break the bank with a $2.75 million cap hit.

However, the Rangers clearly weren’t kidding around when they told fans to prepare for big moves. Losing McDonagh and Miller undeniably hurts the team in the short-term, but with the focus on building a Cup contender, the massive return package from Tampa Bay will help jumpstart that effort.

More to come...

Let's block ads! (Why?)