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 Rangers will receive young forward Vladislav Namestnikov, forward prospect Brett Howden, defenseman prospect Libor Hajek, a 2018 first-round pick, and a conditional second-round pick in the deal, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The second-round pick becomes another first-round pick if the Lightning win a Stanley Cup this year or next year.

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.

For the Lightning, the additions of McDonagh and Miller make an already good team straight up stacked. Tampa Bay can now roll out McDonagh, Victor Hedman, and Anton Stralman as its top three defensemen with Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat, and Miller among the players up front. It’s just a wealth of talent that makes Tampa Bay the prime contender to end Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup run.

And while they had to give up a useful player in Namestnikov, they were able to retain top young players like Point and Mikhail Sergachev, so it seems like a palatable price to land two pieces that aren’t even rentals.

Howden, the Lightning’s 2016 first-round pick, is a major get for the Rangers. The 19-year-old has recorded 58 points in 38 games with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and becomes one of New York’s top prospects. Elliotte Friedman also says Hajek was the main target that sealed the deal.