When the New York Rangers pulled the trigger on a trade just before the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, there were plenty of skeptics. The Rangers sent Derek Stepan—their top center for the past five seasons—and backup goalie Antti Raanta to Arizona for defensive prospect Anthony DeAngelo and the 7th overall pick in the draft.
The move signaled utter confidence by the Rangers’ front office in Mika Zibanejad’s ability to take the next step in his development.
At face-value, it would appear their confidence was unfounded. The Rangers suffered a catastrophic 2017-18 season, missed the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade, publicly announced a rebuild, and fired their head coach.