PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 25: Brendan Lemieux #48 of the New York Rangers looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 25, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Late Saturday, the New York Rangers made a trade that no one expected. They swapped winger Brendan Lemieux to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2021 fourth round draft pick. It’s a move that will undoubtedly infuriate Ranger fans who valued Lemieux’s physical play, but from a practical point of view, it was a roster driven move.