On the surface, the NY Rangers traded top line winger Pavel Buchnevich for peanuts. The return of Sammy Blais and a 2nd round pick has been widely panned as a bad trade for the Rangers. But this trade goes beyond just the surface. Following the trade, Rangers GM Chris Drury sold the trade as clearing much needed cap space. Given the news that the Rangers were going to walk away from Buchnevich at arbitration regardless, it seems the Rangers made up their minds long before asking about Buchnevich’s contract demands. They lost all leverage even before trying to trade him.
Without big ticket move, trading Pavel Buchnevich was pointless
