Should the Rangers Start Dealing Away Players?

Tonight, the New York Rangers battle the Pittsburgh Penguins at the garden. And, because of this, it seems like a sensible thing to do is to talk about whether or not it makes sense for the Rangers to start trading away their potential unrestricted free agents in Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan.

Three months ago, people would have been quick to turn this down and say "No way!" But with the Rangers completely out of sync, both Callahan and Girardi haven't played at the same level since John Tortorella was with the team.

The March 5 trading deadline is only 77 days away and the Rangers must decide whether or not to sign or trade their two veteran players who, starting on July 1, will be unrestricted. Let's make the case for both, starting with the case to trade them.

Both players were stars when Tortorella was still with the team. However, under new coach Alain Vigneault, Girardi has had less of an impact. However, trading Callahan symbolizes Vigneault going in a new direction with this team. The Rangers may still be in the hunt to make the playoffs and finish 3rd in the Metropolitan Division, but it seems possible that the Rangers could trade away these guys for fresher players who could have a bigger impact and keep them in it. In fact, they could also get a veteran who's played in the playoffs to help the youngers get even better. There is also the possibility of a prospect or a draft pick. Either way, both Girardi and Callahan are valuable in the playoffs. If the Rangers don't make the playoffs this season, their impact might be lost. They would also be the hottest free agents when the time comes and possibly get big offers from other teams. Also, the Rangers trading them would also open up more salary cap room in the summer. The problem is, there would be no extra prospect or a draft pick to help the Rangers. In this case, it would make sense to trade them away and get an extra prospect for the future. Now for the case not to trade them.

Unique players are rare to find nowadays in the NHL, and both of these players have uniqueness attached to it. The Rangers will struggle to replace them the minute they are traded. GMs around the league are looking for scoring wingers who can also hit. Callahan is considered one of those. Every coach would get their hands on Callahan  if he becomes available. There is the possibility of him joining John Tortorella in Vancouver when he becomes a free agent. As for Girardi, he has been effective. Girardi is more likely to stay because he is considered one of those guys who could find it best to work out with the coach on how to get his game back. He's not one to back down without a fight. The Rangers don't want to rebuild. That's not their way. They want to be contending every year, for the playoffs and these two players are built for the postseason.

I'm just not sure what the Rangers should do. If they trade these two guys away, they lose their shot at making the playoffs and going far. If they keep them, the Rangers could possibly get in, but they would lose them next summer. Right now, I think the Rangers need to keep those guys around. If they need to trade, they should at least trade away Ryan Callahan. He's good in this postseason, but not as good as Dan Girardi is. Plus, Dan's not one to shy away from a situation like Callahan. I think the best bet here is to keep them both and then reevaluate a few weeks later. If it doesn't seem to be working out, trade at least one of them. If it is, well the Rangers are on their way to another postseason.