Another big trade went down in the NHL world today, as the New York Rangers shipped Derick Brassard and a 2018 7th-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 2nd-rounder. For the Rangers, they lose an experienced player in Brassard, who has spent 9 seasons in the NHL, the last 4 of those with the Rangers. Brassard scored a career-high 27 goals last season, and set a career-high with 60 points in the 2014-15 season. The center was also a +26 rating since joining the Rangers towards the end of the 2012-13 season. Zibanejad is a less experienced player, having spent 5 seasons in the league, and is currently just 23 years old. He has improved his offensive output every year since joining the league in 2011, and set career highs in goals (21), assists (30), and points (51). Zibanejad is known for being a clutch scorer, with 7 game-winning goals last season. He also is a career 44% in shootouts, and scored the overtime game-winning goal for Sweden at the World Junior Championships in 2012.
Rangers GM Jeff Gorton said that “at the end of the day, we felt [that this trade] was going to make us a better team.” Sens GM Pierre Dorion said “Our ultimate goal is to make the playoffs and Derick can help us do that next season.” For Ottawa, the trade appears to be more about winning now, as they finished 38-35-9 last season, missing the playoffs with only 85 points. The Rangers finished 46-27-9 with 101 points last season, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the Pittsburgh Penguins. The trade should help both teams, as the Rangers receive a talented young player who has yet to fully develop as a player and a 2nd round pick, and the Senators receive an experienced player who has playoff experience and can lead as team.
