The New York Rangers made a splash on deadline day when they acquired forward Martin St. Louis from the Tampa Bay Lightning, but that wasn't the only move of the day. General manager Glen Sather made a deal with the Vancouver Canucks that sent a fifth-round pick in 2015's draft in exchange for rearguard Raphael Diaz.
The move may seem minor on the surface, but it is an important move that addressed one of New York's key needs. The Rangers sorely needed a quality depth defenseman, because having a surplus is important during the playoffs.
Over the summer, Justin Falk was signed to a contract, and he was expected to be the team's extra defender. That hasn't panned out, so Sather wisely added a defender who likely would be in the top six of other NHL teams.
The deal was necessary because other defenders in the system include Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath, and neither is likely to receive any playing time the rest of the season. With that in mind, the Rangers needed to add another defender, but they couldn't afford to pay a premium.
The Blueshirts dealt two picks in the St. Louis trade, and parting wi ...
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Article written by Tom Urtz Jr.
New York Rangers Improve Defensive Depth in Raphael Diaz Deal
March 6th, 2014 by Tom Urtz Jr. Leave a reply »
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