New York Rangers have made a major move before the trade deadline, trading for JT Miller to shore up the top six.

With the March 7th trade deadline approaching, the New York Rangers may find themselves in a buying position. If they choose to make moves, reinforcing their defense with Erik Gustafsson would be a smart investment.

The Rangers have already made a significant acquisition by trading for J.T. Miller to strengthen their top-six forward group. Now, as they push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference—potentially through a wild card—they should consider targeting Gustafsson from the Detroit Red Wings.

Bringing Gustafsson back would be a budget-friendly move, as his $2 million cap hit is manageable. While he may not be a high-profile deadline acquisition, he could still play an important role for the Rangers.

 

Depth Matters

In past seasons, depth players have been crucial to the Rangers’ playoff success. For instance, Vladimir Tarasenko played a key role in their 2022-23 postseason push after the team gave up valuable assets to acquire him. The previous year, smaller acquisitions like Justin Braun and Frank Vatrano proved effective at the cost of just third- and fourth-round picks.

Gustafsson could see a reunion with the Rangers as an appealing opportunity, but it would require GM Chris Drury to engage in negotiations with Detroit. Under Red Wings coach Todd McLellan, he has struggled to secure a consistent role. However, he previously found success playing under Peter Laviolette with both the Washington Capitals and the Rangers, albeit in a limited capacity.

Primarily deployed as a third-pairing defenseman under Laviolette, Gustafsson has excelled in that role. Analytics from JFreshHockey graded him at 80% for offensive impact and 84% for defensive contributions.

Notably, he logged top-pairing minutes alongside Adam Fox when Ryan Lindgren was sidelined during the 2023-24 season. In roughly 145 minutes together, the duo posted an impressive expected goals-for percentage (xGF) of 68.24%.

At just $2 million against the cap, acquiring Gustafsson would be a low-risk move for the Rangers. With the salary cap expected to rise in the near future, any financial strain from this acquisition would be short-lived if they decide to make the deal.