5 Rangers who could be traded before the deadline

Sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference with 34 games to go, the Rangers haven’t been eliminated from playoff contention yet. But the organization clearly knows the odds of their making the playoffs are really, really long. And so, on Friday, President and GM Chris Drury put out a statement on social media announcing to the fans that the team will be active at the trade deadline, looking to “retool’’ the roster.

“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,’’ Drury wrote. “We are not going to stand pat — a shift will give us the ability to be smart an opportunistic as we retool the team… That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years.’’

Drury said this won’t be “a rebuild,’’ like the one the organization underwent in 2018, but rather a “retool built around our core players and prospects.’’ So he isn’t looking to sell everybody; he just wants to move a few pieces, and get a few assets back. Then he will try to add some talent over the summer.

So which players are the most likely to be heading out the door at the deadline?

1. Artemi Panarin

According to a report from SportsNet on Friday, Drury met with Panarin and informed the Rangers’ leading scorer that he won’t be re-signing him after his current seven-year, $81.5 million contract expires at the end of the season. The report said Drury promised Panarin to work with him and his agent on trading him to a team of his choice.

If they were in a realistic battle to make the playoffs, maybe they’d keep Panarin, who has 16 goals and 51 points in 47 games, and then let him walk in the summer. But he’s 34, and if they know they’re not going to make the playoffs, they may as well move him now and get something back for him.

2. Carson Soucy

The 31-year-old left shot defenseman isn’t flashy, but he’s had a good season (3 goals, 5 assists, 16 penalty minutes and a plus-5) playing mostly on the second pair. He’s in the last year of his contract, so he’d make a fine rental for a contending team looking for help to shore up the left side of a third defense pair.

3. Brennan Othmann

According to reports, the Rangers have been shopping the 2021 first-round draft pick all season. They haven’t had any interest. But he picked up his game in Hartford after the New Year, and earned a recall this week. The hope is he’ll play well enough, and maybe score a goal or two, and someone will take a chance on him. His contract is expiring, and it would be almost pointless for the Rangers to re-sign him and bring him back next season. He needs a fresh start. The team needs to move on.

4. Jonny Brodzinski

The 32-year-old Minnesotan has been a good depth player for the Rangers since signing with them as a free agent before the 2020-2021 season. He was up and down between the Rangers and Hartford his first three years and he was a good leader for the youngsters in Hartford, and has been a good utility player who can play in any position on any line, and who can come in and out of the lineup as needed. He, too, is in the last year of his contract, so if someone wants him, he’s available.

5. Braden Schneider

Ordinarily, a team trying to retool and get younger wouldn’t be looking to move a 24-year-old right shot defenseman who is a former first-round pick. But he’s another player in the last year of his contract (he’ll be a restricted free agent), and honestly, he hasn’t had a great year. He was fine playing on the third pair, and occasionally stepping up and taking bigger minutes when needed. But when forced to step up to the top pair when Adam Fox has been out injured, he hasn’t looked as good. The Rangers probably won’t shop him around, but if someone likes him and is willing to give up a decent draft pick, they just might take it.

Bonus name

One player who would likely be attractive to other teams, but who the Rangers probably won’t trade is center Vincent Trocheck. A righthanded middle-six center who kills penalties, wins faceoffs, and has a reasonable salary ($5.625 million AAV), Trocheck might bring back a nice return if the Rangers were to trade him. But in a radio interview last week, owner James Dolan said the Rangers are trying to change their culture, and Trocheck is a guy who would help set the culture the Rangers are trying to establish.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.