The Rangers acquired Frank Vatrano for a fourth-round pick in 2022
The Rangers acquired Justin Braun for a third-round pick in 2023
The Rangers acquired Nick Merkley for Anthony Bitetto
The Rangers acquired Andrew Copp and a sixth-round pick in 2023 for Morgan Barron, two conditional second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick in 2023
The Rangers acquired Tyler Motte for a fourth-round pick in 2023

Overall, the Rangers had a fantastic deadline and really improved their roster up and down the roster. Head coach Gerard Gallant will have a lot of flexibility with the lines especially when they are fully healthy. General Manager Chris Drury told the media on Monday evening that both Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney won’t return until April at the earliest.

Vatrano is a middle-six winger who will give the Rangers scoring depth on the second or third line. Braun is a defensive defenseman who will give blueline depth and kill penalties. Merkley is an acquisition for Hartford and will likely not get a chance with the Rangers barring some injuries. Copp is a versatile player who can play up and down the lineup at both center and wing. Motte is an energy player for the fourth-line who fans seemed to love in Vancouver.

Rangers vs Devils

Will Braun, Copp, and Motte all be available for Tuesday night’s game? Braun is the most likely as he had just a couple hour drive up the New Jersey Turnpike and he will definitely be with the team. Copp and Motte are each coming from western Canada with plane rides around six hours. Even if they are with the team which I suspect they will be, will they play being jet lagged and likely tired? Gallant could opt to stick with the same lineup that won back-to-back games against Tampa Bay and Carolina
Now that the trade deadline has passed – teams are allowed to have an unlimited number of players on the active roster. Although players like Jonny Brodzinski may be sent down to Hartford by the end of the week so they are playing and staying sharp in case of some more injuries
Where will Kakko slot when he returns to the lineup? He was on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome but will he immediately be given his role upon reintroduction into the lineup?
I think this is a really important end of the season for Filip Chytil. He will now be playing with the best quality of players on a regular basis he has in his entire career. This may truly determine whether he is on the team next year or if the Rangers opt to move the young centerman to shed open up some cap space. Chytil will likely get a chance to play with a rotating cast of Copp, Vatrano, Kakko, and Goodrow.
Could the Rangers bring back Copp if both parties wanted to continue this partnership? The answer is Yes but bringing back Copp would mean saying goodbye to Ryan Strome. Copp is a more than capable center and he could potentially be the second line center going forward. Copp is expected to get a deal for around five years worth roughly five million a season. As it stands, the Blueshirts would have to choose one. I wonder if Gallant could opt to try Copp with Panarin at some point.
Who will come out of the lineup for Braun? Braun, who can play on both sides, will play on the bottom pair for the Rangers after playing top minutes in Philadelphia. The bottom pair will be a rotating combination of Patrik Nemeth, Braun, and Braden Schneider with Schneider likely on the outside looking in.
The Devils were quiet at the deadline and made just one move acquiring goaltender Andrew Hammond. P.K. Subban who was rumored to be available ended up staying in New Jersey.
Going under the radar is that New Jersey could see the return of Miles Wood. After being out of the lineup for months after undergoing hip surgery, Wood was upgraded from a non-contact jersey to a full-participant and his return could come as early as Tuesday. Wood has yet to play in a game this season.
Expect Igor Shesterkin to be back in goal for the Rangers