7:30 PM: Both teams have now officially announced the trade.
7:28 PM: Per Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News, the conditional 2025 fourth-round pick in the deal becomes a 2025 third-round pick if Lundkvist scores 55 or more total points over the next two seasons.
7:10 PM: The Athletic has reported that the Rangers will also receive a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick as part of the deal.
6:46 PM: Just as training camps are set to begin, Nils Lundkvist has found his new team. As first reported by The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman, Lundkvist has been traded to the Dallas Stars.
The Stars are sending the Rangers a top-10 protected 2023 first-round pick in return, per the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. If the pick lands in 2023 and the Stars keep it, the Rangers would receive an unprotected 2024 first-rounder.
Lundkvist, 22, had requested a trade from the Rangers, a trade request that received significant media coverage in recent days. Because the Rangers’ defense features five players (Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, and Braden Schneider) who are either currently established long-term pieces or on the path to that status, Lundkvist felt that he would not have any chance to earn a top-four spot with power play time in New York.
It’s that locked-out feeling that inspired this trade request rather than any animosity towards the organization, and now Lundkvist heads to a team that features a defensive group that’s a bit less set in stone. On paper, it looks like this acquisition is part of the Stars’ attempt to make up for the loss of John Klingberg. The team signed defenseman Colin Miller to a two-year, $1.85MM deal this summer, and as of now thanks to that deal he has the inside track on winning Klingberg’s old job on the team’s second pairing next to Esa Lindell.
But now Miller has Lundkvist to compete with for that role, and since the Stars surrendered a quality asset to acquire Lundkvist, Miller’s early grip on that second-pairing job might not be as strong as it once looked to be.
Additionally, the team signed defenseman Will Butcher to a contract earlier this summer, and it seemed at the time that Butcher would be Miller’s primary competition for that role as the team’s go-to offensive blueliner. With this trade, Butcher’s status in the team’s blueline mix is more uncertain.
One other lineup factor at play here is the presence of Miro Heiskanen. Heiskanen’s mastery of the defensive side of the game could make him the preferred partner for Lundkvist, whose game has a more offensive bent. Additionally, a Lundkvist-Heiskanen pairing would allow Heiskanen to move to the left side, which he could prefer.
This is not a cheap addition for the Stars, but it’s a clear indication that the team has faith that Lundkvist will be every bit of the dynamic offensive force at the NHL level that he looked to be in the SHL. With Klingberg gone, the Stars need to find a way to replace the offense he brought to their blueline, and Lundkvist currently represents their highest-upside chance at doing so.
For the Rangers, this is a great return for a prospect who had already requested a trade and was unlikely to be in the team’s long-term plans. While the Rangers’ salary cap issues might have made Lundkvist (and his affordable cap hit) especially useful in the next few years, the Rangers do have other young defensemen like Zac Jones who can fill a similar role. Getting a coveted 2023 first-rounder (even if it’s top-ten protected) or an unprotected 2024 first-rounder in return for Lundkvist is about as strong of a return as the Rangers could reasonably expect to receive.
While the cost looks steep for the Stars now, the Stars won’t mind having paid that price if Lundkvist has a breakout year this season. It’s become increasingly common for fans to assign instant winners and losers to every transaction, and this trade will be no different. With that said, though, it’s important to keep in mind this is the type of trade where it will be difficult to truly judge Dallas’ side of the deal until we see how Lundkvist fares in victory green.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Hope this doesn’t turn out to be an overpay for Jim Nill.
Collecting chips for the eventual, Patrick Kane, trade to the Rangers
Can definitely see either or both picks getting packaged. Hopefully it’s to get a player of that caliber, and not attached as part of a salary dump. Rangers are going to have to get really creative the next few years with cap management. Good and surprising return for the Rangers.
Rangers aren’t going to acquire Kane – no cap room, wrong side of 30+ and there isn’t a contract that they’d honestly want to dump at this point and time. Trouba was close, but he had a solid campaign last year and became captain.
Think they’re going to let Miller either walk or move him if any of the kids produce and move Schneider to the second line with Jones and Haj on the third pairing. If LaF, Kakko and Kravstov produce, that’ll be a great problem to have.
Unless Kakko magically changes 90% of his game, he is not in the long term plans for the Rangers.
Learn about how to use commas.
He needs minutes. His defense is actually above average for what was expected and played well in the playoffs. Gotta give him time – plenty of others needed time to develop and the kid turned what, 21?
Wasn’t expecting him to receive a first rounder, even if it is just going to be a mid to late one. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t going to play for them.
Everyone hold off on posting their opinions until wilf expresses his great knowledge.
5’11 D man with 4 career points.
Why was he a first round pick in the first place and why did he fetch another now?
What is he supposed to be?
He has fine advanced stats while playing with anchors of defense partners. This is a good gamble for Dallas to take.
Who is his comp?
Tony D.
Tomas Kaberle was mentioned as a player comp going into 2018 draft!
Huh? What advanced stats are you talking about? His Corsi For is below league average. His Fenwick For is below league average. He neither hits nor blocks, and his giveaways are bad. Corsi/60 and Fenwick/60 are FAR below league average, and they’re far worse than that anywhere except on power plays. Expected +/- is well below average.
@ forwhomjoshbelltolled
Bill Mikkelson.
Where does this put Jani Hakanpaa? Dudes a beast and hope Bruins make a move fo there third pairing right side.
He won the Salming Award as the best D man in the Swedish League at 20, the only player to do that in league history.
He also set several records for underage D in that league, and was fantastic in the World Juniors.
Just a guess but they are probably going by that moreso than 20 something NHL games where he got very little ice time and was partnered with a pylon.
In terms of his metrics, check his JFresh page, as they adjust his metrics for his partner.
And if you watched Patrick Nemeth attempt to play hockey last year, you would understand that Nils was essentially the only defenseman on the ice.
Look like a modest overpay.
Another pick to spend at the TDL for Kane or Marchand or Scheifele or Bertuzzi!
LOL a 1st?
LOL you post far too much?
Risky bet for sure but if he plays like he did in Sweden, this gamble could turn out great for Dallas
Rangers rid themselves of a player who doesn’t want to be there, from a position of strength, and get a 1st rounder in return.
So few teams have that luxury. Wow.
He wanted to be there, just not on the 3rd line. He was getting scratched at the end of the year and wants a chance to play. They’re deep.
Got what I thought they’d get. He should play well for Dallas. Sorry to see him go.
An undersized to European defenseman? Wasn’t excited about him when they drafted him. So glad they got a first rounder for him.
The only potential issue I could see here—aside from the obvious—is that this essentially suffocates Thomas Harley out of the team. Think about it: if Heiskanen moves to left, that leaves Lindell and Suter behind him. Unless one of them are gone—not likely—then that’s a bit tricky.
What about Hakanpaa? Guy is solid.
Hakanpaa is basically locked into that third pairing, so our issue would be at 2RD. Harley can’t play on his off side (as far as I know) and Miller I’m not sure if he’s good enough to get a full-time spot in a top 4 anymore.
We could trade Hakanpaa, locking up Harley at 2RD and Miller at 3RD…but I’m not sure of the demand for a bottom pairing D that just beats people up.
Bruins could use some beating people up help.
Win-win trade. Rangers got decent return. Stars got defenceman they wanted. He’ll be fine in the future for Dallas