BUFFALO, N.Y. \u2014 Testing at the NHL Draft Combine doesn\u2019t begin until Saturday, but team representatives, agents and prospects all gathered here this week, leading to plenty of league chatter. Especially with the decentralized draft \u2014 teams now operate from their own facilities \u2014 it\u2019s a prime time for face-to-face meetings.<\/p>\n
In addition to holding the No. 5 pick in the first round on June 26, New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury will face major decisions in free agency and on the trade market as he retools a roster that finished last in the Eastern Conference this season.<\/p>\n
Here are some Rangers-related news, notes and thoughts from conversations I had with league sources in Buffalo this week.<\/p>\n
Looking at Larkin?<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s trade request from Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin<\/a> is obviously a seismic shift in the NHL offseason landscape. My sense is, at this point, the Rangers aren\u2019t on his initial list of desired teams. That doesn\u2019t mean Drury can\u2019t try talking to Detroit and making a compelling offer to see if the 29-year-old center would eventually be receptive to a move.<\/p>\n Even if Larkin winds up interested in New York, hurdles would remain. For one, the Rangers might have a tough time matching other teams\u2019 offers, especially if they don\u2019t want to subtract too much from a roster that lacked the depth needed to withstand the injuries it suffered last season.<\/p>\n A potential Larkin trade will also have ramifications for the Rangers even if they don\u2019t get involved in the talks. Vincent Trocheck is no longer the top center on the trade market, raising questions about how much Larkin\u2019s availability could shift a potential return for New York.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, Trocheck will draw plenty of interest. Perhaps even the Red Wings look at Trocheck if they move Larkin and don\u2019t get a top-six center back in return. If that happens, New York would likely need to receive a quality young player (potentially Nate Danielson or Marco Kasper), a pick, or a combination of the two in return \u2014 as well as potentially a player like J.T. Compher, who could slot in at center behind Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller.<\/p>\n Colleague Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported after the trade deadline that Drury was looking for \u201can NHL-ready forward with top-six potential as the centerpiece\u201d<\/a> of a Trocheck deal.<\/p>\n Potential in-state help<\/p>\n The Sabres have a few intriguing players the Rangers should keep an eye on. With Alex Tuch inching toward hitting the free-agent market on July 1 and the Rangers presumably seeking wing scoring, he makes obvious sense as one option. But Buffalo\u2019s tightness against the salary cap \u2014 even if they don\u2019t re-sign Tuch \u2014 could lead to other players shaking free.<\/p>\n Bowen Byram is extension-eligible this summer and could emerge as a trade candidate. As a young defenseman with puck-moving abilities, he checks a lot of the Rangers\u2019 boxes, and New York would presumably have interest should the Sabres look to move him. Byram, who turns 25 this month, had a career-high 42 points in 82 games this season.<\/p>\n Since a Byram extension wouldn\u2019t take effect until summer 2027, when the cap is even higher, the Sabres could still pay him without disrupting their fragile 2026-27 payroll. But Byram\u2019s interests and sense of his market value will play a part, too. His agent, Darren Ferris, often advises his players to take advantage of free agency, as colleague Pierre LeBrun recently wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n If Buffalo and Byram can\u2019t reach an extension, general manager Jarmo Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen will have to decide whether to risk losing him for nothing in summer 2027, when he\u2019s set to hit unrestricted free agency. If the Sabres want to avoid that, the Rangers could make a play this summer.<\/p>\n