The Rangers used the 2025 NHL trade deadline to create more flexibility and pile up potential younger, heavier options, plus draft capital, for an ongoing roster re-tool rather than prepare for a long Stanley Cup Playoffs run.

The Rangers are caught in a sort of gray area ahead of this year’s trade deadline, which is Friday at 3 p.m. Management has maintained hope these Rangers can make the playoffs this season, especially after watching them claw from the basement of the Metropolitan Division to just below the second wild-card spot over the past 2 ¹/₂ months.