The 2023 postseason expectations were sky high for the New York Rangers after acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko at the NHL Trade Deadline. After advancing to the Eastern Conference Final the year before and now equipped with an even better roster, it seemed that the Rangers had as good a chance as any East team to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2014.

New York opened up a 2-0 series lead on the New Jersey Devils with Game 3 headed to overtime. A win would signal a commanding 3-0 lead and virtually end the series. We all know what happened next. Dougie Hamilton won Game 3 for the Devils, and New Jersey won three of the final four games to miraculously knock out the Rangers in the first round.

After the devastating loss, it's been an offseason full of questions for the Blueshirts. The Rangers fired Gerard Gallant and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. The Rangers brought in veteran Blake Wheeler, and the hope is that New York can bounce back and return to form in 2023-24. To do that, it might be time to move on from a veteran who has struggled in the Big Apple.

Time to move on from Barclay Goodrow?

Barclay Goodrow has not exactly been the type of player the Rangers had hoped when they traded for him from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. He has amassed just 64 points in 161 games over two years in New York despite signing a six-year deal shortly after the trade. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli believes that Goodrow could be a player that's on the move either at the end of the offseason or sometime next year. That's especially true as the team looks to create some salary cap flexibility moving forward.

“Now do the same for Barclay Goodrow, I don't think they're buying him out, but if you look at his contract, he has a unique cap credit, so not only would they be removing the full $3.46 million cap hit, but they'd also be getting an additional 200K in space on top of that and another 100K beyond that,” Seravalli reported back in June.

Goodrow simply hasn't been great since the trade. His production has just been okay, and the team is reportedly looking at all different options. Although there's no guarantee he will move, it's a name that has been brought up this offseason.

Drury offseason trades are hit or miss

Rangers GM Chris Drury has made a ton of offseason trades throughout the years. Some have turned out well for the team, like getting a second-round pick and a few other pieces for Alexander Georgiev last summer. Some have been complete busts, like trading perennial point-per-game player Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues for Sammy Blais, who is now back in Missouri anyways.

Still, Drury isn't afraid of a summer trade. And although there are some players on the market who would help the Rangers next season, it's difficult with the lack of cap space the team is working with heading into next season. To acquire an ideal trade target, Drury would be in for some serious cap juggling, and he would likely have to part with one of the team's young forwards. That is unlikely but not impossible.

Ideal trade target: Conor Garland

Before signing Blake Wheeler earlier this summer, the New York Rangers had exactly one right-shot winger: Artemi Panarin. That's certainly not ideal, especially with Wheeler and Panarin likely to play on the same line next season. It seems like the team needs a little bit of jump ahead of next year as well, specifically a high-energy player who can score goals and make plays.

Enter Conor Garland. The 27-year-old has scored 46 and 52 points, respectively, in his first two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks after the trade from Arizona. He has three years left at a very reasonable $4.9 million AAV, and he is certainly a better overall player than Barclay Goodrow. He is a decent scorer and a pain for other teams to play against, which would make him a good fit in New York.

Also, the Rangers could acquire him in a relatively straightforward way. The Canucks are already in cap hell next season, meaning they might be willing to eat a portion of Garland's cap hit. There are rumblings that Vancouver could be interested in Alexis Lafreniere, although Drury is understandably very hesitant to deal the 2020 No. 1 overall pick despite his struggles. Still, Garland would fit nicely in New York, and a deal could get done that works for both sides.