Rangers Trade Deadline Acquisition Ruined By Major Golden Knights Trade

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Graham Montgomery
March 10, 2024 (8:07 PM)

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The New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights were both buyers at the trade deadline this year. Now we know that one of these teams screwed the other by making a last-minute trade.

Golden Knights Acquire Hertl From Sharks In Shocking Trade

The Golden Knights made what was perhaps the largest move and certainly the most shocking move of the deadline when they acquired Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks had to retain some of the center's salary for the next six years while also sending two 3rd round draft picks in exchange for top Golden Knights prospect David Edstrom and a 1st round pick in 2025.

The trade came as a shock to most NHL fans, especially fans of the Sharks. Hertl was a fan favorite in San Jose and one of the last pillars of the team's old core. Now it has come out that the trade ruined another deal the Sharks had lined up.

Barabanov Trade Made Impossible By Sharks After Hertl Dealt to Vegas

Reportedly, the Sharks were working on a deal that would have sent Alexander Barabanov to the New York Rangers at the same time that they were talking to Vegas about Hertl. It seems as though San Jose and New York were close to making a deal, but the Hertl trade got in the way as the team used up their final retention slot to make the trade happen.

The Rangers could not afford to take on all of Barabanov's 2.5 million dollar salary. As a result, using that last retention slot on Hertl meant that another team would have had to have been involved in order to make trading the winger to New York work. Obviously that did not happen. How exactly this affected the Rangers' trade deadline is not known, but that team likely will not be happy about it.

As seen on Vegas Golden Knights Confirmed to Have Screwed Over the New York Rangers at the Deadline