It isn't a question of whether the Lightning made a good move. It's the simple idea of proven commodities versus potential.
And the Bolts received instant help at a fair price.
On Monday, General Manager Steve Yzerman traded center Vladislav Namestnikov, two prospects, a first rounder in 2018, and a conditional first rounder in 2019 to the New York Rangers for defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller.
The price appears steep, but the Lightning gain a cerebral, veteran defender in McDonagh to shore up a lagging blue-line defense. McDonagh has been known to utilize his athleticism and intelligence to keep offenses at bay, and pairing him with his former Rangers teammate, defenseman Dan Girardi, might rejuvenate the 33-year-old Girardi, who's already having a monster year.
McDonagh has been in the Norris Trophy discussion in the past; most notably during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The former New York captain is currently a +7 on the season with 26 assists and two goals.
Miller is a bit of an underrated player and galvanizes a glaring weakness - face-offs.
Steven Stamkos is currently Tampa Bay's best face-off option, winning 51.6% of his face-offs, good enough for 48th in the NHL. Miller is 22nd, winning 54.3% of his face-offs. It seems like a simple facet of the game, but becomes crucial down the stretch, in the 3rd period, and could be the difference in preserving a one-goal lead or staving off a fierce rally.
He's also a sneaky scorer, hitting the back of the net 22 times in both 2016 and 2017. Miller is the type of player Yzerman and Jon Cooper love: a two-way grinder that'll mix it up on the penalty kill.
New York is getting a good deal, receiving the youngsters it needs to rebuild a stagnant program.
Namestnikov's roll will increase and he'll become even more of a goal scorer and all-around facilitator for the Rangers, and there's no telling whether the Lightning could've re-signed the center considering he'll be a restricted free agent this summer and will garner a hefty pay raise due to a career season.
The Rangers also gain two young and potentially excellent prospects in forward Brett Howden and defenseman Libor Hajek.
Key word: potential. While Howden and Hajek may become staples for the Rangers, the Lightning are loaded with talented forwards and defensemen in its farm system allowing Yzerman to trade away the prospects.
Proven NHLers far outweigh minor leaguers who have yet to see NHL action, and this move makes Tampa Bay heavy contenders.
It's a win-win for both teams. Tampa gets to go on a Stanley Cup run, while the Rangers get to rebuild a once proud organization.
It was the right move at the right time for both organizations.
