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New York Rangers flip Derrick Pouliot for Aidan Thompson and bet on youth
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers announced Aidan Thompson for Derrick Pouliot, and Chris Drury just bought youth with deadline pressure rising.
Thompson is 24, a 2022 third-round pick by Chicago, and he arrives on a two-year entry-level deal with an $895,000 cap hit through 2026-27. He will be an RFA at expiry.
Pouliot, 32, heads out with a $775,000 cap hit through 2026-27. The former 2012 first-round pick by Pittsburgh posted 2-26-28 in 52 AHL games this season.
Pouliot is also a former member of the Vancouver Canucks.
That is the trade in plain terms. New York swaps an older depth defender for a waiver-exempt forward ticket with a little runway.
Thompson also brings real offense on the resume. At Denver last season, he put up 21-34-55 in 44 games before turning pro.
He is not a splashy fix, but the hockey fit is easy to read. Thompson plays with pace, supports the puck well, and gives Hartford another forward who can touch the man advantage.
For a club that already moved Sam Carrick on Friday, this feels like board management. Drury kept the money light and added a younger asset instead of sitting on depth.
Aidan Thompson gives the New York Rangers a live asset
Rangers fans are fair to roll their eyes at a small move like this, but these are the bets that quietly matter when the big names are gone.
Pouliot had value as insurance because he can still move a puck and survive pro minutes. He just was not likely to change the next game or the bigger deadline picture.
Thompson has no NHL games yet, but the path is cleaner now. He can jump into a top-six AHL role, build touch in Hartford, and make himself part of the recall mix.
That is why this one lands as a sensible swing. The Rangers got younger, stayed cheap, and gave development another player worth watching down the stretch.
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Pittsburgh Penguins add 6-foot-8 winger Elmer Soderblom in trade with Detroit Red Wings
Pittsburgh Penguins add 6-foot-8 winger Elmer Soderblom in trade with Detroit Red Wings
| POLL | ||
MARS 6|74 ANSWERS New York Rangers flip Derrick Pouliot for Aidan Thompson and bet on youth Should Aidan Thompson become part of the New York Rangers call-up picture this season? | ||
| Yes | 33 | 44.6 % |
| No | 41 | 55.4 % |
| List of polls | ||