After Henrik Lundqvist went down with a vascular injury expected to sideline him for at least a few weeks, the collective focus for fans of the New York Rangers shifted to the goaltending position and whether or not there was a move or two to be made by GM Glen Sather ahead of the NHL trade deadline to help them navigate the next several King-less weeks.
But while the NHL trade rumor focus for the Broadway Blueshirt faithful may be between the pipes, Sather's attention apparently remains elsewhere.
Slather is, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, eyeing a deal or two to upgrade the team down the middle of the lineup, with Garrioch noting that the Rangers brass "are pushing hard for center Antoine Vermette."
Vermette, a pending unrestricted free agent, certainly seems to fit the mold of what Slather and coach Alain Vigneault prefer at the center position.
Vermette has size - 6-foot-1, 198-pounds - and he brings a boatload of grit and experience to the lineup. The Rangers, one of the fastest, if not the fastest team in the league, could use another big body for the season's stretch run and the increased physicality of the playoffs.
In 53 games this season, the well-rounded, two-way center has 11 goals and 22 assists for an Arizona team that can't seem to get out of its own way on a night-to-night basis.
Plugging him in on the second or third line would significantly boost the Rangers' currently tenuous playoff hopes.
The Arizona Coyotes center has been a mainstay in the NHL trade rumor mill for months now. He is viewed by many as the first domino that will fall, with teams that are interested in dealing awaiting his trade in order to set the market.
