Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make

Boston goaltender Tim Thomas is the proof in the pudding. Thomas' 2009-10 season was a complete disaster, going 17-18-8 with a 2.55 GA and a .915 save percentage. Many in Boston were ready to move on to Tuukka Rask, their young semi-rookie goaltender who put up a blistering 1.97 GA and a .931 save percentage as well as 22 wins in 39 games in his first full season as Thomas' backup/replacement. If you remember after that season the worst kept rumor was that Thomas was being shopped around places such as Philadelphia and Dallas who were in need of goaltending. Boston GM Peter Chiarelli told ESPN after the Bruins cup victory that indeed the rumors were true but Thomas was adamant about not leaving Boston.

The Rangers now are in the same boat to an extent. They are a very young team up the middle, but it seems as though that Glen Sather is hellbent on getting the Rangers a true bonafide top line center to go with Gaborik. Assuming Brad Richards signs elsewhere, there are rumors abound on the internet and various message boards and the like of the Rangers taking a run at acquiring Jason Spezza in Ottawa. Spezza, with a cap hit of $7 million, has 4 years remaining of a front loaded 7 year, $49 million contract which thanks to capgeek pays 8 million the next two years, followed by 5 million in 13-14 and 4 million in 14-15. Acquiring Spezza at bare minimum would require a everyday player, possibly Anisimov, the Rangers 15th overall pick on Friday, unless Sather pulls a miracle and makes it a 2012 draft pick and a prospect which fans may have a problem with. Does Ottawa ask for Kreider? Or do they want someone who could crack the NHL roster in October, such as a further along Grachev or Chris Thomas? Perhaps since Ottawa's AHL team just won the Calder Cup and are just as deep if not deeper on the blueline than the Rangers, would want 2-3 everyday players and a draft pick for Spezza.

As you can see this dude isn't going to come on the cheap. I'm not crazy at all about a guy whose production has completely fallen off the map in the last two seasons, namely because of an aging and declining Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley being shipped off to San Jose after the 08-09 season. The Rangers have worked long and hard since the lockout to acquire their own home-grown talent. It would sure be a shame to see the Rangers and namely Glen Sather throw it all away with one swift move.