With the NHL trade deadline upcoming next Monday, Rangers GM Chris Drury moved Wednesday to acquire forward Frank Vatrano from the Florida Panthers, trading a fourth-round pick in this summer’s draft in exchange for the 28-year-old Massachusetts native.
The pick will be the later of the two fourth-round selections the Rangers own in the draft, either their own or the one belonging to Winnipeg, which had been acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Brett Howden trade last summer.
For Florida, which leads the Atlantic Division with 88 points (41-13-6), the move frees up salary cap space.