Rangers have made Brady Tkachuk their “primary” trade target: report

The Rangers are preparing to move from captain to captain Jacob TroubaThis seismic maneuver could be just the first domino.

The Blueshirts, who have struggled to win games but also lacked production, have named the Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk their “primary target” over the trade, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports.

According to The Post, it may be a budding star Alexis Lafreniere could be part of a package sent to Ottawa if the Rangers can acquire Tkachuk.

President and GM of the Rangers Chris Drury has tried to lift New York out of its malaise by making it clear to the rest of the league last month that his underperforming club was open for business.

If the Rangers are able to complete a deal for Tkachuk, they will receive a 25-year-old offensive force.

Tkachuk has scored 30 or more goals in each of the last three seasons and already has 13 goals and 16 assists in 25 games this season.

He is under contract through the 2027-28 season, with an annual cap hit of $8.205 million.

As for Lafreniere, he made major strides in his age-22 season last year, scoring 28 goals and 29 assists in the regular season and adding 14 more points (eight goals, six assists) in 16 playoff games.

In late October, Lafreniere signed a seven-year, $52.1 million contract extension that takes him through the 2032-33 season.