Explaining Lightning-Rangers complicated trade

Hockey Central at Noon discussion on who should shoulder the most blame on the New York Rangers, and what sort of conversation must GM Glen Sather have with Marty St. Louis in the offseason.

At first blush, it looked like a routine transaction: The New York Rangers dealt prospect Daniel Walcott to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2015 seventh-round pick on Monday.

But it was actually the latest reverberation in a March 2014 trade that was complicated on basically every level.

That’s because Tampa was sending back New York’s own pick — one it had originally acquired as part of the Marty St. Louis/Ryan Callahan deal. Almost 15 months on, the smaller aspects of that captain swap are still being sorted out.

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In addition to the big-name players switching teams, Tampa originally acquired a conditional 2014 second-round pick from the Rangers along with a 2015 first-rounder. When New York reached the Eastern Conference final last spring, the conditional pick turned into another first-rounder, which the Lightning flipped to the Islanders on draft day for two second-round picks (they drafted Dominik Masin at No. 35 and Johnathan MacLeod at No. 57).

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There’s more. As part of a condition of the trade, when Callahan signed a $34.8-million, six-year contract extension with Tampa last June the Lightning had to send a 2015 second-round pick to the Rangers in exchange for the seventh-rounder that was part of Monday’s deal.

By the end of the month, there should be player names attached to every aspect of the original trade. However, it will be a long time before it can be evaluated in full.

As for the most recent development, Walcott is a defenceman with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The 21-year-old had 41 points in 54 games this season and was a fifth-round pick of the Rangers in 2014.


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Here is an updated look at where the deal stands:

To Tampa: Ryan Callahan, defence prospects Dominik Masin, Johnathan MacLeod and Daniel Walcott; and a 2015 first-round pick.
To Rangers: Marty St. Louis, and 2015 second-pick and seventh-round pick.

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