New York Rangers acquire Frank Vatrano from Florida Panthers for draft pick
The Rangers currently possess two fourth-round picks (theirs and the Winnipeg Jets), and the Panthers will get the lower of the two ahead of the draft.
Vatrano, 28, put up 19 points in 49 games in a bottom-six role with the Panthers this season, playing 12:11 a night. He's in the final season of a three-year pact that comes with a $2.533 million cap charge and is set for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Frank Vatrano, traded to NYR, is a versatile depth scoring winger who can hold his own at 5v5. #NYR pic.twitter.com/YaRavzuTpL
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 16, 2022
It's easy enough to understand the move for both clubs.
The Rangers added credible bottom-six forward depth, and barely skimmed their war chest of futures for the privilege; they still have four picks in the first four rounds of this year's draft, including two seconds.
Meanwhile, Florida gets to clear $2.533 million off of their books ahead of the deadline and adds an additional mid-round pick to their inventory.