Rangers Send Pavel Buchnevich To St. Louis Blues

The New York Rangers have traded Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis in exchange for Sammy Blais and a 2022 2nd round pick. Buchnevich appeared in 54 games for the Rangers last season, scoring 20 goals and 48 points. Last year marked Buchnevich's second 20 goal campaign in his four seasons with the team.

Buchnevich was drafted in the third round, 75th overall by the Rangers in 2013. A native of Cherepovets, Russia, Buchnevich has appeared in 301 NHL games since the 2016-2017 season, after a brief stint with St. Petersburgh SKA in the KHL. The 6'3" left-shot RW plays the power forward game well despite being slightly underweight at 197lbs. He is an RFA this summer, coming off a 2-year bridge deal worth $3.25 million. The Blues will have to re-sign Buchnevich this summer.

In exchange, the Rangers acquired Sammy Blais. Drafted 176th overall by St. Louis, Blais has played parts of four seasons with the Blues, appearing in 119 games and scoring 17 goals and 35 points in that span. Blais projects as a bottom 6 forward, and certainly won't fill the hole left by a steady production forward like Buchnevich. Blais has one more year making $1.5 million and will be an RFA next summer.

The Blues added a 2022 2nd round pick to balance the deal somewhat, but it begs the question if the Rangers are planning a bigger move in the coming days (or hours) to buoy their top 6. Perhaps the Jack Eichel package being offered by Rangers GM Chris Drury is starting to entice the Sabres.

What do you think of the return New York got for Buchnevich?

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