Rangers' Jonathan Quick Linked to Western Conference Contender

The New York Rangers continue their free fall this season with no end in sight and it's looking more and more likely that the team will be sellers by the trade deadline. In fact, they have already made a number of moves and it hasn't helped with success at all.

There are at least five players on expiring deals that could be dealt, but Jonathan Quick stands out with Dylan Garard about ready to make the jump to the NHL. At some point this season, the 22-year-old should get some games to see how he will fare, but for now, Quick and Louis Domingue have the net while Igor Shesterkin is on the injured reserve.

According to Allan Mitchell, the Edmonton Oilers have been connected to Quick. The Oilers have also said that they are not actively looking to alter their goaltending. Since that was said, the team has done very well and has been winning a lot of games with strong goaltending from Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

Sure, the Oilers might just be asking around on potential players they could acquire if things go south quickly, but Quick has also dropped off in production since his very good start to the season. That goes hand in hand with the struggles of the Rangers.

The 38-year-old is in the final year of his deal at $1.275 million AAV. It's not too rich for the Oilers if they were to make that trade, but why would they need to make that trade for the sake of it? Skinner is the starter for the Oilers, and if the team isn't confident in him heading into the playoffs where he helped get them to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Quick isn't going to be the saviour or the goalie needed to get Edmonton the Cup at this stage of his career.

Pickard has a 2.51 GAA and .898 SV%, but has allowed more than three goals against in just two of 12 starts this season. Quick has lost three starts in a row and allowed 14 goals over that span of games. Going back two more starts, he allowed nine more goals against. Since back-to-back shutouts in mid-November, he and the Rangers have been much worse.

Even if the Oilers got some information about Quick, he doesn't appear to be the answer in Edmonton. Resources should go towards bolstering the right side of their defense rather than fixing an area that doesn't need it.