from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

The Rangers have a choice as the Feb. 24 trade deadline approaches. More accurately, team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton will have choices, plural, though choices, difficult, over the next eight weeks.

It is not scripture that pending free agent Chris Kreider must be sent away in a deal for futures. It is not etched in stone that pending restricted free agents Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo, both salary arbitration eligible, must be traded because their numbers are too good.

There are 23 games before the deadline hits. This will provide more than enough time for the Blueshirts to declare themselves as legit playoff contenders — or not — and more than enough evidence for management to proceed.

continued