from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

All right, Lundqvist’s age, which will be 36 next spring. Tim Thomas won the Vezina during his age-36 season and the Stanley Cup two months after turning 37. Dominik Hasek won the Stanley Cup at age 37. Patrick Roy was four months shy of 36 when he won his last Stanley Cup. Martin Brodeur was 40 when he outplayed the Vezina-winning Lundqvist and carried the Devils over the Rangers in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals.

Now, would the Rangers consider trading Lundqvist, who, as you know, has a no-move clause? I believe that if approached, management would inquire whether the goaltender would accept a trade to the interested party.

Putting aside lifestyle and family issues for the sake of this conversation as far as Lundqvist granting his permission, it would have to be from a team fancying itself only an upper-echelon goaltender away from the Cup and could afford the $8.5 million cap hit on Lundqvist’s contract, which runs through 2020-21.

I just don’t see any of those clubs out there. I don’t see Florida — which missed the playoffs — attempting to bring in Lundqvist when they have Roberto Luongo. I don’t see St. Louis making that leap, though could you imagine Brodeur as Lundqvist’s goalie coach? I don’t see a single analogous scenario to the one in 2001, when the powerhouse Red Wings, superseded by the Avalanche and Roy, obtained Hasek from the Sabres after the Czech asked to be traded to a contender.

more