Nils Lundkvist

Lundkvist got shouldered aside on the Rangers' blue line last fall, but the Stars dealt their 2023 first-round pick to acquire him before the season. The early returns were solid -- 11 points in 35 games through December -- but he had just five points the rest of the way and lost his place in the lineup for good in late March. While still just 22 years old and a first-round pick himself from 2018, Lundkvist appears to again face an uphill battle to establish himself after Thomas Harley broke out for the Stars late in the season. Lundkvist's improvements will need to come primarily in his own zone, though he could also benefit from being more consistent on offense. He should challenge Colin Miller for a third-pairing role in 2023-24.

A highly regarded prospect, Lundkvist played 25 games with the Rangers early last season (one goal, four points) before being banished to AHL Hartford. Seeing no room for advancement in New York, Lundkvist wasn't going to report to training camp this fall, prompting a trade to Dallas in exchange for a 2023 first-round draft pick. The Swede is a creative offensive rearguard with a deceptively big shot, but his skating is just average and his game lacks physicality. The Stars, who have been stingy regarding moving high draft picks in the past, obviously saw enough in the 22-year-old to think he was worth the gamble.

Lundkvist has already blossomed into one of the best defensemen in the Swedish Hockey League at just 20 years of age, and the 2018 first-round pick will immediately push for a spot on the Rangers upon his arrival in North America. That may not happen until next year, though Lundkvist could opt to move stateside as soon as March at the conclusion of his season with Lulea HF in his native country. He'll likely be blocked from power-play time on a Rangers blue line that already has Tony DeAngelo, Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba vying for roles with the extra man, but Lundkvist is a creative passer who can drive play in transition and should generate better than average offense for a defenseman once he settles in at the NHL level.