Trade: New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning to combine for one-for-one this offseason trade

Trading Braden Schneider could net Isaac Howard, who is in a stand-off with GM Julien Brisebois and the Lightning.

The New York Rangers could utilize Braden Schneider in order to improve their forward core.

NYR Louie covers the Rangers and proposed a trade that would be beneficial not only for the Rangers but for the Lightning as well.

The deal, would be a one-for-one swap, which we would see Isaac Howard, a former 1st-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning would be traded for defenseman Braden Schneider.

Schneider would bolster the Tampa Bay Lightning's blue line and could be given a fair shot at a spot in the lineup by Jon Cooper.

As it stands now, the right side is fairly weak, with Nick Perbix and J.J. Moser in the bottom and top pairings. As a shutdown defenseman, Schneider could work his way up the ranks, considering the lack of solid talent in the lineup.

While the Rangers need scoring help, and Howard could be a middle-six winger who could provide depth scoring that's been sorely lacking this season.

Howard was selected 31st overall in the 1st-round of the 2022 NHL Draft and was a Hobey Baker Award winner in 2025, as the top NCAA player in the country.

The Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick ended his season scoring 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games with the Michigan State Spartans.

It's an ideal swap if GM Chris Drury proposes the deal. With the Rangers overcrowded at the blue line, this could solve one issue in the lineup.