Rick Nash, New York Rangers
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The All-Star break is upon us and it wasn’t easy finding stars from this past week’s action for the New York Rangers.

For the New York Rangers, the All-Star break has come at the perfect time. The team limped into the break losing three of the last four and are just a point out of a playoff spot.

It was hard looking for stars this week considering the team’s overall poor play. However, some players broke out of some goal scoring droughts giving them a chance at making this week’s three stars.

This week’s three stars have one common theme: Players who are just improving their value as trade chips.

3. Michael Grabner

Michael Grabner might be on the trading block but that hasn’t stopped him from producing.

Grabner missed one game during the Rangers’ West Coast trip and it was evident that they missed him once he returned. His speed and defensive ability are real game-changers that are easily taken for granted until they are gone.

Grabner scored a goal and an assist this past week. He continues his to play a quality all-around game and might force the Rangers to deal him when the trade deadline comes Feb. 26.

2. Ryan McDonagh

Ryan McDonagh’s inconsistent play is slowly getting better.

Now make no mistake, McDonagh still has work to do defensively, but his struggles seemed to disappear against the Sharks.

It is amazing how much confidence matters when a player is struggling. Clearly, his two-goal performance against the Sharks gave McDonagh a boost. He returned to be the steady all-around defender the Rangers know he is while getting the puck to the back of the net. Remember it was not so long ago (2013-14) that he scored 14 goals in a season.

1. Rick Nash

Rick Nash continued to be just “Nashty” this week.

When Nash is hot, no one is stopping him. His two-goal performance against the Ducks was the third time in the last six games that he had scored two goals in a game.

Nash is a pending unrestricted free agent so him breaking out of his scoring slump is huge with the Rangers outside of the playoffs. If the Blueshirts feel inclined to deal Nash, and he continues to score, they can get a nice haul for the 33-year-old. For now, though let’s enjoy the goals.

Honorable Mentions

  • J.T. Miller: Three-point night after being benched in the Blueshirts previous game.
  • Pavel Buchnevich: Two points in three games this week.
Dominick is a graduate of Canisius College. He has covered the Rangers for the last seven seasons and the Yankees for the last four.