With the trade deadline nearing, the New York Rangers made their second trade this season sending Cody McLeod back to Nashville.
The New York Rangers have reportedly traded Cody McLeod to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
The Predators are re-acquiring Cody McLeod from the Rangers for I believe a 7-th RD pick. Trade call hasn't happened yet.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 6, 2019
The #Preds have acquired forward Cody McLeod from the #NYR in exchange for a 2020 seventh round pick #NHL
— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) February 6, 2019
McLeod has spent the better part of the last two seasons playing on the Rangers fourth line serving as protection for the younger players. This season he’s appeared in 31 games scoring just one goal while accumulating 60 penalty minutes. In his last 79 games, McLeod has used the body, raking up 227 in two seasons split between the Rangers and Predators.
The Rangers claimed McLeod off of waivers from the Predators towards the end of the 2017-18 season as the Rangers were trying to replace Tanner Glass who the club let walk in the offseason prior.
McLeod was a major part of the Predators run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 despite them falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins. That postseason he appeared in 15 games scoring one goal.
Earlier Wednesday, Nashville acquired center Brian Boyle from the New Jersey Devils as they try to make another run at the Stanley Cup Finals. Nashville is fifth in the NHL with a record of 32-19-4 and 68 points, 13 points behind the first place Tampa Bay Lightning.
Neither New York or Nashville has made the trade official, but once it is, the Rangers will have to make a roster move and recall a forward from Hartford. Head coach David Quinn has dressed seven defensemen in two of the last four games, but that is something coaches don’t normally like to do on a regular basis.
Let trade season begin in the NHL.
