Age is more than just a number to New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton.
Related: Brassard, Zibanejad deal provides value to both sides
Following news that his club had acquired forward Mika Zibanejad in a trade for forward Derick Brassard, Gorton told media Monday that the deal made too much sense not to pull the trigger.
"This is a younger player, that's coming off two 20-goal seasons ... he is just scratching the surface," Gorton said.
He added, "This is an opportunity to get better and we took it."
At 28, Brassard is five years older than Zibanejad with a larger cap hit. Zibanejad gives New York a player who has fared less productively on the power play, but provides value on the penalty kill.
Gorton has mentioned Zibanejad's speed, size, play in his own end and ability to kill penalties.
— Rangers Report (@rangersreport) July 18, 2016
Zibanejad averaged 1.42 minutes of short-handed ice time per game this past season, chipping in with two short-handed goals - a welcome addition to a team that boasted the 26th-ranked penalty kill last season.
