TORONTO — He is the People’s Choice to fill the right wing slot alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad the way he did so successfully for 10 weeks following the 2022 trade deadline.
Frank Vatrano, now in his second season with the Ducks, said he is not aware of all the chatter. But the All-Star right wing waxed fairly poetic about his tenure with the Rangers.
“I think playing in New York was the biggest thing that’s happened in my career to this point,” Vatrano said here Thursday during All-Star media day. “Playing with two guys like Mika and Kreids was great for me. I proved to myself and to a lot of people that I could play in a top-six role at the highest level in the playoffs.
“Being there and having the honor to play with those two, it was great.”
Vatrano, who will turn 30 on March 14, has one year remaining on his contract with a $3.65 million cap hit. If the Rangers were to acquire him, they wouldn’t have to think about that right wing spot until the end of 2024-25.
And as he is not a one-and-done rental the way he was in 2022 after coming from Florida at the deadline for a fourth-rounder, the price point to acquire him could be justified.
Because it won’t be a fourth-rounder this time, not with Vatrano in at 22 goals, 14 assists and 36 points at this break following a 22-19-41 season a year ago. Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek, who may attempt to twin Vatrano with rental property Adam Henrique, could be looking for a first-rounder for the pair.
Vatrano, who has a shooter’s mentality, recorded eight goals and five assists in 22 regular-season games for the Blueshirts before posting five goals and eight assists in the club’s 20-game run to the conference finals while skating with the BFFs.
“Any time you can play with those guys it’s awesome, but at the end of the day [trade talks] are out of my control,” Vatrano said. “I don’t really know what’s going on there, but when I was there I loved it.
“Playing with those guys was unbelievable.”
In contrast to the previous format of every All-Star participating in at least one skills competition event and the winners taking home $25,000, only 12 players will be competing Friday for a $1 million prize.
Winning an event earns a player five points while second place gets four, third place earns three, fourth earns two, fifth gets one and zero points for sixth.
After the first six events, the eight players with the most points will move on to the final two events.
“I thought I was having a relaxing Friday night,” said Islanders forward and three-time All-Star Mathew Barzal, who at first wasn’t part of the skills competition but will now participate in fastest skater, one-timers, the passing challenge and stick handling. “It’s going to be fun. It’s a pretty good field out there, so my expectations are just go out there and do my best.”
The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin and Vincent Trocheck will play for All-Star captain and Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews’ team in the four-team tournament of three-on-three Saturday.