They're not going to trade any meaningful assets for a guy they could have for straight cash in a couple months.

Also the Blues want him for the playoff run. They turned down a Rangers offer of Nash and picks earlier in the season

The only way the Rangers sign Shattenkirk is if they're the team he's traded to at the TDL. The narrative by Ranger's fans that Shattenkirk is a lock to sign with them in the off season is simply not true. Before the 2016 draft Shattenkirk's agent gave a list of teams to Armstrong that he would resign with. At least one of which was a western conference team. The only team we know 100% he won't resign with is Edmonton otherwise Eberle or Hall would be a Blue.

There's no way Shattenkirk is still a Blue after the TDL. Armstrong is not going to let him walk into UFA and get nothing in return. It can't happen. Army alluded to this at the start of the season.

I know the Rangers & Blues came really close to a deal around Nash right before the season started. Nash doesn't make sense for the Blues. The Blues don't need another LW. They desperately need top 9 centers. Berglund & Lehtera will never cut it.

The smart franchise move was to deal Shattenkirk at the draft for futures. There's no way Shattenkirk is traded for futures now. It'll be a hockey trade. Something like a Henrique type will be the man piece coming back to the Blues.

That's why I put step in, not sure if the Blues see him as their future 1C...
then I did Klein and Pirri for Granlund because I'm not too sure if Hayes and Zib will cut it as a top C combo.

Shattenkirk was a Rangers fan when he was a kid, and his family lives in CT. I think they have a good chance at signing him, if they can free up some cap space. So the "the only way NYR sign Shattenkirk is if they trade for him at TDL" is simply not true. In equal conditions he's choosing the Rangers.

We have to go off the facts we know. Armstrong has given the green light for teams to talk to Shattenkirk's agent. Army knows what teams Shattenkirk will resign with. If Shattenkirk is traded to one of those teams like New Jersey or Arizona or Boston you can bet they already have talked to his agent and know what it will take to sign him long term. That team would already be a team he wants to play for and I would look to for them to agree on a long term contract.

The only 2 ways I see him ending up a Ranger is if a deal is done with the Rangers or for some reason he's traded to a team not on the list given to Armstrong of teams he'd resign with.

Or if he's not traded and hits FA (which is the likeliest of the possibilities)

The Wild downgrade at FWD and take a d-man they don't need?