As the Blueshirts battle in the playoffs, it’s the perfect time to  look back and see how the players currently on the roster became Rangers. Along the way, we’ll discover how Mark Messier turned into Ryan Callahan, how Brian Leetch led to Michael Sauer, and how former Ranger Tony Amonte landed current Ranger Brandon Dubinsky.

Rangers Draft Picks

• Artem Anisimov –  2006, 2nd round (#54 overall)
    
• Ryan Callahan – 2004, 4th round (#127 overall).  In 2003, the CBA awarded a compensatory draft pick to teams who had an unrestricted free agent sign elsewhere. Planning to re-sign pending UFA Mark Messier, the Rangers traded him to the San Jose Sharks for a fourth round draft pick (#127).  The next day, Messier became a free agent and re-signed with the Rangers.  The Sharks received a fourth round pick (#91) from the league, and the Rangers ended up with the draft pick that would eventually become Ryan Callahan.
    
• Michael Del Zotto – 2008, 1st round (#20 overall)
    
• Brandon Dubinsky – 2004, 2nd round (#60 overall).  In 2001, the Rangers traded forward Zdeno Ciger, previously signed as a free agent earlier in the year, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Matthew Barnaby; Barnaby would later be traded, with a 2004 third round pick, to Colorado for Chris McAllister, David Liffiton, and a 2004 second round pick (#37). That draft pick would be traded, at the draft, to the Florida Panthers for their second and third-round picks (#50 and #73).  The Panthers originally acquired that #50 pick in the trade that sent Valeri Bure from the Panthers to the Stars.

  In 2003, the Flyers picked up Tony Amonte from the Coyotes in return for prospect Guillaume Lefebvre and draft picks.  Looking to trade down at the 2004 Entry Draft, the Rangers sent their second round pick (#50) to the Coyotes for the second round pick they’d acquired from Philadelphia (#60) and a third-round pick (#89).  The Coyotes used that #50 to draft future Ranger (briefly) Enver Lisin; with the #60 pick, the Rangers selected Brandon Dubinsky.

• Carl Hagelin- 2006, 6th round (#168 overall)

• Chris Kreider - 2009, 1st round (#19 overall)
     
• Henrik Lundqvist – 2000, 7th round (#205 overall)
    
• Michael Sauer – 2005, 2nd round (#40 overall).  Cleaning house after a disappointing 2003-04 season, the Rangers had already parted ways with Petr Nedved and Alexei Kovalev when they sent Brian Leetch and a conditional draft pick to the Maple Leafs for Maxim Kondratiev, Jarkko Immonen, a 2004 first round pick, and a 2005 second round pick.  Kondratiev would later be traded to the Ducks in the deal that brought Petr Sykora to Broadway, Immonen would play two seasons with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack and a handful of games with Rangers before heading back to Europe, and that 2005 second round pick would eventually turn into Michael Sauer.
  

• Marc Staal – 2005, 1st round (#12 overall). With the Sharks very interested in Devon Setoguchi, they traded up to get the #8 pick from the Atlanta Thrashers, sending the #12, a second round pick (#49), and a seventh round pick (#207) to Atlanta.  When Staal was still available at #12, the Rangers sent their first round pick (#16) and one of their three second round picks (#41) to Atlanta to be able to select him.  With those two picks, the Thrashers picked up Alex Bourret (who would eventually become a Ranger, though very briefly) and goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.
    
• Derek Stepan – 2008, 2nd round (#51 overall)
      

Waiver Pickups

• Jeff Woywitka - 2011 - On waivers from the Montreal Canadiens. Woywitka was originally drafted in the first round (#27 overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded in 2003 to Edmonton along with a 2004 1st Round Pick (Rob Schremp) and a 2005 3rd Round Pick (Danny Syvret) for forward Mike Comrie. In 2005, Edmonton included Woywitka, with Eric Brewer and Doug Lynch, in the package to acquire defenseman Chris Pronger from the St. Louis Blues. Woywitka signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent in 2009. In 2011, he signed with the Montreal Canadiens, from whom he was later claimed on waivers by the Rangers.
    

Free Agent Signings

• Marty Biron – 2010
    
• Ruslan Fedotenko – 2010
     
• Marian Gaborik – 2009
     
• Dan Girardi – 2006 - Girardi was twice draft-eligible but went unselected through both the 2002 and 2003 Entry Drafts. The Rangers continued scouting him in the Ontario Hockey League (where he won the 2005 Memorial Cup with current teammate Brandon Prust) and offered him a contract with the ECHL Charlotte Checkers for the 2005-06 season.  After only seven games, Girardi was called up to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Midway through the following season, Girardi was called up again, this time to the Rangers.
    
• Brad Richards – 2011
         
• Mike Rupp- 2011

• Anton Stralman – 2011
    
• Mats Zuccarello – 2010 - The 2009-10 league MVP for the Swedish Elite League was not on NHL scouts’ radar during his draft-eligible years, but a move to the Swedish Elite League got him noticed.  After a strong Olympic performance, multiple teams around the NHL (reportedly, the Wings, Leafs, Blackhawks, and Oilers) courted the diminutive winger before he ultimately signed with the Rangers.
    

Trades

• Stu Bickel - 2010 – Acquired from Anaheim in return for AHL defenseman Nigel Williams.  Williams was originally acquired in 2009 from the Colorado Avalanche for Brian Fahey; Fahey was signed as a free agent by the Rangers in 2008.

• Brian Boyle - 2009 - Acquired from LA for a 2010 third round draft pick.
    
• Steve Eminger - 2010 - Acquired from Anaheim for Aaron Voros and Ryan Hillier.  Voros was signed as a free agent in 2008.  Hillier, a career minor-leaguer, was a 2006 third round Rangers draft pick.
    
• Ryan McDonagh - 2009 - Acquired with Chris Higgins, Pavel Valentenko, and Doug Janik from Montreal for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Michael Busto.  Gomez and Busto were signed as free agents in 2007. Pyatt was the Rangers’ 2005 fourth round pick (#107).

• John Mitchell – 2011 – Acquired from Toronto for a 2012 seventh round draft pick.
    
• Brandon Prust – 2010 – Acquired with Olli Jokinen from Calgary for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik.  Higgins previously came over in the 2009 deal that also brought McDonagh and Valentenko. Kotalik was signed as a free agent in 2009.

• John Scott – 2012 – Acquired from Chicago for a 2012 fifth round draft pick.