The NHL trade deadline is just over a month away, but you’d never know it from social media, which now has Connor McDavid coming to Broadway in addition to Tomas Hertl, Joe Pavelski, Mark Giordano, and Claude Giroux to name a few. What’s next? Henrik Lundqvist will unretire and back up Igor Shesterkin after Alexandar Georgiev is traded? You just have to laugh. Or call it cabin fever from the Rangers’ winter break, which began on Feb. 1 after they spanked the Panthers and ends on Tuesday when they host the Bruins at the Garden. What else is there to do? Watch the NBA? Witness one accused PED abuser get into Baseball’s HOF while others accused are excluded? Talk about laughable.

The Rangers, with approximately $7 million in cap space, probably will make a move or two on or before the March 21 deadline. But McDavid? Seriously? Edmonton already traded away The Game’s best player once — and that was before social media. Can you imagine how much MORE crap the Oilers would’ve received had news-media sites, Twitter, Facebook, etc., existed in August 1988? Sorry, but the Oilers aren’t sending No. 97 anywhere. If by some stroke of incredible stupidity they did, they should be kicked out of the NHL immediately because nothing says “amateurish” louder than a team trading the world’s top player twice. Besides, good luck to any club trying to fit his $12.5 million cap hit in each of the next four seasons.

Giroux isn’t coming to Broadway. Spare me the, “But the Flyers traded Lindros to the Rangers!” nonsense. Lindros had become such a giant mole on the Flyers’ rear, they’d have traded No. 88 for a bag of pucks and a month’s worth of cheesesteaks from Pat’s. Giroux, 34, has been in South Philly since 2008, is beloved by the fanbase, and has a career faceoff percentage of 55 (including 60% on nearly 700 draws this season). His cap hit this season, the last before he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency is $8.275 mill, so he won’t come cheap. Plus, he has a no-movement clause and hasn’t so much as whispered he’d be open to moving. What’s more, he’d likely come at the expense of Vitaly Kravtsov lighting up the Rangers for the next decade. Like McDavid did here? No thanks.

Hertl, 28, also is in the final year of his deal before he can leave the Sharks as a UFA. Like Giroux, he’s adept on faceoffs as evidenced by his career 53 FO%. Unlike the Flyers’ captain, however, he’s likely to command at least $6 mill per on his next contract, meaning he’d likely be a rental for the Rangers. Why a rental? Because after this season, New York has potential UFAs in Ryan Strome, Kevin Rooney, and Greg McKegg; meanwhile, Libor Hajek, Sammy Blais, Kaapo Kakko, and Georgiev are eligible for restricted free agency. Following the 2022-23 campaign, K’Andre Miller, Alexis Lafreniere, and Filip Chytil can become RFAs, Ryan Reaves a UFA.

The Rangers clearly can’t re-sign all of those players — and obviously won’t have to if some are traded.

They’ll keep Miller and Laffy because they’re very young and have less NHL experience than Chytil and Kakko (young as they both are). They also must retain Strome, who’s made magic with Artemi Panarin. The Blueshirts have too much invested in the Breadman to mess with that combo. The problem is, Strome probably will cost at least $6.5 mill per (and that’s with a “Broadway” discount) and he stinks on draws. In the playoffs, he’s won just 43% of his 77 faceoffs. And he’s the No. 2 center. New York’s top pivot, Mika Zibanejad, has won just 43.5% of his 460 playoff draws.

So, who do the Rangers go and get for a playoff run this spring?

For my money, I’d bring in another center at the deadline. Puck possession matters. Think back to the 1994 postseason: Craig McTavish’s draw against Pavel Bure with 1.6 seconds to go in Game 7 of the Finals remains the most important faceoff win in franchise history. Thus, here are my targets in no particular order of preference:

Stats credits: https://www.hockey-reference.com/

Contract information credits: https://www.capfriendly.com/

Nick Bonino, Sharks. Two-time Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins … Won 50% of his 45 playoff draws in back-to-back championship seasons … The price is right; he’s signed through 2022-23 at $2.05 million per. Has a 5-team no-trade list. Are the Rangers are on it? I don’t know. I’ve scoured the internet but couldn’t find anything definitive. However, a positive in the Rangers’ favor could be that the 33-year-old Bonino was born in Hartford, Conn., and played at Boston University. Then again, given the taxes in New York, it could be a deterrent.

Cody Eakin, Buffalo Sabres. The 30-year-old has career faceoff percentages of 50.4 (regular season) and 52.5 (playoffs) … Has won 55% of his draws this season … Signed through 2021-22 at $2.25M.

Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old, 9-year NHL vet has won 55% of his draws this season … Lifetime FO%’s of 54.2 (regular season) and 50.6 (playoffs) … Signed through 2021-22 at $3.75M.

Oh, Rats! Marchand Suspended — Again

Bruins winger Brad Marchand this week was suspended for the eighth time in his NHL career.

This time, all he did was punch and spear the head of Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry. Both infractions after the whistle. Both while the referee was staring at him. Video here.

The NHL slapped him with a 6-game ban, but “The Rat” still feels he won the fight, telling The Athletic: “Was it stupid? Of course, it was stupid. I’m not denying that. I absolutely should not have done it. But suspension-worthy? I don’t think so.”