Henrik Lundqvist knows the New York Rangers will engage in roster turnover as they continue to rebuild, but doesn't want to see Mats Zuccarello among those dealt.

The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 25.

"You don't really want to go there mentally to think about [Zuccarello] being gone," Lundqvist said. "I think, first of all, he's a close friend now. He's been such a big part of this team for so many years. I appreciate him as a player, as a person and as a teammate."

Zuccarello has played his entire NHL career with the Rangers.

"But at the same time, we all understand how this world works," Lundqvist added. "It's a business, and [there's] a lot of planning going into trading with teams. We're in a unique position right now, so we'll see what happens, but obviously I hope he'll stick around for many reasons."