So let's take a look at the moves Chris Drury made during the offseason and whether or not they will make a difference.
Gerard Gallant: If the preseason is any indicator, Galant's simple, low-key coaching style appears to be the perfect antidote for the overly hands-on approach of David Quinn, who for all his teaching acumen, was never quite able to win over the veterans on the team. The players seem more relaxed and cohesive as a unit. There's a sense of unity and camaraderie that simply was not there during Quinn's tenure. Whether he can get players like Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin to play the kind of north-south style of hockey that physical teams like the Islanders and Bruins employ remains to be seen.
Pavel Buchnevich: It's obvious from the Tweets I've been reading that most people still don't understand why he had to go. Ostensibly, the trade was a salary dump. Period. Thanks to the flat cap, the Ranges couldn't afford to keep the top-six winger anymore. Just like the Vegas Golden Knights couldn't afford to keep Marc-Andre Fleury. The reality is the worst pandemic in a century forced teams into making moves they would otherwise have never made. That Drury was able to get a physical winger like Sammy Blais, who has looked impressive in the preseason, in return was fortunate.
Barclay Goodrow: It cannot be overstated that this team lacked a spine the last few years. And while Goodrow is no Clarke Gillies, he ain't Nick Futiu either. In addition to being strong in the corners, he can play some center where his face-off ability will come in handy on a team that sorely lacks that skillset. If Gallant chooses to play him with Blais, the Rangers will have a formidable checking unit that can drive opponents up the wall. Well worth the money.
Patrik Nemeth and Jarred Tinordi: Apart from Jacob Trouba, there wasn't a single defenseman on this team who was capable of clearing the slot. Ryan Lindgren is a solid, stay-at-home D but lacks the size of Nemeth and Tinordi. Nemeth is the key here. He's a Swede who will likely be paired with fellow countryman Nils Lundkvist, the young phenom who had a solid preseason. This is the deepest and most balanced backline the franchise has had in years. Solid signings.
Ryan Reaves: I'll admit I was dubious when I heard about the acquisition. Frankly, I would've gone after Nick Ritchie, who at 230 pounds at least scored 15 goals for the Bruins last year. But Reaves has made a positive impact on this team so far. Even if you believe the whole Tom Wilson incident was overblown, there's no denying what his presence on the ice will mean to a team that got manhandled on a consistent basis last season. If he scores 8 goals this year, he'll be worth what Drury paid for him.
Mika Zibanejad: Just as I was sitting down to write this piece, news broke that the Rangers re-signed Zibanejad to an eight-year extension at $8.5 million AAV with a full no move clause. The timing is odd, given that less than 24 hours earlier, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that the only way the Rangers would be interested in trading for Jack Eichel is if the Sabres retained a substantial portion of his contract, or - and this is crucial - "they know they won't be able to sign No. 93 to a contract extension." How much you wanna bet Drury planted that story to let Zibanejad's agent know he was willing to let Mika walk if the salary demands weren't reasonable?
Regardless of how it went down, this is a win for both sides. The Rangers lock up their number one center - albeit for a longer term than they would've preferred - at a cap hit they can live with; and Zibanejad doesn't have the distraction of not having a contract hanging over his head. Hopefully, this puts to bed all the Eichel trade talk, though knowing the Twitter crowd, I doubt it. Drury can now use the savings from the Zibanejad contract to re-sign Adam Fox, who should come in at around a cool $9 mill per for eight years.
So after all the moves, is this Rangers team better than last year's? In a word, yes. They're tougher, deeper, and if the kids - Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko - take the next step, they could be one of the more exciting teams in the NHL. All three had a strong showing against the Islanders in the preseason finale with Chytil scoring a hat trick. Gallant should consider putting them together to form a solid second line. If he has the balls to do it, he can have Zibanejad center a super line of Panarin on the left and Vitali Kravtsov on the right. Ryan Strome can then center the third line of Chris Kreider on the left and Julian Gauthier on the right. And bringing up the rear would be Goodrow centering Morgan Barron on the left and Blais on the right. Reaves and Kevin Rooney would fill out the forwards.
Now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Will they make the playoffs? Also yes. Zibanejad and Panarin are poised to have exceptional seasons with the latter expected to be in the running for the Hart trophy. Fox will continue to improve on his Norris-trophy winning campaign, and Trouba - who most expect to be name captain by the season opener - might be one of the best defensemen in the league. If Igor Shesterkin develops into the goaltender the organization thinks he is, I like this team's prospects.
No they will not win the Cup, but they could actually win a series depending on where they finish and who they meet. It pains me to admit this, but barring a serious injury, the Islanders are the odds-on favorite to at least get to the finals. They have the best blend of talent and grit in the league and with the Tampa Bay Lightning losing four valuable players during the offseason, I don't see anyone else in the conference capable of beating them in a seven-game series.
The bottom line is this: Rangers' fans will finally have something to cheer about this season. The hard work of Jeff Gorton and his successor Chris Drury will finally pay dividends. They're closer than most people think to the Holy Grail, and perhaps in a year or two, they'll drink from it.
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