Don't Blow It Up, Drury.

So far, Chris Drury's retool has been an unqualified success. The New York Rangers are 6-2 and in second place in the Metropolitan division, one point behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. His offseason moves, in which one third of the roster was turned over, have transformed a team that was one of the worst in the NHL last season to one of the best this season. 

Even without their star goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who sustained a season-ending injury in Washington a few days ago, the Blueshirts continue to hum along. They beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 and the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 with Dylan Garand in net. The latter was impressive in that it was the second time in as many tries that they beat the Bolts. 

But while the skies over Madison Square Garden may be blue for the moment, we know from past experience that Drury is capable of screwing up a sunset. Remember the trade deadline of 2023 when he acquired Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, and in the process ruined the chemistry in the locker room? The Rangers lost to the Devils in the first round that year and Gerard Gallant was fired.

Well now, according to a piece by Mollie Walker of The New York Post, Drury is thinking about placing Shesterkin on SELTIR; currently he's on LTIR. What's the difference? Under the current CBA, a team with a player on LTIR can receive up to a maximum of $3.97 million in cap relief. But if that player is placed on SELTIR (season-ending long term injured reserve), a team can recoup his entire salary against its cap. For the Rangers, that means all $11.6 million of Igor's salary comes off the books. Imagine what Drury could do with an extra $11.6 million in the kitty.

Unfortunately we can. That's the problem. Because after missing the playoffs two years in a row, Drury is fighting to save his job. A third consecutive year without a postseason appearance and they'll be someone else in his office. You can count on it.

Desperation can drive a man to do foolish things, and if what Walker is reporting is even remotely true, it would be the most foolish thing Drury has ever done in his five years as GM and President. According to Walker, Drury is considering using most, if not all, of Shesterkin's cap relief to land a big fish. Some of the names being bandied about are Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin and - you need to sit down for this one - Connor McDavid. I'll go through each one in order.

Hellebuyck is signed through 2031 with an AAV of $8.5 million. He is currently under suspension by the Winnipeg Jets for refusing to report to training camp after requesting a trade. Frankly, I don't blame him. If I had to play in Winnipeg, I'd probably sit out too. He's an elite goaltender, no doubt, but why on Earth would the Rangers carry two goalies with a combined $20.1 million in annual salary? This literally makes no sense.

Larkin is a solid two-way center who has a manageable $8.7 million cap hit. But even if Drury could convince Detroit to give him up for a first rounder and a prospect, what happens next year when Shesterkin is healthy and that $11.6 million is back on the books? As it is, the Rangers have two prominent RFAs of their own who will need extensions. And they won't be cheap. Will Cuylle could well cost between $7 and $8 million per year to re-sign; and God knows what Gabe Perrault's next contract will look like. Even with the cap going up next season, the Rangers will be hard pressed to get to the league minimum of 22 players.

But now we come to the ultimate fools gold. To be clear, no one is questioning McDavid's bonafides. They're well established and earned. He would instantly become the Rangers best player should Drury be able to pry him away from Edmonton. But does anybody seriously think that the Oilers are just going to give him away for nothing, especially when they have him signed to a very team-friendly $12.5 million AAV contract for another year? Figure Alexis Lafreniere, Perrault and Liam Greentree, plus two first rounders, is what the return package might look like. And that's assuming Stan Bowman doesn't hang up on Drury.

This is how GMs lose their jobs. This is how fans get their hearts broken. 

For the first time since 2023-24, the Rangers look like they might go somewhere this season. They have the youngest roster in the NHL and are playing inspiring hockey. It's actually a joy to watch them. Garand has done a magnificent job taking over for Shesterkin; the defensive pairings are the best they've been in over a decade; Lafreniere is finally delivering on his promise; and Perrault is showing everyone that passed on him in the '23 Draft that they made a terrible mistake.

After five years of farting around, Drury finally got the memo and made the changes that were necessary. The last thing he should be contemplating is blowing it up just so he can replicate what Steve Cohen did to the Mets two years ago when he signed Juan Soto to a $765 million contract. Cohen wanted a trophy he could hang over his mantle. He got it and the Mets missed the playoffs the last two seasons as a result. Even in a sport as individualistic as baseball, you still need depth throughout your lineup to win a championship.

My point is, let this team cook. If the Rangers are in contention for a playoff spot at the deadline, they can always add a player or two; preferably a center in the bottom six who can actually put the puck in the net. As of now, they don't have one.

It's said that the worst time to go grocery shopping is on an empty stomach. For the sake of this franchise and its fans let's hope Drury gets three squares a day.

Rangers Turning Heads, Instead of Stomachs

It's early, I know, but there's something different about this New York Rangers team; something we haven't seen in quite some time. And no, it's not the 4-1 record. The Rangers have gotten off to good starts before. Two years ago, they got off to a 7-2-1 start. We all know what happened that season. 

No, the thing that's different about this Rangers team is HOW they're winning. After an opening night dud in Boston against the Bruins, in which they looked very much like last season's team, the Blueshirts have won four consecutive games, three in impressive fashion. They have yet to allow a goal in the first period.

The turnaround has been noticeable. While the Rangers rank 15th in the NHL in Corsi 5v5 shot attempts - no surprise given their history - they are second in team save percentage (.940) and first in team goals against average (1.60). They have the first and fourth best defensive pairings (Marcus Pettersson - Sean Dursi) and (Vladislav Gavrikov - Adam Fox); and the 6th and 7th best forward lines (Gabe Perrault - Mika Zibanejad - Alexis Lafreniere) and (Pavel Dorofeyev - J.T. Miller - Oliver Bjorkstrand).

As much as it pains me to admit it: Chris Drury did a much better job during the offseason than I gave him credit for. The acquisitions of Dorofeyev, Pettersson, Dursi and Bjorkstrand, along with Eeli Tolvanen and Alberts Smits (via the draft) have paid off handsomely. This team looks nothing like the bottom-feeder that was routinely booed off the ice by its fans last season. It's a much more cohesive unit. The forwards finish their checks; the defensemen rarely get caught pinching; the neutral zone coverage has been, for lack of a better term, exceptional; the penalty killers are aggressive in their checking; both power play units are getting good chances to score; and most importantly, they aren't relying on Igor Shesterkin to bail them out. While Shesterkin has been brilliant, he hasn't needed to be Super Man the way the team needed him to be in past seasons.

Case in point, Tuesday night's 5-2 win over the Islanders. Going into the third period, New York led 3-2. Normally, the Rangers would've gone into a shell and Igor would've been subjected to a barrage of shots. This time, however, the Blueshirts hunkered down. They limited the Isles to a measly 5 shots on goal the entire period. With 1:41 remaining in regulation, Zibanejad forced a neutral-zone turnover by Matthew Schaefer. Miller picked up the loose puck, skated into the Islanders zone and fed Lafreniere for the one timer into the empty net. Last season, Schaefer would've been allowed to skate into the Rangers zone to set up what would've been multiple scoring chances.

Lafreniere was clearly the best player on the ice for either team. He had a hat trick and assisted on Bjorkstrand's opening goal. I said going into the season that for the Rangers to be successful, Lafreniere was going to have to "deliver on his promise." And while I realize that two of his goals were empty netters, that doesn't detract from his level of play. Perrault is another player who has stood out so far. He has 2 goals and 2 assists this season. He's looked impressive on the first line with Zibanaejad and Lafreniere. 

The defensive pairings have, for the most part, been solid, and have given this team something it hasn't had in a long time: stability. The Rangers can finally get out of their own zone without being hemmed in for long stretches. Not only that, but because they've been so successful at controlling the puck along the boards, the Rangers are better able to gain the offensive zone and set up their forecheck.

If there is one area of concern, it's the lack of goal scoring from the bottom six. So far, only Tolvanen has lit the lamp, though to be fair, Will Cuylle and Tye Kartye have three and two assists respectively. Mike Sullivan has to find a way to get production from these two lines for the Rangers to continue to do well. With the injury to Joe Veleno, that's going to be a bit harder. 

The power play could use some work, too. Though it's generating chances, as I mentioned above, it isn't converting the way it needs to. It's currently 11th in the league; last season, it finished 4th. The penalty kill has been marginally better. It's currently 8th; last season, it was 13th. If Sullivan can get both into the top 5, this will be a very formidable team.

Like I said, it's still early. While there's a lot to like here, past Rangers teams have gotten off to good starts before, only to peter out as the season wore on. That 2024-25 team I mentioned above that got off to a 7-2-1 start, eventually finished 39-26-7.

Bottom line, if you're a Rangers fan, you're cautiously optimistic. But you also know you've seen this movie before. It never seems to end well.

2026-27 Rangers and NHL Preview

It's that time again. Opening night in the NHL. The New York Rangers open the 2026-27 season against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. After missing the playoffs two years in a row, Chris Drury made some roster changes over the summer to make sure the third time would be the charm.

Gone are Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Edstrom, Will Borgen, Taylor Raddysh and Jonathan Quick.

In are Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Joonas Korpisalo, Joe Veleno, Eeli Tolvanen and Alberts Smits. 

Dorofeyev, though not the playmaker Panarin was, is a better scorer. Pettersson, Durzi and Smits stabilize a defense corp that was one of the worst in the league last season; Korpisalo replaces Quick as Igor Shesterkin's backup; and Bjorkstrand, Valeno and Tolvanen add depth to the bottom six. The one loss that may be difficult to replace is Trocheck. He was a solid 2C / 3C who was excellent on face-offs, could kill penalties and was effective on the power play. His presence will be missed.

It's not a stretch to say that this is a make or break season for Drury. There's no telling what Quentin Dolan might do if the Rangers fail to make the postseason again, especially with the Knicks being so successful. Nothing pisses the Dolans off more than lost playoff revenues. 

Also on the hot seat is Mike Sullivan. The two-time Stanley Cup winning head coach begins his second season behind the New York bench. His fate is tied to Drury's. They sink or swim together.

I gave Drury a B+ during the offseason, which I thought was a fair grade. The moves he made have improved this roster. The sixty-four thousand dollar question is did they improve it enough to qualify for the postseason? That depends on the following:

Can the Rangers get enough production from their bottom six? Noah Laba, Will Cuylle and Tolvanen will have a lot to say about that. Cuylle has had back-to-back 20 goal seasons. The Rangers need him to do that again. Laba showed some promise last season, but he needs to take the next step. As for Tolvanen, he scored 23 goals for the Seattle Kraken two seasons ago. He needs to repeat that on Broadway.

Will Alexis Lafreniere finally deliver on his promise? Since he was drafted number one overall in 2020, the Rangers have been patiently waiting for Lafreniere to blossom into the player scouts thought he could be. From time to time he has shown signs of being elite. It's time for him to shit or get off the pot. The Rangers need to see consistent scoring from him to become a legit playoff team.

Will J.T. Miller regain his former scoring prowess? Last year, the expectation was that Miller would anchor the number one line and be one of the scoring leaders on this team. But an injury sustained in the preseason severely hampered his play, and Miller finished with just 53 points in 68 games. Without Trocheck, the Rangers need him to become the player he was in Vancouver when he averaged over a point per game.

Is Gabe Perrault the real deal? His hockey I.Q. is off the charts. There's no doubt he can play. But can he ascend to the next level? He had 27 points in 49 games last season, but 19 over his last 28. That comes out to 57 points over the course of a full season. He needs to improve on that to remain in the top six. Seeing action on the power play would help.

Can Adam Fox stay healthy? Last season, Fox appeared in 55 games for New York, scoring 53 points. The Rangers record with him in the lineup was 26-23-6; without him, it was 8-16-3. Clearly a healthy Fox is essential to whatever playoff hopes the Blueshirts have. He's one player they can't afford to be without.

Admittedly these are a lot of questions that need to be answered for the Rangers to make the playoffs. And here's the thing: even if they are all answered in the affirmative, there's still no guarantee that will be enough. That's because the Eastern Conference has gotten better and deeper over the last couple of years. If we assume the Hurricanes will finish first in the Metro, the Flyers and Devils - if they stay healthy - could easily finish second and third respectively. And the Atlantic is so deep, it's conceivable both wild cards will come from that division. That means if the Rangers are going to avoid the trifecta of missing the playoffs they are going to have to finish in the top three. A very tall order.

Prognosis: If everyone stays healthy, Lafreniere pops and the third line does its job, the Rangers will finish in third place in the Metro. If not, Rangers fans will finally have the satisfaction of seeing their nemesis get the boot. Some might say that's a win / win.

Prediction: 45-34-5, 95 points

Below are my predictions for the rest of the league. As per usual, I will pick the top three teams in each division, both wild cards for each conference, and the close, but no cigar contingent. 

Eastern Conference:

Metropolitan Division:

Carolina Hurricanes: They finally won a Cup in the Brind'Amour era. Now they intend to run roughshod over the league in the regular season.

Philadelphia Flyers: A good, young core that is fast and up and coming. 

New York Rangers: See my review above.

Atlantic Division:

Florida Panthers: They were decimated by injuries last season. With the exception of Brad Marchand, they're healthy now, and even without Sergie Bobrovsky, they are still a legitimate threat to get back to the finals.

Montreal Canadiens: The Habs made tremendous strides last season and appear on the verge of greatness. They have one of the most explosive lines in the NHL and the signing of Chris Kreider was a coup that could pay dividends.

Buffalo Sabres: They came out of nowhere to win the Atlantic last season after missing the playoffs 14 straight years. They are no fluke. No fanbase in the country has suffered more than Buffalo.

Wild Cards:

Tampa Bay Lightning: Never count out a Jon Cooper coached team.

Boston Bruins: Despite not being blessed with a ton of talent, this team always manages to make the postseason.

Close, but no cigar: 

Toronto Maple Leafs: They won the Marchenko / Knies trade, barely; it won't be enough to get them in.

New Jersey Devils: The injury bug will strike them again.

Western Conference: 

Central Division:

Dallas Stars: On paper they should have at least one Cup, that's how deep they are. This is the year they  finally break through.

Colorado Avalanche: I could literally cut and paste last season's prediction about them. Best top four players in the NHL. However, it's their depth that keeps tripping them up, and they did not address that in the offseason.

Utah Mammoth: I'm going out on a limb here but I think this may be the team to watch in the West, especially with Vinny Trocheck to help them.

Pacific Division:

Vegas Golden Knights: Even after losing Pavel Dorofeyev, the Knights are still the team to beat in the Pacific.

Edmonton Oilers: Could this be Connor McDavid's last season in Edmonton? That depends on what happens in the Spring.

Los Angeles Kings: Maybe it's the romantic in me but Artemi Panarin and Mats Zuccarello together on the same team intrigues me.

Wild Cards:

Minnesota Wild: Bill Guerin always seems to get his team into the postseason. Unfortunately that's as far as they go.

San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini could be the best player in the NHL. And he's only 20.

Close, but no cigar:

Winnipeg Jets: You think Connor Hellebuyck knows something? 

Anaheim Ducks: Boy did Pat Verbeek really screw up this franchise. That's what he gets for dealing with Chris Drury.

Playoffs:

Eastern Conference Finals: Panthers over Hurricanes 4-2

Western Conference Finals: Stars over Golden Knights 4-3

Stanley Cup Finals: Stars over Panthers 4-3

Year End Awards:

Presidents' Trophy: Carolina Hurricanes

Art Ross Trophy: Connor McDavid, Oilers

Hart Trophy: Macklin Celebrini, Sharks

Norris Trophy: Quinn Hughes, Canucks

Vezina Trophy: Igor Shestrkin, Rangers

Jack Adams Award: Rod Brind'Amour, Hurricanes

Conn Smythe Trophy: Mikko Rantanen, Stars

Another Bottom Six Signing By Drury

Rangers fans and Mets fans both have something in common. No matter how many times they get their hearts broken, they still come back for more. Despite missing the playoffs two years in a row, the Garden faithful remain eternally hopeful for this upcoming season. 

To be clear, Chris Drury has not had a bad offseason. The moves he's made have improved the roster. And Eeli Tolvanen is a good bottom six forward, that at $1.5 million, is a solid signing. But he's still another bottom six forward on a team that has more bottom six forwards than it knows what to do with. Tolvanen, Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Taylor Raddysh, Tye Kartye, Joseph Valeno, Adam Sykora, Jaroslav Chmelar, and Matt Rempe.

The top six is another matter. After Mika Zibanaejad, J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perrault, the pickings are a little slim. And keep in mind, Perrault in the top six is not exactly a slam dunk. Given this franchise's track record with past first rounders, I wouldn't put it past Mike Sullivan to relegate him to the bottom six if he gets off to a slow start. 

The point is for a team that wasn't exactly loaded with elite-level talent to begin with, Drury didn't really move the needle much. True, the defensive pairings are better, but the Rangers enter the 2026-27 season with two aging centers on contracts that, for all intents and purposes, are unmovable. Even the most optimistic outlook for this team has them as a Wild Card. When you compare the job Drury has done with the Rangers with the job Leon Rose has done with the Knicks, it's almost laughable. 

Two months ago, after Drury's free agent signings, I asked a very simple question. 

"What's the plan? Is this the start of another three-year window followed by consecutive seasons without making the playoffs? How many more times do we have to ride this sick roller coaster? That's the biggest problem I have with Drury. He keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Name one time when he didn't take a short cut. From the moment he got the job, he's seemed more interested in keeping it than doing the hard work required to win a championship."

Instead of doing a rebuild, which is what was called for, Drury elected to do yet another retool. As a result, even with all the moves he's made, this team still isn't as good as the ones that went to the conference finals in 2022 and '24. Assuming they do make it to the playoffs - and that's a big assumption - they're far more likely to suffer a quick exit than go on a deep run. With the exception of the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, there's not one team in the East that isn't in better shape than the Rangers personnel wise, and that includes the hated Islanders.

With Quintin Dolan taking over day-to-day operations of the organization, it remains to be seen whether he will be as patient as his father. If I were Drury, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. 

Leftovers

Now that the dog days of summer are upon us, and the Mets are just about out of it, I thought I'd do a montage of various stories that on their own probably wouldn't merit a dedicated piece. Barring something truly newsworthy, such as Steve Cohen firing David Stearns, this will likely be the last piece I write until August.

So here goes,

The ESPY Awards. It was gratifying to see the Knicks finally get the respect they deserve, even if it was at an awards ceremony that was held in New York. They won in every category they were nominated for, including best male athlete: Jalen Brunson; best championship performance: Jalen Brunson; best NBA player: Jalen Brunson; best play of the year: O.G. Anunoby; and best team: Knicks. 

However, there was one category that was missing from the festivities: best executive. Had there been an award for that, it would've undoubtedly gone to Leon Rose. Think about it: before this year, the last local-area team to win a championship was the Giants in 2011. That was 15 years ago. For a city that Frank Sinatra once said never slept, and has a total of nine sports franchises, 15 years is a VERY long time. Maybe if those franchises had someone like Rose running them, their fans might've had a few more championships to celebrate.

Jaxson Dart and Trump. I stayed away from this because of the toxic nature of the subject. That being said, I do think it was a mistake for Dart to attend a Trump rally. Not because he isn't entitled to his opinion, but because as a leader on this team, he has an obligation to every player in the locker room; some of whom may not have voted for the current president. The last thing this quarterback needs going into his second year as a pro is to become a lightning rod. Going forward, it would behoove him, and frankly all athletes, to stay out of the political arena. That goes for athletes who endorse Democrats. Stick to the Xs and Os. In the end, the only thing fans care about is the result on the field, court or rink.

The Leo Carlsson offer sheet. I'm just gonna come right out and say it. This is the worst thing that could've happened to the NHL. Anyone who thinks this is good for hockey doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. $18 million per year for a player coming off an entry level contract is absurd. I don't care if he turns out to be the next Nathan MacKinnon, he's only played three seasons and has yet to average a point a game. If Carlsson is worth $18 million, what's Connor McDavid worth, $30 million? This will have ripple effects throughout the NHL, trust me.

Pat Verbeek and Steve Yzerman. If you think Chris Drury's tenure in New York has been a disaster, just consider that Verbeek or Yzerman could've been running the show. It was Verbeek who botched the Carlsson negotiations. Instead of re-signing him for $15 million a year, he chose instead to play hardball. And it was Yzerman, who in seven seasons with the Red Wings, never once made the playoffs. Yes, Rangers fans, it sucks to admit it, but Drury isn't the worst GM in the league, after all.

Wemby signs for less than the max. Following in the footsteps of Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama left roughly $50 million on the table when he signed his extension with San Antonio. The move gives the Spurs the financial flexibility they need to build a championship roster around the 7-5 center. Some will not understand this, but with the second apron likely here to stay, cap management will be essential for teams looking to win a championship. The Knicks would never have ended their 53-year drought had Brunson not left $113 million on the table. Think about this: at no point was Tom Brady ever the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. But he was smart enough to know that it takes a team to win a Super Bowl. Here's to smart athletes who get that.

Philly fans boo Jordan Walker. For the record, I've never had much use for all star games. I've also never had much use for Philadelphia sports fans. So when Philly fans booed Jordan Walker for winning the home run derby I couldn't resist. Seriously, this is a fan base that can't show up to support its own teams in the playoffs and they boo a fucking home run derby winner? Predictably pitiful.

Daylight Savings Time now yearlong. Whether or not you thought this was a good idea - frankly, I was ambivalent - there's one unintended consequence. NHL games played in Canada will air one hour later in the U.S. That means when the Rangers play the Maple Leafs in Toronto, the game will start at 8:00 PM in New York instead of 7:00. Now you'll have to stay up an extra hour just to watch the Blueshirts lose.

Lindor on the move? Late Thursday, it was learned that the Mets have informed teams that everyone but Juan Soto, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Christian Scott are available. Conspicuously absent from that list was Francisco Lindor. The fact that Stearns is willing to include him in a fire sale, is a sign that both he and Cohen believe that, despite spending $371 million on payroll, this team is a train wreck. I guess that's progress. They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.

Participation trophies. If there's one thing I can't stand it's sports personalities who humiliate themselves on national TV. ESPN's Vincent Goodwill apparently misses the good-old days when the NBA boasted dynasties like the Warriors, Spurs, Bulls, Lakers and Celtics. So rather than just admit that parity is a fact of life and here to stay, he belittled the last eight champions by saying they won a participation trophy. Imagine confusing the Larry O'Brien trophy with something you give to kids to make them feel better about losing a soccer match. That's a special kind of stupid.

LeBron James. For the second time since he turned pro, "King James" is making everyone wait while he decides who his next team will be. I might be the only basketball fan in America who truly doesn't give a shit where he plays next season, so long as it's NOT the Knicks. At this point in his career, he's the third option on any team he signs with. His days of being a top five player are over.

Braden Schneider re-signs for $5.5 million. Maybe it's me, but I'd much rather have Will Borgen at $4.1 million than Schneider at $5.5 million. Both defensemen were bad last season, but with Borgen, Drury would've had an extra $1.4 million to address other needs on the team.

Drury's Last Stand?

If there were any doubts about whether the New York Rangers were rebuilding or retooling, they were thoroughly put to bed yesterday. On the first day of free agency, Chris Drury sent a very loud and clear message to the fanbase: this is a retool.

Coming off arguably his best draft since he was hired, Drury went to work immediately. At first, it looked like a typical free agency day for Drury; nothing spectacular. And then it got real interesting. In all, Drury made nine transactions. Here they are in order: 

1. He acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalao from the Boston Bruins for forward Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 4th round pick. The Ottawa Senators retained $1 million of Korpisalao's $4 million salary as part of an earlier trade with the Bruins.

2. He then signed Joseph Valeno to a one year $1.2 million contract that he can unload at the trade deadline if it doesn't work out.

3. Next up, he signed Oliver Bjorkstrand to another one year contract at $4.5 million. 

4 & 5.. To replenish Hartford, he signed career AHLers Marc Del Gaizo and Glenn Gawdin to two-year, two-way contracts worth $875k AAV a piece. 

Then came the two blockbusters:

6. Drury traded Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth for Utah's 2024 1st round pick Cole Beaudoin, a conditional 2027 3rd rounder and defenseman Sean Durzi. Beaudoin was the high draft pick Drury was after, and Durzi is a right-handed defenseman who had an excellent season for Utah last year.

7. Drury then traded a 2030 top 10 protected first round pick for defenseman Marcus Pettersson. Pettersson played for Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh years ago, and I have no doubt that factored into Drury's decision to acquire him. This trade was actually announced before the Trocheck deal but took longer to finalize because Pettersson has a no move clause. 

8. Next up, in what can only be described as a textbook example of addition by subtraction, Drury traded Will Borgen to the Bruins for a 2027 2nd round pick and a conditional 2028 3rd rounder. A used puck bag would've sufficed, so give Drury high marks for finding someone willing to take Borgen and his $4.1 million cap hit off his hands.

9. Rounding out the transactions, this morning, Drury signed Dennis Cholowski, another career AHLer, to a two-year, two-way contract. 

Overall, I'd give him a B+. He unloaded Borgen, improved his defensive pairings, but weakened his center depth. In Pettersson, he acquired a player who's 30 years old and still has five years left on his contract. Like the J.T. Miller trade he made in 2025, this has the potential of blowing up in Drury's face.

Look, are the Rangers better now than they were before the Draft? Yes. Have they improved themselves enough to make the playoffs? Maybe.

But here's my concern. Let's say the Rangers sneak in as a wild card this season. Let's be optimistic and say they upset the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Then what? Does anybody seriously believe this team can win the Stanley Cup? Me neither.

And that brings me to the sixty-four thousand dollar question. What's the plan? Is this the start of another three-year window followed by consecutive seasons without making the playoffs? How many more times do we have to ride this sick roller coaster? I was 33 the last time this franchise won the Stanley Cup. I was hoping to see one more before I die.

That's the biggest problem I have with Drury. He keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Name one time when he didn't take a short cut. From the moment he got the job, he's seemed more interested in keeping it than doing the hard work required to win a championship. Case in point: J.T. Miller. Rather than admit he made a mistake and buy out his contract, he's determined to keep him, no matter how badly his skills have deteriorated. The signing of Bjorkstrand is another case in point. Yes, he's a good player, but at this stage of his career he's basically a bottom six forward. How much you wanna bet Sullivan puts him on the second line, thus taking a spot away from a younger player?

Take a good look at the job Leon Rose has done with the Knicks. In six years he transformed one of the worst franchises in professional sports into NBA champions. And he did that without taking a single short cut; by making the tough decisions that needed to be made; and by thinking long term instead of short term. All while working for the same boss Drury reports to: James Dolan. Don't tell me you can't succeed with a demanding owner.

There's a reason why the Rangers have won only one Stanley Cup since World War II. They just haven't been good enough to win another. With Chris Drury at the helm, that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Drury Goes 4 for 4 on Draft Night

As you might've surmised, I haven't been writing much about the Rangers lately. In fact, this is only my third piece on them since Thanksgiving. You can hardly blame me, what with the Knicks having their best season in over five decades.

It's been a rough couple of years for Chris Drury. From the heights of winning the President's trophy to the depths of consecutive seasons without making the playoffs, he's earned every bit of grief that's come his way. But as critical as I've been of him, I do believe in giving credit where credit is due. 

Going into the 2026 NHL Draft, the pressure on Drury was enormous. He had two picks in the first round: the 5th and 26th; he had a center he was looking to unload; another center he had his eye on; a boatload of cap space with a shopping list; and a fanbase that was growing increasingly frustrated at the constant failures and the tired excuses. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting much.

How wrong I was. Maybe it was the carryover effect from Leon Rose, but Drury had one his best nights of his tenure as President and GM. 

It began with a bombshell trade: The Rangers acquired the rights to Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 26th and 92nd picks in this year's draft and a top 10 protected first rounder in 2028. Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights in goals scored the last two season with 37 and 35 respectively, but he was an RFA and Vegas didn't have the cap space to re-sign him. That Drury was able to land him without giving up the better of his two first round picks was quite a feather in his cap.

The night was just getting started, however. With the 5th pick, he chose Alberts Smits, a burly left-handed defenseman who, at the age young age of 18, played for Team Latvia in the Olympics. Though fans were hoping for Carsons Carels and Chase Reid - both of whom have higher ceilings - Drury went with the player a majority of scouts say is NHL ready. I would not be at all surprised if he plays opening night on the second pairing.

But you know the old saying: the best trades are the ones you don't make. The day before the draft, Frank Seravalli tweeted that the Rangers were one of two teams that were in negotiation with the Anaheim Ducks for the services of Mason McTavish. It's no secret that McTavish had been on Drury's radar for quite some time. If history was any indicator, most of us were fearing the worst. The Rangers were about to overpay for a good, but hardly elite, center. When news broke that the Ducks had traded McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for two first round picks, the sighs of relief could be heard from 8th Avenue to the Van Wyck.

Last but not least, there's Vincent Trocheck. Drury has been looking to move the second-line center since before the trade deadline, but his asking price has been a first round pick and a high-level prospect. When he didn't get what he was looking for, rather than sell low, he opted to keep him and wait until the Draft to try again. Like the McTavish situation, the fear was that Drury would panic, but damn if he didn't surprise us again. I said it back in March, and I'll say it agin: it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Trocheck was still on the roster next season. At $5.6 million, he has a very manageable cap hit, and he's still capable of putting up 60 points. There's no need to move him just for the sake of moving him. Drury undoubtedly feels the same way. Good for him.

Well, what'd ya know? Four opportunities to do the right thing and Drury went four for four. Can dogs and cats sleeping together be far behind. I haven't said this in a while, but well done.

Now before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's important to keep in mind that even with the addition of Dorofeyev this is still not a playoff team. Whether Drury trades Trocheck or not, we still don't know how good Gabe Perrault is; or whether Alexis Lafreniere's last 20 games of the regular season was the real deal or just a mirage; or whether JT Miller has anything left in the tank; or whether anyone other than Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov can play defense.

If this is indeed a retool, it's far from complete. There's still a lot more work that needs to be done. The good news is that after locking up Dorofeyev to a 7 year x $11 million AAV contract, Drury has $15 million in available cap space to work with; the most he's had since he was hired in 2021. 

If he's smart, he'll put it to good use. 

ELIMINATED!

It was fitting that on a night when the Rangers actually played one of their better games of the season, it was their goaltending that let them down. Well, at least they had more than 10 shots on goal.

How the mighty have fallen. To think that only two years ago the Blueshirts won the Presidents' Trophy and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. In spite of what the analytics community was saying, they were legitimate Cup contenders, even if their window was one of the shortest in franchise history. 

And now, for the second straight season, there will be no playoff games at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were officially eliminated from postseason contention last night in Toronto. They are currently second from the bottom in the NHL standings. So much for "No Quit in New York." I hope J.T. Miller kept the receipts for those T-shirts. Maybe he can get a Happy Meal for them.

As you probably noticed, I haven't been writing much about the Rangers this season for two reasons: One, the Knicks have been a far better story; and two, there's only so much bile I can spit up. Watching this team brings new meaning to the term self abuse.

There are many culprits in this tragedy, but none more egregious than J.T. Miller. Captain Clunker is now sadly part of two of the worst trades in Rangers history: the first was when he was dealt to the Lightning in 2018 for a package that included Brett Howden; the second was when he was reacquired last year from the Canucks for Filip Chytil and a first round pick. Jesus, talk about double dipping. 

With a few rare exceptions, Miller has been brutal this season. How brutal? Without him in the lineup, the Rangers are 7-5-2; with him in the lineup, they're 21-30-7. Since his return from I.R., he has no goals and only 4 assists in seven games. During that span, New York is 1-5-1. Prior to that, they had won their last three games.

This wasn't what the Rangers envisioned when they brought him back to Broadway. Clearly, something is wrong. If he's injured, he shouldn't be playing; and if he isn't injured, there's no excuse for his performance. Either way, there's no justification for keeping a player making $8 million AAV through 2030 beyond this season. Chris Drury may not like retaining dead cap space on the books, but in this instance, he really has no other choice. He must buy out Miller's contract over the summer and rid the organization of an albatross that will cripple his efforts at rebuilding the roster.

Here's what a potential buy out for Miller would look like:

2026-27: $2.92m

2027-28: $5.42m

2028-29: $5.42m

2029-30: $2.92m

2030-31: $1.92m

2031-32: $1.92m

2032-33: $1.92m

2033-34: $1.92m

At first glance, this may seem like a lot of money to eat, but with the salary cap scheduled to go from $95.5 million to $104 million next season and $113.5 million the following year, it's not as bad as it looks. By year five the cap hit would be less than what a bottom six forward would cost. The alternative is keeping a subpar player on an aging contract who will only take valuable minutes away from a younger, more promising prospect. Better for Drury to cut his losses than to continue throwing good money after bad. This would be the no brainer of the decade.

Speaking of no brainers, it is imperative that the Rangers find out what they have in their pipeline. Continuing to dress players like Taylor Raddysh and Conor Sheary when you have players in Hartford that could be called up and looked at is absurd. With ten games to go in the season, Drury and Mike Sullivan need to give as much ice time as possible to these players.

To some extent, they've already begun to do that. Tye Kartye (who was claimed off waivers from the Kraken) has been a pleasant surprise, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists in 14 games with New York, and averaging 14 minutes per game playing on the third line. Jaroslav Chmelar is another young player who has 2 goals in 18 games. And last night, Adam Sykora made his NHL debut.

But the biggest, most pleasant surprise has come courtesy of the top six. Gabe Perrault has 4 goals and 9 assists this month; Mika Zibanejad, with 32 goals and 37 assists this season, is playing his best hockey since 2022-23; and Alexis Lafreniere has 11 goals and 10 assists since Artemi Panarin was traded to the Kings in January. Five of those goals have come on the power play. Over the last 13 games, the trio has 20 goals and 26 assists. In an otherwise lost season, they've been one of the few bright spots on this team.

Vincent Trocheck - who was almost traded - has 3 goals and 6 assists since the deadline. If Drury doesn't get a good enough offer for him over the summer, he should keep him. A 2C making $5.6 million is very manageable in this league, especially one who averages 60 points per season and wins 57 percent of his face offs.

Look, there's no way to sugar coat this. The Rangers are a bad team, and they will likely be a bad team for the foreseeable future. The best thing Drury can do is not make the same mistakes his predecessor made by taking short cuts. He needs to build through the draft, develop his young prospects, and when appropriate, make smart trades. That's the way most successful teams have done it. 

It's the way the Rangers did it under Emile Francis and Craig Patrick. 

This Was the Shortest Window in Rangers History

When Jeff Gorton sent out his letter on February 8, 2018, informing the fanbase that the Rangers were going to be sellers at the trade deadline, it took everyone by surprise. Despite losing seven of their last eight games, the Blueshirts were still in contention for a playoff spot. This was a team that had made the playoffs seven straight years, advanced to two conference finals and one Cup final. Certainly there was a move or two the Rangers GM could've made to make it eight straight years.

But Gorton could see the writing on the wall. Even before the 1-7 skid, there were tell-tale signs that this core had run its course. As difficult as it was to pull the plug, he did what he thought was best for the franchise. We can debate how the rebuild went down, but not why.

Fast forward eight years. Chris Drury, like his predecessor, could also see the writing on the wall. So he sent out his own letter to the fanbase, giving them the bad news. However, this current Rangers team, in no way, shape, or form bears any resemblance to the one Gorton tore down. Two seasons removed from winning the Presidents' trophy, this team is in year two of a steep decline. Not only are they not in contention for a playoff spot, they are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference. The only thing keeping them from last place in the league are the bottom feeders in the Western Conference. 

Going all the way back to the 1967 expansion, I can't remember a shorter window for this franchise. All the Rangers have to show for a four-year rebuild is two trips to the conference finals and one bitter first-round exit at the hands of the Devils. Three fucking years! If your financial advisor gave you that kind of return on your investments, you'd fire him. Fortunately for Drury, he works for James Dolan, where loyalty is valued over competence.

When the final chapter is written on this team, its legacy will be that it relied way too much on special teams and goaltending to mask its flaws; flaws that were exposed by better teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022 and the Florida Panthers in '24. Their sudden rise and fall should serve as a warning to every GM in the league that there are no shortcuts when it comes to building a championship team. You either have the stomach to do it the right way or you botch it, like Drury did.

Not that there weren't some good moments. If Jacob Trouba doesn't take a holding penalty in the second period of game three against the Bolts, the Blueshirts probably win that game and take a 3-0 series lead. Who knows? Maybe they would've advanced to the finals. But as Don Cherry said when the Bruins lost to the Canadiens in the '79 semifinals, "If my aunt had nuts she'd be my uncle."

So now what? Carson Soucy was the first to be dealt: to the Islanders for a third-rounder. Next up will be Artemi Panarin. The winger has been a healthy scratch the last two games due to "roster management," which is short for your ass is outta here as soon as we find the right team. After that, who knows? Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, Braden Schneider, all could be gone in the next couple of weeks. The guy I feel sorry for is Vladislav Gavrikov. The 6-3, 220 pound defenseman undoubtedly left money on the table to come here and play with his buddy Panarin. With Panarin gone and the prospect of the Rangers being in rebuild mode for the next few years. I wouldn't be surprised if Vlady ends up asking for a trade; right after he fires his agent. 

As for the rebuild, the biggest problem Drury will have is Dolan. Let's face it, the man handles bad news about as well as a vampire handles a sunrise. He fired John Davidson and Gorton because he grew impatient with the progress of their rebuild. Well, guess what? Rebuilds that take less than five years are not rebuilds; they're retools. Take a good look at the Detroit Red Wings. It took Steve Yzerman seven years to complete his rebuild, and now the Wings are in second place in the Atlantic division. In Anaheim, Pat Verbeek is in year five of his rebuild, and the Ducks currently hold the last wild card spot in the Western Conference, albeit with the help of two Rangers castaways: Trouba and Chris Kreider. 

To paraphrase a well-known song, you can't hurry success. In the cap era, the four most successful teams have been the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Lightning and the Panthers. All four have won multiple Stanley Cups and all four had cores that were built primarily through the draft and later supplemented through trades and a few free-agent signings. The Rangers attempted to do it the other way around, in essence putting the cart before the horse.

The trade for Trouba and the subsequent signing of Panarin in the summer of 2019 - celebrated at the time - in retrospect, short-circuited a rebuild that needed more time. That affected the development of Kaapo Kakko and Lafreniere, both of whom were consigned to bottom six roles on a team that now had unrealistic expectations foisted upon it. The acquisitions of Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves in Drury's first offseason were the direct result of an overreaction to the Tom Wilson incident at the Garden; and that spelled the end of Pavel Buchnevich's career on Broadway; which in turn led to a litany of deadline deals to fill the vacancy on the Mika Zibanejad line. Indeed, virtually every transaction Drury has made during his tenure as GM and President has been reactionary and was done to accelerate a process that in his heart he had to have known would be short-lived, if it worked at all.

And now that reality has caught up with him and the franchise, the sixty-four thousand dollar question is this: Will he and his boss finally admit that they fucked up and do it right this time? Or will they repeat the same mistake? Knowing this organization, it'll probably be the latter. But let's be optimistic for a change. After all, Dolan finally cried uncle with respect to the basketball operation and hired someone who actually knows how to put together a roster the right way. Say what you want about Leon Rose, but over the last four seasons, the Knicks have been one of the best teams in the NBA. Frankly, they haven't looked this good since the 1990s. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let your employees do their jobs.

So how does Drury excatly "do his job?" By stripping it down to the studs, that's how. I realize that'll be hard with Zibanajad and J.T. Miller holding no-move clauses, but you can still rebuild around them. Trade as many veterans as you can regardless of the fallout; accumulate draft capital; and, above all else, resist the temptation to go on a spending spree this summer or next. In other words, no more Panarins for the foreseeable future.

Next, play the kids, and by play, I mean in the top six, not the bottom six. Play them on the power play; play them on the penalty kill; play them at 4v4; PLAY THEM. It's time to find out whether Gabriel Perrault is the real deal or whether there was a legitimate reason why twenty-two other teams passed on him in the 2023 Draft.

This will be painful, especially if Panarin gets traded to the Islanders and they re-sign him to a five year extension; the Devils aren't going anywhere; and the nightmare of the late '90s and early 2000s is still fresh in the minds of many fans, this one included. Well, at least the Rangers will have solid goaltending during the rebuild, thanks to Drury signing Igor Shesterkin to an eight year, $92 million contract extension last year. Jesus, talk about having a Porsche in your driveway.

You know what they say: no pain, no gain.

Rangers fans have seen more than their fair share of pain; it's the gain that's been missing.

Don't Blame Sullivan for Mika Benching

The big story at Madison Square Garden last night wasn't that the New York Rangers lost to the much-improved Anaheim Ducks 4-1; their 12th loss in 16 home games and the ninth time this season they've been held to one goal or less on their own ice.

The big story was that Mike Sullivan benched Mika Zibanejad for being late to a team meeting and that was the reason they lost. Yes, Mika Zibanejad, who we're now supposed to believe is the second coming of Guy Lafleur, was so vital to his team's chances that without his presence, they did pretty much what they've been doing all year long: they shit the bed. Had it not been for a fluke gaol by Matthew Robertson, they would've suffered their sixth shutout of the season. And it's not even Christmas yet. 

I'm sorry, but did Mika play in the season opener against the Penguins? Did he play against the Capitals or the Oilers or the Wild or the Hurricanes or the Islanders or the Red Wings or the Lightning? Let me save you the trouble of looking it up: he did. Wanna know what the Rangers record was in those games? 0-8.

That the beat writers of this team would even suggest that Zibanejad's absence had any bearing on the outcome of this game is embarrassing. For the record, the reason the Blueshirts lost last night was because they surrendered a shorthanded goal while on a 5v3 power play and Igor Shesterkin whiffed on a shot by Cutter Gauthier to put the Ducks up 2-1 in the third period that nine times out of ten he stops. If you're going to grill Sullivan over anything how about his stubbornness in sticking with five forwards on the first power play unit, which is now 0-21 and has allowed two shorthanded goals? That would be a good place to start, don't you think? If anything, I applaud Sullivan for holding his players accountable. If Brian Daboll had handled his players as well as Sullivan handles his, he might still have his job.

Face it: no team in the NHL works harder at being mediocre than the Rangers. They bring new meaning to the word underwhelming. According to Steve Valiquette, New York had eleven high-danger scoring chances to Anaheim's six, and yet they couldn't convert on one of those chances. The Robertson goal was a mid-danger chance. Unusual? No, just standard operating procedure at the world's most famous arena. I swear these players would have a hard time finishing at a whore house. 

Want to hear something crazy? This team has less talent than the one Jeff Gorton decided to tear down in 2018. Just take a look at the numbers below. These are the adjusted point totals for the top six plus Adam Fox:

As you can see, Panarin is the only player scoring at around a point per game. To quote the great Dean Wormer of Faber College, "Congratulations, Bread, you're at the top of the Delta pledge class."

This isn't a top six; hell, it's barely a middle six. And it's why the Rangers are a middling team that if the season were to end today would miss the playoffs for the second straight year.

Nothing about this roster excites you; nothing in the pipeline excites you. The most encouraging thing you can say about this franchise is that if they continue at the pace they're on, they have a half-way decent shot of getting a lottery pick in next year's draft; that's assuming Drury doesn't do something stupid and trade it away. 

Seriously, I don't know how anybody looks at this team and says, "Oh, yeah, they're good." Good for what? If the word disappointment could be trademarked, the Rangers would be the General Motors of the NHL.

Over the last 50 years, I've had a front-row seat to four rebuilds: the mid-'70s; the late '80s; the late '90s to the early '00s; and the late 2010s. I've seen players come and go. And that's why I'm imploring Chris Drury to do the right thing and start another one.

Please spare me all the "But they're only two points out of a wild card spot" drivel. So in two years we've gone from winning the Presidents' trophy to possibly being the eight seed? If that's your argument, I don't want to hear it. Look at what the Knicks are doing. Now that's a team with a real shot at winning a championship. By comparison, the Rangers look like the guy who stayed too long at the bar and now can't get a ride home.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Drury tells Dolan this team, as currently constructed, can't win, especially since he's the principal architect of it. He won't be a happy camper, I can assure you of that, It isn't every day that you see a franchise have two rebuilds in less than a decade. Drury will be lucky if he isn't fired. And if you think Dolan wouldn't fire his GM, guess again. The man's paying Tom Thibodeau $30 million to NOT coach the Knicks. Somehow I don't think money is going to influence him one way or the other. 

But while doing a rebuild is risky, not doing it is far riskier. Every team in the Eastern Conference not named the Buffalo Sabres is deeper and younger than the Rangers, including a certain team that plays in Elmont. The longer Drury waits, the worse this situation will get.

Neil Smith waited too long to start his rebuild, and the Rangers went seven years without qualifying for the postseason. 

Fox Injury Could Be Blessing in Disguise for Rangers

Let's be clear: even with Adam Fox playing his best hockey in two years, the Rangers were still three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Now that the former Norris trophy winner has suffered an injury to his left shoulder that will keep him on LTIR for at least a month - perhaps longer - the prospects for them making the playoffs went from slim to "Don't make me laugh!"

Win some, lose some, may be what you tell your kid after a tough loss, but in the world of collegiate and pro sports, there is no such consolation prize. To quote Bill Parcels, "you are what your record says you are." And right now, the Rangers are two games above .500. The best thing you could say about this team is that they're better in their own zone than last year's team. In 2024-25, they were 19th in the NHL with 255 goals against; in 2025-26, they're 11th with 71 goals against.

But while the defense has improved from last year, it has come at the expense of the offense. When the Rangers won the Presidents' trophy two seasons ago, Artemi Panarin had 34 multi-point games. This season, he has only six such games, registering six goals and 13 assists. The Blueshirts are 6-0 in those games. In the other 21 games, he has a paltry two goals and five assists, and New York has gone 7-12-2.

By no means is the Bread Man the only culprit on this team. Something is clearly wrong with J.T. Miller. He has seven goals and seven assists in 25 games. Not counting the pandemic-shortened season of 2020-21, he is on track to finish with his lowest point total since his first full season with the Tampa Lightning in 2018-19. And it isn't just his lack of offense that is disconcerting. In a game against the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season, he appeared to give up on a play that led to a Vegas goal. He was called out by Steve Valiquette in the post-game show.

At the risk of repeating myself, this is not a good team; decent yes, but hardly good. Good teams don't go 2-8-1 at home, and they don't get shutout in five of those losses. In the salary cap era, only one team - the 2015-16 San Jose Sharks - has made the playoffs with a losing record at home. And unlike that Sharks team which went to the Stanley Cup finals, there is nothing about this Rangers team that would lead a reasonably objective person to believe they are contenders. Far from it. 

Well fate appears to have intervened just in the nick of time. With Fox out for the foreseeable future, Chris Drury now has the excuse he needs to finish what he started last year, and what his predecessor Jeff Gorton tried to do: a thorough rebuild. Barring a James Dolan meltdown - always a possibility with him - the Rangers should be sellers at the trade deadline. 

Think about it. What is the rationale for keeping this roster together? That maybe, just possibly, they go on a late-season run and sneak into the playoffs, only to be bounced in the first round? The 2017-18 Rangers could've done that, but even Gorton knew that was not a sustainable plan. So he sent out his memo and broke up the core. Face it: the bill comes due for all teams sooner or later, and if we're being totally honest here, this team's bill has been marked "past due" for quite some time.

Those players with no-move clauses like Mika Zibanejad, Panarin and Miller will be impossible to move, I know, but the others should be no problem.  Among the others, Drury needs to waive Conor Sheary right now. Keeping him makes no sense. Taylor Raddysh scored a few goals early in the season, but has done virtually nothing since. Maybe he could get a fourth round pick for him. And before he becomes untradable, Alexis Lafreniere needs to go. If Drury could get Will Borgen and a couple of draft picks for Kaapo Kakko, he should be able to fetch more for the former first overall pick. Carson Soucy is having a good season. But he will be a UFA next summer and will be looking for a long-term extension. He's just the sort of player other teams will be looking to add at the deadline. And under no circumstances should Drury re-sign Panarin. If he won't waive his NMC, thank him for his time on Broadway and let him walk.

Next, bring up the kids, and play them - all of them. Gabe Perrault, Brennan Othmann, Scott Murrow, Brett Berard, Matthew Robertson. It's time to see what's in the cupboard. And by play them, I mean more than six minutes per game. This probably wasn't the deal Mike Sullivan agreed to when he took the job, but deals change all the time. Besides, where's he gonna go, back to Pittsburgh? In case you haven't noticed, the Penguins are doing just fine without him. In fact, between the two teams, the Pens have a better shot of making the postseason than the Rangers.

Is there a risk in doing another rebuild? Of course there is. But keeping the status quo is unacceptable.

Make That Definite: the Rangers Aren't That Good

About three and a half weeks ago, I wrote a piece titled: "Is It Possible That Maybe the Rangers Just Aren't That Good?" The Rangers had just lost to the Calgary Flames 5-1 to drop their record to a woeful 3-5-2. They couldn't score at home and their top six looked more like a bottom six. "It's time to admit a painful truth," I wrote, "this team may not be as talented as I and others like me thought they were."

Well with less than a week to go before Thanksgiving, it's time to remove the word "maybe" from that title. The sad truth is that the Rangers simply aren't that good. It's not that they haven't had some good moments. They had a 2-0 win against the Canucks in Vancouver and a 3-2 OT win against the Kraken in Seattle; the latter quite possibly the most complete game they've played in over a year. And scoring six goals on only 18 shots against the Nashville Predators at the Garden constitutes front-page headlines these days. 

But apart from those games, and maybe a couple more, 2025-26 is looking remarkably similar to 2024-25, when the Rangers missed the playoffs by just six points. In fact, New York is on track to finish this season with 82 points, three less than they had all of last season. 

It's unsettling to discover that this franchise went through a four-year rebuild just so it can have a three-year window, but that appears to be the case. This core looks old and slow. Apart from Adam Fox and Will Cuylle, every player who was counted on to produce for this team is seriously underperforming. Below are the adjusted point totals for each player over an 82-game schedule.

I'll cut Vincent Trocheck some slack because he missed a month on LTIR, but there's no excuse for players like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, JT Miller and Alexis Lafreniere. In 2023-24, the Bread man had 31 multiple point games on his way to a 120 point season. This season, he's had only four such games. 

The problem with Panarin is that if he's not scoring, he's pretty much useless. He doesn't kill penalties and he's the last player you want on the ice if you're protecting a lead. Thursday night in Colorado, two of his turnovers led directly to Avalanche goals: one by Nathan MacKinnon, the other by Cale Makar. Both times the Rangers were ahead by a goal. With him slated to become a UFA at the end of the season, it's highly unlikely that Chris Drury will re-sign him.

Miller and Zibanejad were supposed to be this dynamic duo that would give the Rangers a legit number one line. So far, they've looked more like third liners. Indeed, at times, Noah Laba's line has looked more impressive than Miller and Zibanejad's. As for Lafreniere, he's looking more and more like a bust with each passing game. When Dave Maloney starts calling you out, you know you're bad.

The special teams that were supposed to be the hallmark of this team have been anything but. Thursday night was only the second time this season that the Rangers scored more than one power play goal in a game. They scored twice with the man advantage against the Penguins in Pittsburgh on October 11.

Igor Shesterkin, the rock upon which this franchise was built, look's nothing like the former Vezina trophy winner Drury rewarded with an eight-year, $92 million contract extension a year ago. Indeed, his backup, Jonathan Quick, is having a better season than he is, and for a tenth of the price.

And to think Mike Sullivan left Pittsburgh for this. I don't know promises Drury made to him, but given that the Penguins are currently ahead of the Rangers in the standings, I hope it was worth it. Let's face it, Scotty Bowman wouldn't be able to turn this middling team into a contender. James Dolan may not want to admit it, but the guy he entrusted to run this ship has run it straight into the ground.

I have been a Drury defender from day one; I'm done defending the man. He is currently the GM of a franchise that is in danger of missing the playoffs back-to-back seasons for the first time since Jeff Gorton had that title. And with no tangible plan to fix what's wrong, the prospects for the next several seasons are bleak, to say the least.

And the worst part about what's going on is that while the Rangers spin their wheels, across the Hudson, the Devils are the only team in the New York metro area with a shot at going deep in the playoffs; to the east, the Islanders are very quietly having their best season since 2020-21, when they were one win away from advancing to their first Stanley Cup final since 1984. The Blueshirts are dangerously close to reliving the nightmare of the '80s when they were outplayed and outclassed by their suburban rivals.

It's no longer too early in the season. Twenty-two games is enough of a sample size. The alarm bells are going off. The ship is listing badly and the outlook is dire.

All that's left is for the band to play "Nearer My God to Thee."

Is It Possible That Maybe the Rangers Just Aren't That Good?

"I do think they will make the postseason; they have too much talent not to."

- Peter W. Fegan

Some days I thank my lucky stars that I don't put my money where my mouth is. I'd be living in my car right now, or under it. Look, I realize it's still early; after all, the 2013-14 Rangers got off to a 3-7-0 start under Alain Vigneault and they not only made the playoffs, they went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. This core is only one year removed from winning the Presidents' Trophy; certainly there's plenty of time to turn this ship around.

God, I wish that were so, I really do. But if we're being honest with ourselves, the only thing that Rangers team has in common with this one is the logo on their jerseys. This team looks old and slow. With the exception of two road games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens and two home games against the Washington Capitals and the Edmonton Oilers, they have been outplayed in all the other games. FYI, they lost both those home games. Think about it: they're 2-2 against teams they outplayed, and 1-3-2 against teams that outplayed them.

The top six has looked more like a bottom six. Artemi Panarin is tied with Adam Fox for the team lead in scoring with seven points, and four of those points came against the Canadiens; Mika Zibanjead has three goals, and is on track to finish the season with 50 points; the "Captain" J.T. Miller has two goals and six points; and Alexis Lafreniere hasn't scored since October 9. There are kids on milk container cartons that are more conspicuous. At times this season, the bottom six has performed better than their top six counter parts. Exhibit A: perennial fourth liner Taylor Raddysh leads the team with four goals. 

The Rangers are the second worst scoring team in the NHL this season. Last night, they gave up five goals to a Calgary Flames team that had scored even fewer. And that was two nights after they lost 6-5 in overtime to the previously winless San Jose Sharks. Think about it: against two of the worst teams in the league, the best the Blueshirts could muster was one point. Just imagine what's going to happen when they start playing the elite teams. If the season ended today, not only would the Rangers not qualify for the playoffs, they'd be in excellent position to win the draft lottery. 

It's time to admit a painful truth: this team may not be as talented as I and others like me thought they were. Even with a healthy Vincent Trocheck - who, by-the-way, still hasn't resumed skating and is likely out until late November - this roster doesn't exactly scare the pants off you. From the 2021-22 season through the 2023-24 season, the Rangers power play was fourth in the NHL at 25.3 percent. Not coincidentally, they posted records of 52-24-6, 47-22-13 and 55-23-4. But last season, that vaunted power play plummeted to a paltry 17.6 percent, (21st) and as a result, the Rangers finished 39-36-7 and missed the playoffs.

This season, the power play has gotten off to an even worse start. After last night's game in Calgary, it's 19th in the league at 16 percent. For a team that struggles as much as the Rangers do at even strength, that simply isn't going to cut it. Let's face it: for three straight seasons, under two different coaches, the formula was pretty simple: score on the power play and let Igor Shesterkin do the rest. If either one didn't come through, the result was typically a loss. And that is precisely what we've been seeing the last two seasons: a flawed team that relied way too much on its power play and its goaltending to win, and is now sowing what it reaped.

So what happened? How did a team that went through a four-year rebuild end up with a three-year window? It's complicated. 

Let's go all the way back to that memo then G.M. Jeff Gorton sent out in the winter of 2018 informing the fanbase that he was going to break up the core and start a rebuild. Over the next twelve months, the Rangers traded Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Ryan McDonagh, Miller and fan favorite Mats Zuccarello. As a result, they missed the playoffs two straight seasons. 

But while Gorton may have cleaned house, he did not strip it down to the studs, so to speak. He left enough talent in place for the team to be competitive. That spring, the Rangers wound up with the second overall pick in the Amateur Draft and selected Kaapo Kakko. The New Jersey Devils, with the first overall pick, chose Jack Hughes. The consensus at the time was that Kakko was a can't miss prospect who had the potential to be an elite winger in the NHL.

Then in the summer of 2019, Gorton short-circuited his own rebuild by trading for Jacob Trouba and signing Panarin to a seven-year contract worth $11.6 million per. While the Rangers record improved enough to qualify for the play-in round against the Carolina Hurricanes, they were none-the-less swept in three games. It wasn't a total loss, though; the Rangers wound up with the number one pick in the 2020 Amateur Draft, which they then used to select Lafreniere.

I'll say it again: both Kakko and Lafteniere were considered legitimate picks at the time they were taken, especially Lafreniere, who all the scouts agreed was the best player on the board. That neither has blossomed into the elite forwards they were projected to become, does not change anything. When you have the number one pick, you take the number one prospect. 

But even with two promising young wingers and Panarin, the Rangers still missed the playoffs. Owner James Dolan was growing impatient with the rebuild and after the Tom Wilson incident at the Garden, he lost it. In what can only be described as the most bizarre moment in Rangers history, he fired Gorton and Team President John Davidson.

Enter Chris Drury. Dolan gave the new President and GM two marching orders: 1. Make the playoffs; 2. Make sure the Wilson incident was never repeated. Drury fired David Quinn and replaced him with Gerard Gallant. He then traded Pavel Buchnevich for Sammy Blais and used the remaining cap savings to sign Ryan Reaves and Barclay Goodrow. Under Gallant, New York had its best season since 2015. With Reaves and Goodrow, the Rangers were no longer easy pushovers. They not only made the playoffs, they advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six. 

Despite the loss, the season was considered a glowing success. Zibanjad, Panarin, Fox and Chris Kreider all had career years. Shesterkin established himself as an elite goalie. The Kid Line of Kakko, Lafreniere and Filip Chytil, whom Gorton had drafted in 2018, was growing up in front of our eyes. The future certainly looked bright for the Blueshirts.

But when the 2022-23 season didn't get off to a good start, doubts about the core began to creep in. Trouba, who had been named captain before the start of the season, threw his helmet and screamed at his teammates. Drury grew frustrated at the inconsistencies he saw on the ice, and went whole hog at the trade deadline, acquiring both Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. The Rangers went into the playoffs with arguably their most talented roster since the 1991-92 team. It didn't matter. After going up 2-0 against the Devils, New Jersey won four of the next five games to eliminate New York.

Drury pinned the blame for the collapse on Gallant and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. And just like they had done in Gallant's first year behind the bench, the Rangers not only had a great season under Laviolette, they won the Presidents' trophy for the first time since 2015. Once more, they advanced to the conference finals where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. It was a bitter end to an otherwise excellent season, but this time around, Drury saw something that didn't quite sit well with him.

Despite their record, the Rangers were still a middling team at even strength. Too many of their wins were owed to their special teams and goaltending. The Panthers didn't just beat them, they schooled them. To his credit, Drury took notes. That summer, needing cap space, he waived Goodrow and attempted to trade Trouba. The former complained; the latter balked. The offseason maneuvering did not sit well with the players. Despite getting off to a 12-4-1 start, Drury still didn't like what he was seeing. He sent a letter to every GM in the league indicating he was open for business. Both Trouba and Kreider were mentioned in the letter. Trouba eventually cried uncle and accepted a trade, while Kreider, who was already having an off year, sulked along with his BFF Zibanejad. Kreider would eventually be traded this summer while Zibanejad reiterated he had no intention of going anywhere. The only good thing to come out of that hellish nightmare of a season was Drury reacquiring Miller for Chytil, who despite his enormous potential, could never stay healthy.

Once more Drury changed coaches. Mike Sullivan replaced Laviolette behind the bench. The hope was that Sully would be able to motivate this team, but that hasn't happened. The same issues continue to plague them: an inability to generate offense at 5v5; over-passing in the offensive zone, poor puck management in the defensive zone; an ineffective and predictable power play. When Igor isn't standing on his head, this team looks absolutely pathetic. 

So here we stand: a Rangers team that, on paper at least, should be better than its record indicates. Despite an average age of 28, most of the core is over 30, with Panarin leading the way at 34. And while Panarin will be a UFA next summer, Zibanejad, Trocheck and Fox are signed for the next several years to contracts that have either no movement or no trade clauses. That means Drury is as stuck with them as we are.

I honestly don't know where we go from here. What I can tell you is this: the Devils are a good, young team with a much more promising future than the Rangers, and at UBS Arena, the Islanders, thanks to winning the draft lottery, have the best young defenseman to lace up a pair of skates since Cale Makar. 

I'm old enough to remember the mid-1970s when the Rangers couldn't get out of their own way and a GM by the name of Bill Torrey assembled a team on Long Island that would go on to win four consecutive Cups.

I would not be in the slightest bit shocked if history ended up repeating itself.