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.
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