Chris Drury gave the Rangers a much-needed jolt in free agency, and he did it without tying the team to a pile of bad long-term money.
That matters, because the Rangers’ biggest problems last season were clear: they needed more scoring, more speed, and more puck-moving defensemen who fit Mike Sullivan’s system. In one week, Drury checked those boxes without overpaying to do it.
The biggest move up front was the addition of Oliver Bjorkstrand, who gives the Rangers a second strong puck distributor in the top six alongside Gabe Perreault. That kind of playmaking should help feed J.T.
Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafrenière, and Dorofeyev. It also nudges Will Cuylle into a role that fits him better as an over-qualified third-line winger.
Joe Veleno is a different kind of addition, and a useful one. He’s not coming in to score goals or work the power play.
What he is, according to the source, is a 26-year-old, blazing fast fourth-line center who can win faceoffs, play physical, and contribute on the penalty kill. In that sense, he’s a clean replacement for Sam Carrick.
The most intriguing addition, though, is Cole Beaudoin. The source makes clear how highly he’s regarded, calling him a player with a ceiling of prime J.T.
Miller. He’s described as a physical force who will score goals and make opponents think twice about challenging him for the puck.
The expectation is that fans are going to love him.
And the key takeaway from Drury’s week is simple: he didn’t hand out bad contracts. Not to Alex Tuch, not to Anthony Mantha, not to Scott Laughton, and not to anyone else. For a Rangers team trying to fix real problems, that’s a pretty strong start.
In Other News...
Rangers Just Sent A Frustrating Message About Dylan Garands Future
The Rangers added another veteran voice to their crease plans, sending a 2028 fourth-round pick and minor league winger Kalle Visnen out in a move that brings Joonas Korpisalo into the picture. At 32, with 334 NHL games on his rsum, Korpisalo arrives with the kind of experience the front office clearly values, and he is expected to challenge for the backup role behind Igor Shesterkin.
For Dylan Garand, the timing makes the situation harder to read. He had seemed positioned to take a step toward that job, but this trade suggests the organization is not ready to hand him the opening just yet. General manager Chris Drury framed the addition as one that fits the teams needs, and now the real question is how much room is left for Garand to force his way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Drury Upgraded The Rangers But One Playoff Problem Still Lingers
Chris Drury spent the offseason trying to give the Rangers a different look, adding Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi and Oliver Bjorkstrand while reshaping a roster that needed more balance. It was the kind of aggressive work a general manager makes when the goal is clear enough: get the team back into the playoffs and make sure the foundation is sturdier than it was a year ago.
Even with those upgrades, the biggest question around this group has not gone away. The Rangers still have to prove they can score enough at even strength after struggling badly in 5-on-5 goal production and shot metrics last season, and improved defense and goaltending can only cover so much if that part of the game stays flat. Drury can point to a roster that looks better on paper, but the real test is whether the new pieces finally solve the scoring problem that lingered through the spring. [Read more 🡒]