After celebrating the United States’ thrilling overtime victory over Canada in the men’s hockey Olympic gold medal game in Milan, Chris Drury is back to focusing on his primary role as the New York Rangers’ general manager. While he played a key part in assembling the victorious U.S. team, Drury’s main challenge lies with the Rangers, who are struggling to find their footing this season.
Drury’s Olympic experience was undoubtedly a career highlight, but his legacy will be shaped by his efforts to revitalize the Rangers. With the NHL roster freeze lifted and the March 6 trade deadline looming, Drury is already making moves. He’s initiated a roster retooling by trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings and Carson Soucy to the Islanders.
However, these moves are just the tip of the iceberg. The Rangers are dealing with a depleted prospect pool and a lack of depth at both the NHL and AHL levels.
With a record of 22-29-6, they’re set to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season. Quick fixes are unlikely to solve these deep-rooted issues.
Drury has made it clear that he’s targeting young NHL talent or NHL-ready players in any trade discussions. This strategy was evident in the Panarin trade, which brought in the Kings’ top prospect, forward Liam Greentree, along with a conditional third-round draft pick that could become a second-rounder if L.A. advances in the playoffs.
The message from the Rangers’ front office is that they’re aiming for a rapid retool rather than a complete rebuild. Neither Drury nor owner James Dolan seems inclined to endure a lengthy overhaul so soon after the last one.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Rangers face crucial decisions. If they choose to move gold medalist Vincent Trocheck, who has three years remaining on his contract, they’ll need to determine whether to prioritize draft picks or acquire younger players poised to make an impact soon.
The Rangers find themselves in a challenging position, attempting to quickly retool while addressing numerous organizational gaps. Improving their drafting and development processes is essential, as these areas have been lacking in recent years.
The team’s struggles with past high draft picks like Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov underscore the importance of getting it right this time. Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko have become solid players, but not the franchise changers they were hoped to be.
The acquisition of Liam Greentree is a positive step forward. At 20, he’s expected to turn pro soon after a successful junior career in the OHL. The hope is that Greentree will follow in the footsteps of promising players like Will Cuylle rather than others who haven’t panned out.
Additionally, Malcolm Spence, New York’s top pick in the 2025 draft, shows promise. The rugged forward is making his mark at the University of Michigan and is projected as a valuable middle-six player in the NHL.
These prospects are promising, but they’re not expected to be franchise saviors. The Rangers need to find high-impact players, which will require time and effective development. It’s a complex situation for the Rangers, and while trades can help, they won’t be a cure-all.
The road to recovery for the Rangers is likely to be a long one, requiring patience and strategic planning.