Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers celebrates after a goal during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)
The New York Rangers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention, and with just two games left to play this season, the nightmare for this fanbase is almost over. In a season where this team aspired to win a Stanley Cup, it turned into a season full of off-ice drama and terrible play on the ice. It’s funny to think that in a season in which they dropped the “No Quit in New York” slogan, the team quit on the coach, the general manager (GM), and the fans, and once it happened, there was no way of fixing it.
Whether fans like it or not, it seems as if current GM Chris Drury will get a chance at turning this team around and doing it quickly. The Rangers aren’t going through another rebuild, but a retooling of the roster is definitely in order after the disappointing season they had. The core players have had their chance and fallen short numerous times, and now, after proving that they can’t handle some adversity, it is clear this core isn’t good enough to win a Stanley Cup. Drury needs to figure out who can stay and who can go this offseason, and he needs to start building a new core going into next season.
Dismantling the Old Core as Much as Possible
Now entering his fifth offseason as GM, Drury needs to finally start making some big changes to this core. He inherited a core group of players that was mostly assembled by former GM Jeff Gorton. Gorton was the one who traded for Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox, signed Artemi Panarin, and extended Chris Kreider. These four players make up some of the highest-paid players on the team going into next season, and with how this season unfolded, it is safe to say that some of these players can’t be here anymore. While it is impossible to trade everyone on the current roster, at least two of these names need to go this offseason, and if we were placing bets on who’s most likely to go, it’s not Fox or Panarin at the top of that list.
Kreider and Zibanejad both saw massive drop-offs in their production this season. Kreider went from a 39-goal, 75-point player last season to just 21 goals and 26 overall points this season. Zibanejad saw his decline begin last season when he went from a 39-goal, 91-point season in 2022-23 to just 26 goals and 72 points last season. He followed it up with 18 goals and 58 points so far this season, and these numbers are not good enough for two of the highest-paid forwards on the team. With both of these players having already been in trade rumors this season, it seems that this offseason would be the best time to look at moving on from both of them and bringing in fresh faces to help reset the culture in the locker room.
Moving Kreider would be an easier task as he makes less money on his deal and has limited trade protection. He has a 15-team no-trade list, so he can still be traded to half of the teams in the league without having to ask him to go there. While he has had a terrible season, teams are going to be interested in a proven playoff performer, and with him having a full offseason to heal from his nagging injuries, maybe he can bounce back on a new team. For Zibanejad, getting traded is all up to him. He has a full no-move clause in his deal, so if Drury wants to move him, he needs to ask him, and if Zibanejad says no, then he gets to stay. Maybe moving on from Kreider will convince Zibanejad to move, or maybe this locker room has already gotten too toxic for him, and he could already want to be traded. We have to wait and see, but if Drury wants to shake up this team, these two players need to go.
What Type of Players Could Drury Bring in?
From the moment he took over as GM, Drury has always wanted to add players that play a tough, physical, and north-south style to help complement the skill players that were already here. As mentioned earlier, he inherited a core from Gorton, and over his five seasons as GM, he has only truly made two big additions to shake the core up, and both of these players fit the mold of what he wanted to add to the team. His first big addition was signing Vincent Trocheck as a free agent in the 2022 offseason. He took over as the new second-line center from Ryan Strome, and so far, he has been a good player and has played some of the best hockey of his career as a Ranger. His second big addition came this season when he got J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. There had been reported interest in Miller for years, and he finally got him this season, and he played great in his half-season back with the team.
The question now is, if he moves on from some of the other core players on this team, who could he bring in to replace them? It will be interesting to see because, looking at the free agent market, there are not many names that are appealing out there that play the style that Drury wants to infuse into this team. A player like Mitch Marner would be a great addition, but he is similar to Panarin, and if he is still on the team, you don’t want to add yet another winger making double digits. There will always be Brady Tkachuk rumors, but with the Ottawa Senators taking a massive step this season, it seems unlikely they would move on from him, even though he would be perfect for what the Rangers need. It might be too early to name specific players that they should target, but look out for players like Trocheck and Miller, who play that gritty style because it seems that is where Drury wants to take the team going forward.
Which Players on the Current Team Could Be Built Around?
Even though most fans want everyone on the current team gone, that just isn’t going to happen. A majority of these players are likely going to be here next season, but the question is, which players can Drury build his new core around? Right now, there are five players that should be seen as part of the new core. Miller and Trocheck are the first two, and adding to them up front is Will Cuylle. He plays the same style as they do and has been the best player on the team all season. On the back end, the only defenseman worth building around is Fox. While many don’t like the way he played this season, he is still a top-five defenseman in the league, and there is no trade package out there that is good enough to replace what Fox brings to the team. To round out this new core, it has to be Igor Shesterkin. He is here for the long haul, and although he hasn’t had the same numbers that he did in his Vezina Trophy-winning season, he is still the backbone of the team and gives them a chance to win every game.
You can make an argument that Panarin should be in this group, but he only has one more year on his deal, and it’s possible they look to either trade him this summer or let him walk as a free agent to pursue other players. He has been an amazing Ranger and was far from the problem this season, but he hasn’t been great in the playoffs, and his style of game doesn’t suit playoff hockey. Alexis Lafreniere is another player that some might argue is part of the future, but with his down season, could Drury look to move on from him, or will he give him another season to prove that he can still break out even further than what he did last season? Of the players on the team currently, the only five that should be locks to be in the new core are Miller, Trocheck, Cuylle, Fox, and Shesterkin.
The Rangers were the most disappointing team in the NHL this season. Being pegged as Stanley Cup contenders to falling short of making the playoffs entirely is reason enough to make big changes. For Drury, it is going to be interesting to see how he handles this offseason, given that he is likely going to hire his third coach in five seasons, and his job could be on the line if the team doesn’t turn it around next season. For now, he needs to focus on building a new core going forward, and that starts with dismantling the old core and deciding who should be part of the new one.
