Similar to Jeff Gorton nearly seven years ago, current General Manager Chris Drury wrote a letter to New York Rangers fans, stating that the team would undergo a retool this season.
In the letter, Drury said, “This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.” Drury went on to acknowledge that the fans should expect some trades or departures via free agency, saying, “That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years.”
The news was largely expected. Despite wanting to compete for a playoff spot this season, the Rangers are in last place in the Eastern Conference by a three-point margin and are tied for the most games played. Their -21 goal differential is also the worst in the Conference.
After losing defenseman Adam Fox and netminder Igor Shesterkin to injury in early January, there was little hope that New York would be able to climb out of the hole. Still, instead of re-shaping the entire roster, Drury specified a retool, which indicates that the team may only move out expiring assets and reassess next summer.
Regardless, we know of at least one player who won’t finish the 2025-26 season with the Rangers. Shortly after the announcement from New York, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Drury met with Artemi Panarin, telling him that the team would not be extending him an extension offer, and they would like to move him to a team where he could win the Stanley Cup or sign long-term.
Earlier this week, we assessed some of the hypothetical landing spots for Panarin that were provided by Friedman, namely the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Washington Capitals. Determining Panarin’s trade value is challenging due to the absence of recent comparables for a rental of his significance.
Furthermore, there’s no questioning that Panarin’s market value dipped from today’s news. Publicly, the Rangers remained interested in extending Panarin beyond the 2025-26 campaign. However, considering his full no-movement clause, New York will allow Panarin to pick his next destination, which will likely diminish their potential return.
Meanwhile, the Rangers don’t have many additional expiring assets that will be of much value on the trade market. Joining Panarin as pending unrestricted free agents are Jonny Brodzinski, Conor Sheary, and Carson Soucy. Technically, Jonathan Quick could also be a trade candidate, but the veteran netminder has been pretty rigid in his ‘Rangers or retirement’ attitude.
Assuming Drury waits until the offseason to consider trading the trickier contracts of Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, etc, there are a few more veterans he may attempt to move this season.
Veterans like Taylor Raddysh, Sam Carrick, and Urho Vaakanainen are only signed through the 2026-27 season, potentially giving the Rangers a few more assets to move. At any rate, the Rangers now have the biggest fish leading up to the March 6th trade deadline.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.
Some “core.” Most of their guys are already in their 30s.
Panarin stays in NYC and goes to the Isles for Avs 1st, Emil Heinimen and a middling prospect.
This was expected by NYR. No surprise there.
As for Artemi Panarin, there is more teams interested in Panarin then just what Friedman suggested. Of course, who Friedman suggested none of those teams could pull off a trade for Panarin for various reasons. I don’t think Panarin gets traded during the season anyway and as he just waits until he hits the market this summer as more options will be available for him to choose.
He might have a great chance to win a cup NOW! Why would he sit on his hands for that opportunity? It would only be 4 1/2-5 months of his life for a glorious chance!
Then he could pick any team to go to this summer for the next 4-5 yrs.
I understand the possibility of going to a playoff contender but many of them don’t have the assets, cap space, etc to pull it off. It’s just going to be a tough transaction to do unless NYR is highly accommodating which is quite questionable. Could he get traded? Sure…but I’m just not fully convinced a deal will get done unless NYR undersells in the transaction. We’ll see what happens.
Avs could give them Ross Colton for salary, 2027 1st and Ivan.
If AP sez he only wants to go there, then that would be plenty for a rental!
Hahaha we’re screwed 😞
An end to an amazing era of NYR hockey🫡
Hoping for a similar announcement from the Kings soon, complete with a total front office and coaching staff overhaul, starting with Lucky Luc!
Drury also has to clean up the overabundance of RD’s. Fox is not going anywhere. The jamb-up is at 2RD, Schnieder would be the easiest to move and would get a very nice return, Borgen has a full NMC till July 1 then can be traded to half the league……maybe Drury waits for that and trades Borgan……..Then for 3RD he has cheaper options of Morrow and Robinson, which is fine.
Admittedly not a Ranger fan at all, but maybe I am getting soft in my old age so much so that I feel sad and empathize with the fan base. The front office prematurely blew up this team. Either they misread or their strategy failed miserably.
Please find a way to trade Trotchek to Tampa…
Now this is what the maple leafs organization should do as well! But I’m afraid that MLSE and the others in the front offices are too stubborn and stupid like the dumb SOB Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro.
Being pro-active is one way to save his job. But really Drury should be resigning. How many fans still believe him being capable of a successful retool?
All I can say is thank God for 1994. At the time I said I didn’t care if they ever won again because I got to see it happen with my father. I guess he heard me and decided to hold me to it. LOL
The Rangers are the Rangers…a failure of a franchise. I have little doubt I won’t see them win another Cup in my lifetime, so I don’t really care who they trade or what ridiculous plans they have for the future. They won’t work. They are the Rangers.
It worked for Gorton until he was shown the door. It won’t work for Drury. I hope Dolan never sees another Cup. Cheers.
Here we go again