Feel confident Drury has no clue what he's doing

Perhaps a horsewhip reference might have been more appropriate

 

Anybody who thinks Drury had an a successful trade deadline last year, in anyway, is a fucking moron. For starters the need for a face-off stud was greater than Tarasenko or Kane last year. He could gotten one for very low cost and he was fucking retarded. Second, the team was as soft as butter. He went for two euro pussy style players, instead of adding grit with some scoring touch. He failed miserably, and if you don’t think so, you should be fucking horsewhipped. Happy Porter?

 

Haha! That one gets me every time.
I remember the series against the Devils a little differently. I don't recall them getting pushed around as much as just outplayed from game 3 on. They looked uninspired and lethargic at home up 2-0 in the series. Certainly a player who plays with a serious edge could've been useful to make things more difficult for the Devils.
I think Drury did what most fans wanted him to at the deadline last season by getting Mikkola, Tarasenko (a bit before the deadline) and Kane. Of course those turned into a disaster, so yeah took his shots and missed horribly.

 

We are probably remembering the Tarasenko trade differently if the Kane trade did not happen. Overall I liked Tarasenko' game. Once we got Kane Tarasenko's opportunities and minutes went down, the PP was a mess, Galant had no idea how to deploy them and incorporate both into the lineup, and it made the team top-heavy. Hindsight is 20/20 but we should have been looking to compliment Tarasenko with a depth add, not add another redundant one-dimensional piece (that was on one leg). Drury (and much of the fanbase including myself) was blinded by the cheap price.

Drury's first trade deadline was great. Vatrano for a 4th was perfect, Copp was the right idea and would have made a bigger impact if he didnt get hurt in that Islanders game season end. Hopefully Drury follows that blueprint and not last year's. The right type of player at the right price, with any first rounder being conditional.

 

I recall last year saying that Kane wasn’t a necessity but someone on here kept saying that trade had to be made because it’s Patrick Kane for cheap

 

The Rangers didn’t win jack shit therefore for the deals were a failure, considering the payment.

 

I don't think the Kane deal was a bad deal in that they didn't give up much, and he wanted to be here, I think you had to take the chance to add him given those circumstances. The result was a failure, no argument there. I also don't think the decision was get Kane or go get someone else instead. I think it was adding Kane by making many cap money saving moves or do nothing else. I never got any impression Drury was going to do something else if Kane wasn't here. You could get on him for that decision, meaning he should have been looking to add someone else instead of Kane, but I do think that was his decision based on all the info at the time, Kane or done.

His trade DL two years ago was hugely successful, the best thing on Drury's resume as Pres/GM IMO, and it helped us make a fun run to the ECF. Last year not so much as he didn't add the right type of player(s) we needed. I did like the Tarasenko and Mikkola trade though, I just don't think he added the right players around that trade to add what the team lacked.

I'll also add, if you judge the trade DL simply on did the team win the Cup, then 99.9% of all teams fail every single season at the trade DL, I don't think that is how you judge it. If you have a good run, win some series, and get a lot of exciting moments, that matters. No parades, but if it is title or failure as your only two choices, that is a tough way to live, while clearly acknowledging the ultimate goal was not reached if you don't win the title.

 

Drury did something, he re-signed Quick for one more year with a 450 K raise, he'll make $1.275M next season. He has been really good this season thus far, so not surprised they are sticking with him for one more season.

 

Guaranteed he pisses away Laba at the deadline who has 30 points in 30 games with size and not much help. Then we can bitch about it for 10 years

 

The worst part of the Kane trade was the NHL taking the unprecedented step of denying the Rangers an emergency roster addition when Lindgren got hurt because K'Andre was suspended? Player safety LOL. Kane wasn't terrible postseason considering his condition, it was more the rest of the team that played like they were on one leg.

 

Signing Quick to a one year extension. That tells me he's going to piss away Garand at the deadline.

 

I know we are all directionally aware of this, but to see it written drives it home:

Zibanejad is ranked 11th on the team in five-on-five goals with five, behind the likes of K’Andre Miller (6), Adam Fox (6) and Blake Wheeler (6), who has been on long-term injured reserve since Feb. 16. This all while averaging 12:58 of five-on-five ice time per game.

Also, this is telling about Kakko, I want him to be successful, but the guy is pretty much invisible, I think a lot of it is mental and confidence:

If Kaapo Kakko wants to keep the job on the top line and the ice time that comes with it, the Finnish wing can’t afford to be held without a shot on goal like he was Saturday night. Two total shots on goal through his first two games back with Kreider and Zibanejad isn’t going to cut it.

 

I don't see him trading Garand, I just think they see Quick as having one more good year left in him, plus maybe he gets to 400 in a Ranger uni. Garand could probably use one more full year before he's good to go as 1B.

 

Seems like Wennberg is the C target, and I'm not sure I love it. Not good on FO's, 46.7% this season (45.6% last season), has only once scored more than 13 goals, and is a 30's points guy. I don't love it unless the return is low enough it leaves us in a really good spot to add more.

 

Drury is allergic much like our previous GM's to acquiring a faceoff stud like Sturm. I don't think they are far away from making a run but they did not bring up the right guys. I like Edstrom and Rempe as pieces for a regular season at times when the situation calls for it. However, Berard and Sykora should have been the call up's. This team is slow. Now, if your big with talent and know how to play like Florida, you don't have to be fast. However, the Rangers aren't built like that. I've been saying what 94 said for years now. Zibanejad blows offensively at even strength. It's a huge reason why nobody can play on that line. You saw vs. Florida that the Rangers are not a good puck possession team against the top teams when they play. The 4th line has no chance of controlling the puck. Rempe might be a hero to the garden but he's not winning you jack shit come playoff time.

 

Without making any moves the Rangers are going to rely on their PP to save the day again this post season. It won't take an advanced scout to figure out how to shut the PP down. Stand up at the blue line and pressure the puck.

 

Guys I would look at. Eberle, Sturm, Gourde, Krebs, Bjudstad. Henrique and Vatrano will cost too much.

 

I would figure out the 4th line going into the DL and work backward from there towards the bigger pieces. Maybe they can make a deal or two before Friday.

 

I'll just say this as we close in on the trade DL, I don't see how Drury shouldn't be super aggressive. Team is in 1st place, near the top of the league, and has a decent amount of cap space. If that isn't the recipe for being super aggressive, I don't know what is, and I don't know what he'd be waiting for. Doesn't mean you deal Othmann or Perreault, you do not, but short of that he needs to be super aggressive.

Some may say, oh the team isn't good enough, or they are not real contenders, and I don't buy it. To be clear about what I mean, I don't think they are the best team, and I do know they have lapses in their own zone, but I also know the NHL playoffs are wide open, and they'll be in a good spot path wise heading into the playoffs in 1st or 2nd place, near the top of the NHL. You have to go for it when those are your circumstances.

If you soft play it, or act as if you really aren't true contenders, then what are you playing for, and what are you waiting for. Windows in the NHL don't stay open for very long as teams age, and players are due raises in a hard cap no flexibility league. You have to take your shot when you are in the situation we are in this season, and I for one truly hope Drury understands that. I would like to see 3 players added, if possible (not saying all are big ticket items - could be a good 4th liner in that group), then we take our shot and see how it goes.

 

Tarasenko and maybe even Vatrano to a degree, both probably want to come back here, so maybe that helps Drurys bargaining power a little.