Can you actually suggest how to improve the team and not just say the same shit over and over again. We know that Drury is a moron. If you were the GM, what would you do?
1. Get rid of Zibanejad as he has proven time and time again he can’t play with any young wingers they put with him, which is the strength of this farm system and current roster right now. 2. Get rid of Miller now before his value goes to shit. He’s just not very bright and he’s soft despite his high talent level. 3. Drury needs to sit Lafreniere down and tell him that he can either be a great player or he can be a lazy fuck and find out which one he wants to be. 4. I would see what’s out there for Fox. If the offer is right, consider it. 5. They need to get back high draft picks and NHL ready center prospects to go with their young wingers on the team or that are coming up soon. 6. I wouldn’t worry about bringing in an alpha male. You have to build a young core and one of those guys will eventually become the leader.
Garand is about ready so Quick with a Smith might bring back a couple picks and a physical role player prospect.
It is a fair question. I would have broken up the core during the summer, and this is not a second guess, I was maybe the loudest voice in here saying it from the second we lost to Florida until the season started. Trouba would have been gone this past summer. If Drury could do it in season, he could have done it in July. Starting the season with Trouba on this team, after the way Drury mishandled his situation, was a terrible decision. Trouba was clearly bothered by what happened, and it showed in his play, plus he was the captain of the team. I would have looked at Kreider, Fox, Zibanejad, Lindgren, Miller and worked the phones. There is ZERO % chance I would have brought them all back this season, ZERO. Now that he missed his chance during the summer, I would do the same thing, but even more aggressively. I won't sit here and make up fantasy trades that will never happen like some other posters do, but I promise you this, if I were Pres/GM moves would have been made, and again that is not a second guess from me. And moves would be made now. Maybe Drury would have made a move that didn't work, that happens, but I'd give him credit (within reason - I say within reason because you can't trade Fox for a 4th liner and a 3rd round pick and say I did something give me credit) for changing this clearly done and stale core. In order for that to happen you have to be smart, have foresight, have balls, and take some chances, and Drury is very clearly lacking in all those areas. I'll add something else that no one mentions, for Drury to do nothing expect make the team worse this past summer and expect anything but sh*t is comical and absolute dereliction of duty. He is now dealing from an absolute position of weakness, and in a terrible position because he's clueless. The time to get bold and reshape was this past summer after a good season when players values were high. Doing it now is not only dealing from a position of weakness, but it will also lead to less of a return for Drury's players. It is a total miss on his part. He is paid VERY WELL to be ahead of the curve, not behind it and reactive. And AGAIN, this is not a second guess by me, I said it all during the summer and before the season started. If I saw it plain as day, why didn't the Pres/GM. At this point, because he didn't realize the situation during the summer, the Rangers are in a very difficult spot, dealing from weakness and trying to make bigger hockey moves in season, which are much tougher to get done than in the offseason.
I will say they finish bottom 5 when all is said and done. They are tied for the 5th fewest number of points currently, and since Nov 21 they have the lowest number of points in the league. Not about one game, but if they lose in Chicago tomorrow, I'll feel even stronger about them finishing bottom 5. Their next 4 games after the Hawks are all against very good teams. I'll stick with my 2 or 3 wins over 11 games prediction, as they currently sit at 1-5 during that stretch.
I have read a few articles about interest in JT Miller. I saw Zibanejad, Schneider, 2026 first rounder for Miller. Would Zibanejad really waive his NMC to play in Vancouver and would you give up Schneider. Sure, it will never happen, but I did read it.
They could still be a bottom 10 team next year, so that 2026 1st could be a steal for Vancouver in that scenario. I'd avoid Miller, even if it means dumping off Z. They should bite the bullet and start building from the ground up again, maybe adding in a FA here and there along the way. Maybe they find another way to move out Zib without having to take back another huge contract.
