Confirmed with Link: Reilly Smith (PIT) to NYR for a 2nd rounder + 5th

[PuckLuck3043]

They are locked into Lindgren on Fox's pair. That's the problem.

Maybe but we will see. If they sign him I hope it's a shorter term deal. I also think his last year was far worse than his previous 3. He's a better defender than he showed last year.

 

[Chytilmania]

Get creative and make the team better.

FLA traded a 100 point F and their best D for a crazy F and they went to back-to-back SCF and won a Cup.

Or, do we really think Reilly Smith, who couldn't be bothered to try in PIT because somehow playing with HOFers like Crosby and Malkin and Latang just didn't "do it" for him, we think that guy is the answer, the missing piece to a Cup?

Drury has an infinite amount of options if he had the mental acuity to be creative at all. There are players all around the league that teams would move if the situation fit. He hasn't tried a thing, sat on his hands, and ended up going with this because he got embarrassed and passed by every other aggressive GM in the league.

Watch the deadline video of John Davidson laughing at Drury because of how stupid he was for trading for Roslovic.

We can poo poo all the moves made today and at the draft. But somebody is winning the Cup next summer and it's not the Rangers. One of those teams that paid a price to make their team better is winning the Cup. This team isn't winning the Cup this way.

The instant this idiot prioritized signing Carrick in the opening minutes of free agency we knew it was going to be the same dumpster diving, lazy, unimaginative BS Drury always does. That's why I was annoyed with it right away. Because instead of spending his time usefully, he wastes his time on a player NOBODY in the league wanted and outbid himself wasting time and cap. Meanwhile other GMs were working on making their teams better.

Drury sucks and he's dragging this franchise down.

So what moves were out there?

 

[Chytilmania]

My prediction for Smith:

GP G A PTS +/-
75 25 35 60 +10

Brendan Smith had a great first (half) season then went into full summer wedding mode. If Reilly doesn’t have any weddings this summer I see a good year.

 

[McRanger92]

So what moves were out there?

I feel like they tried to get creative by moving out Trouba and Trouba said no thanks. Drury should come to the meeting with a gun next time I guess.

 

[bhamill]

Dude. The summer just started.

It's never too early to declare next season a total loss!!!

 

[PuckLuck3043]

It's never too early to declare next season a total loss!!!

Last off season was even worse after the loss to the Devils, lol. Such a loser mentality by some. All they did was 114 point regular season and an ECF appearance. In reality this team will be better than last year.

 

[bhamill]

Last off season was even worse after the loss to the Devils, lol. Such a loser mentality by some. All they did was 114 point regular season and an ECF appearance. In reality this team will be better than last year.

Honestly, I think so too.

 

[Kupo]

This is what Drury has traded away since becoming GM. I only included the trades where picks were involved, which was most of them anyway. The rest were very minor deals.

2nd (Reilly Smith)
5th (Reilly Smith)
4th (Trade up for Boilard)
7th (Trade up for Boilard)
4th (Roslovic)
4th (Ruhwedel)
2nd (Wennberg)
4th (Wennberg)
3rd (Trade up for Fortescue)
7th (Trade up for Fortescue)
Grubbe (Trade for a 5th to pick Larsson)
2nd (Kane)
3rd (Kane)
4th (Kane)
Kravtsov (Traded for a 2026 7th and Will Lockwood)
Gauthier (Motte)
7th (Motte)
1st (Tarasenko and Mikkola)
3rd (Tarasenko and Mikkola)
Blais (Tarasenko and Mikkola)
Skinner (Tarasenko and Mikkola)
Reaves (Traded for a 2025 5th)
Lundkvist (Traded for a 1st and 4th, both of which we wasted on rentals)
2nd (Dumping Nemeth, who Drury signed as a UFA the year before)
2nd (Dumping Nemeth)
Georgiev (Got back two 3rds and a 5th)
4th (Motte)
Barron (Copp)
1st (Copp)
2nd (Copp)
5th (Copp)
3rd (Braun)
4th (Vatrano)
3rd (Reaves)
3rd (Trade up for Korczak)
6th (Trade up for Korczak)
Buchnevich (Traded for Blais and a 2nd)
Howden (Nick DeSimone and a 4th that became Laba)
7th (Goodrow's rights)

To sum that up, we traded away:

1st round picks: 2
2nd round picks: 6
3rd round picks: 6
4th round picks: 7
5th round picks: 2
6th round picks: 1
7th round picks: 4
Prospects/players: Grubbe, Kravtsov, Gauthier, Blais, Skinner, Lundkvist, Georgiev, Barron, Buchnevich, Howden


This is what we currently have in the organization as a result of all those trades:

Reilly Smith
4th (Boilard)
3rd (Fortescue)
5th (Larsson)
7th (2026)
5th (2025)
3rd (McConnell-Barker)
5th (Barbashev)
6th (Roobroeck)
3rd (Korczak)
4th (Laba)

If Smith has a good year, we won't be able to afford him. If he has a poor year, we won't want him. So, either way, it seems a foregone conclusion that he won't be on the team in 2025-26.

Barbashev might get an AHL contract if he earns one in development camp. The 2025 5th and 2026 7th are likely to be traded for rentals, given Drury's track record, but even if not, they aren't likely to produce NHL players.

For the rest, there are varying measures of hope, but the sum total is insignificant compared to what we gave up.

This isn't a sustainable strategy. Drury has pissed away assets and has nothing to show for it. We literally have 1 NHL player today as a result of all his moves, and that player won't be around for long.

Drury's drafting looks good on paper, but of the players he has drafted, we have a sum total of 3 NHL games (Othmann). Granted, it is early yet, but the 2020 draft (Gorton's last) has produced 606 games and counting. The team's success has been built on the back of Gorton's efforts. The only player Drury deserves credit for is Trocheck, but at best, that only makes up for his screw up with Buchnevich.

Drury hired Gallant and fired him 2 years later. He let Knoblauch get away. What exactly has he done to build this team? How does he deserve credit for the team's recent success?

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

I don’t see how they will be meaningfully better at 5v5 bringing back the same defense. Call me a loser, negative nelly, whatever.

If they don’t achieve that it puts a ceiling on what they are realistically capable of. They are a very good team. Agreed. But there will almost certainly be 5ish teams that are just flat out better than them which is all it takes. They got so many breaks last year and it still wasn’t enough.

 

[McRanger92]

I don’t see how they will be meaningfully better at 5v5 bringing back the same defense. Call me a loser, negative nelly, whatever.

If they don’t achieve that it puts a ceiling on what they are realistically capable of. They are a very good team. Agreed. But there will almost certainly be 5ish teams that are just flat out better than them which is all it takes. They got so many breaks last year and it still wasn’t enough.

They needed to change the D and didnt. We will probably still be a 100 point team with Igor but the defense isnt winning 4 rounds. Idk how many times we need to see them fail. Nemeth/Braun->Mikkola->Gustafsson->Li'l Zacky. Arranging deck chairs on a ship that's sprung a leak.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Honestly, I think so too.

Yup, and it will be. Think about it. No Bonino, no Pitlick, no Goodrow. A hopefully healthy Chytil, additions of Smith and Carrick, Kakko couldn't have a worse year, Jones getting a real shot and I think he will run with it. Rempe, Edstrom, Berard, Othmann pushing for spots. This will be a very deep forward group. I also think Lindgren is better defensively than he showed last year and healthy Trouba playing 3rd line minutes is not the end of the world if it comes to that. There is no way this team isn't a top 4 team in the east once again.

 

[McRanger92]

Yup, and it will be. Think about it. No Bonino, no Pitlick, no Goodrow. A hopefully healthy Chytil, additions of Smith and Carrick, Kakko couldn't have a worse year, Jones getting a real shot and I think he will run with it. Rempe, Edstrom, Berard, Othmann pushing for spots. This will be a very deep forward group. I also think Lindgren is better defensively than he showed last year and healthy Trouba playing 3rd line minutes is not the end of the world if it comes to that. There is no way this team isn't a top 4 team in the east once again.

The changes the team needed weren't about the regular season. The group has a President's trophy. Regular season success at this point is a moral victory. They are no better equipped for the playoffs than the were last year. The games will be fun to get us through the harsh winter and spring but like, why should we think the end result will be different? That's what Im down on the team over. I want to win, but this squad just looks like a less likeable but theoretically more talented team that can't even reach the heights that Henrik's Rangers did.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

I don’t see how they will be meaningfully better at 5v5 bringing back the same defense. Call me a loser, negative nelly, whatever.

If they don’t achieve that it puts a ceiling on what they are realistically capable of. They are a very good team. Agreed. But there will almost certainly be 5ish teams that are just flat out better than them which is all it takes. They got so many breaks last year and it still wasn’t enough.

What breaks did they get last year exactly?

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

What breaks did they get last year exactly?

Immediate ones I can think of were going 4-1 in playoff OT and the only significant injury in the forward group being Chytil.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

The changes the team needed weren't about the regular season. The group has a President's trophy. Regular season success at this point is a moral victory. They are no better equipped for the playoffs than the were last year. The games will be fun to get us through the harsh winter and spring but like, why should we think the end result will be different? That's what Im down on the team over. I want to win, but this squad just looks like a less likeable but theoretically more talented team that can't even reach the heights that Henrik's Rangers did.

This team will have better talent and be deeper than last year. Every little upgrade helps. Fox and Trouba were playing on 1 leg in the playoffs. I still feel that Lindgren is better defensively than he showed. His previous 3 years were markedly better. Trouba was fine playing 3rd line minutes before the injury. I think Jones will run with his opportunity as well. Carolina and Florida will be good but realistically not as good as last year. I don't share the negativity around here. I think they will have another very good year. Whether they will win a cup next year is dependent on a number of factors but as always the odds are against any one team winning it all. I don't throw in the towel on July 2nd though. You can if you want.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Immediate ones I can think of were going 4-1 in playoff OT and the only significant injury in the forward group being Chytil.

Chytil, Kakko, wheeler all from our top 9.
Fox, Trouba were also injured this season.
Shesty struggled badly in the first half too.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Chytil, Kakko, wheeler all from our top 9.
Fox, Trouba were also injured this season.
Shesty struggled badly in the first half too.

Fox is the only one of significance. As far as NHL season long injury reports go, that’s not too bad. Igor struggling I wouldn’t call a “break” one way or another.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Immediate ones I can think of were going 4-1 in playoff OT and the only significant injury in the forward group being Chytil.

There is always puck luck and variability in hockey. They also hit a ton of posts in the playoffs as well. Does that count? They also had 2 Dmen playing with one leg, one of them being an extremely important piece to their success. They had no more "luck" than anybody else.

 

[McRanger92]

This team will have better talent and be deeper than last year. Every little upgrade helps. Fox and Trouba were playing on 1 leg in the playoffs. I still feel that Lindgren is better defensively than he showed. His previous 3 years were markedly better. Trouba was fine playing 3rd line minutes before the injury. I think Jones will run with his opportunity as well. Carolina and Florida will be good but realistically not as good as last year. I don't share the negativity around here. I think they will have another very good year. Whether they will win a cup next year is dependent on a number of factors but as always the odds are against any one team winning it all. I don't throw in the towel on July 2nd though. You can if you want.

Hey I hear you but we all have a breaking point. This core has shown their true colors, and the roster isnt talented enough, baring some big breakouts from young players. The coaching staff can facilitate that better by not cowing to the veterans, but I need to see that to believe it. Im not throwing in the towel (my season ticket money will be helping pay Dr. Trouba's tuition i guess lol) but Im also not jumping for joy and telling people all is well in rangerland. Because its pretty obviously not.

Now if Drury pulls a rabbit out of his hat and ultimately deals Trouba to bring in a meaningful piece or 2, I'll reassess. But its been a really bad week. Possibly our worst off the ice since the Great Purge.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

There is always puck luck and variability in hockey. They also hit a ton of posts in the playoffs as well. Does that count? They also had 2 Dmen playing with one leg, one of them being an extremely important piece to their success. They had no more "luck" than anybody else.

That’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. Trouba played just as poorly on 2 legs so that doesn’t mean much. Fox I’ll give you, but realistically odds are they won’t have an 80% winning % in OT and zero injuries to top forwards next year. Is all I’m saying.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Hey I hear you but we all have a breaking point. This core has shown their true colors, and the roster isnt talented enough, baring some big breakouts from young players. The coaching staff can facilitate that better by not cowing to the veterans, but I need to see that to believe it. Im not throwing in the towel (my season ticket money will be helping pay Dr. Trouba's tuition i guess lol) but Im also not jumping for joy and telling people all is well in rangerland. Because its pretty obviously not.

Now if Drury pulls a rabbit out of his hat and ultimately deals Trouba to bring in a meaningful piece or 2, I'll reassess. But its been a really bad week. Possibly our worst off the ice since the Great Purge.

It's really not the end of the world as some make it out to be. Trouba was fine as a 3rd pairing Dman when he was healthy. We can survive 1 more year with him in that role if it comes to that. Teams won't get it done until they do. Been said a million times. They are in better shape this off season than last TBH. Last year we picked up Bonino, Pitlick, Wheeler and whomever. We will be a better and deeper team.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

That’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. Trouba played just as poorly on 2 legs so that doesn’t mean much. Fox I’ll give you, but realistically odds are they won’t have an 80% winning % in OT and zero injuries to top forwards next year. Is all I’m saying.

Trouba playing 3rd line minutes before the injury was far better than he was in the playoffs. Florida had like zero injuries. The narrative that the Rangers got "lucky" is quite frankly bull.

 

[noncents]

l Lindgren is better defensively than he showed.

say it again, maybe third time is the charm?

Listen i actually agree with you that Lindgren could bounce back. But even if he does he's not good enough. Not even close. He's not a #1LD and his play style essentially guarantees that he's injured during the season and by the end of the year. He takes hit after hit, he takes the worst it every hit, and over time it takes a toll on his body and results in lessened effectiveness. We see it all the time with defensemen and especially NYR defensemen over the past 15 years.

Lindgren playing hurt means lindgren playing shitty. Lindgren playing shitty means Fox has to pick up the slack, especially defensively, which mitigates his potential to be a game breaking factor.

This is the issue - Lindgren on a 2 year 3.5mm deal as a 3rd pair PK specialist is not going to ruin your chances at a cup in my opinion.

But lindgren in Rangers blue isn't a 3rd pairing PK specialist. He's Fox's partner. He brings down Fox. That's the f***ing problem. Fox is a Norris calibre Dman and has been lugging this guy around his entire career. Set him free.

I don't even think we need a true 1LD. Put Miller with Fox and trade for a 2LD with Schneider. (that's why Chychrun or Walker should have been acquired yesterday)

 

[PuckLuck3043]

say it again, maybe third time is the charm?

Listen i actually agree with you that Lindgren could bounce back. But even if he does he's not good enough. Not even close. He's not a #1LD and his play style essentially guarantees that he's injured during the season and by the end of the year. He takes hit after hit, he takes the worst it every hit, and over time it takes a toll on his body and results in lessened effectiveness. We see it all the time with defensemen and especially NYR defensemen over the past 15 years.

Lindgren playing hurt means lindgren playing shitty. Lindgren playing shitty means Fox has to pick up the slack, especially defensively, which mitigates his potential to be a game breaking factor.

This is the issue - Lindgren on a 2 year 3.5mm deal as a 3rd pair PK specialist is not going to ruin your chances at a cup in my opinion.

But lindgren in Rangers blue isn't a 3rd pairing PK specialist. He's Fox's partner. He brings down Fox. That's the f***ing problem. Fox is a Norris calibre Dman and has been lugging this guy around his entire career. Set him free.

I don't even think we need a true 1LD. Put Miller with Fox and trade for a 2LD with Schneider. (that's why Chychrun or Walker should have been acquired yesterday)

I agree with you but like I said he has played better in previous years. Maybe they do change up the D pairings next year. There is a lot of things that can still happen. It's July 2nd.

 

[noncents]

I agree with you but like I said he has played better in previous years. Maybe they do change up the D pairings next year. There is a lot of things that can still happen. It's July 2nd.

it's like you didn't read what i wrote at all.

lindgren bouncing back and playing to historic lindgren standards still doesn't solve the issue that he's not good enough to play with fox and essentially mitigates the advantage created by our finest skater.

if he's still on this team, only a change of deployment solves that issue. I'm not sure what you've ever seen from this team to believe that's a possibility, but I would bet against it. Heavily.