Forget all this cap space for the deadline, we should be sellers. I'd like to see Drury identify some expiring UFAs that a team will pay a small fee to unload so they can do their deadline shopping. Nothing crazy, a mid/late round pick. We need to recoup what was traded away. I'd bet a team would be willing to pay a small price for Quick, Vesey, etc... Maybe they could be the middle man on a 3 way deal to eat some salary on a player for the rest of the season.
Drury has traded away so many picks over the years. He recouped a couple mid/late rounders. Looking forward, he has no 2nd round picks in the next 3 drafts. Shades of the dreaded years with no top picks. Going back to his first draft a few years ago, 3 of his 4 drafts he has had no 2nd round pick. (To be fair, his first year with no 2nd was from Gorton using it to ship off Staal) The year he had one 2nd rounder he traded tthe first rounder away. I highly doubt we won't recoup a 2nd within the next few drafts, otherwise that'll make it 5 years in a row with no 2nd rounders. 6 out of 7 years with no 2nd rounders would almost be impressive.
And the most notable thing, we need to take a chance on some skill with those late picks. The Gabe selection almost seemed like a miracle compared to Drury's forte. A lot of people are clapping their hands for all these run of the mill bottom line prospects, I'm not so impressed. There's a place for them, I don't mind taking them. But theres a limit. When you look at a large portion of these drafts by Drury that's an obvious target. I'll be the odd man out, I'm not particularly excited by having a million guys that could potentially play on the 4th line. I want impact players. Some of these guys are a dime a dozen. Vesey has been good for us, Carrick has been good for us... these types can be found for nothing. Impact players are the hardest to acquire, that's primarily what the draft philosophy should be.
We wonder why we're not drafting any Duclair's or Buch's anymore... its almost like you have to take a chance drafting those sorts of players... we can't draft some random 6 foot 7 guy every year and then be like Gee I wonder why we can't find any hidden diamonds...
He made trades better the team. He hadn’t given up a ton for what NYR has gotten back….
It’s hard being at the top of the standings and being competitive/for all the years he’s been at the helm so far ( playoffs, mostly beyond 1st round besides the devils debacle) and still have to fill some substantial gaping holes In the line up…
Some self inflicted, some caused by injury, etc…
I don’t think he’s drastically overpaid for anything at the TDL for what we’ve received and production we got from them on the playoff runs….
Even that Kane disaster didn’t cost much…..
Copp was sorely needed, and then he upgraded in the offseason signing Tro instead of copp. Tro has been better then most( myself included) thought with a solid structured contract.
Got a 1st for Nils.
Mancini looks like a player….
He’s drafted some talented with some late picks he had, but no one really has been lighting it up as a standout.
Perrault is a miracle that he fell and we took him.
Emery could be just the type of guy that D needs…
I mean besides devils 1st rd exit, there really wasn’t down year yet…..
Panarin/kreider/chytil/miller/kakko
Etc should all bring back multiple assets including picks back should the rangers not look like they are going to get in or go far in the postseason……
Gorton had a ton of selling ammunition when the letter went out….
And yes he drafted a lot of talented guys, but he also had a lot of established talented players he was given the green light to trade…
This season looking like it could be a sellers year for us
