Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XIV (To trade or not to trade is the question)

[I Eat Crow]

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The Rangers need to grow up and stop playing the victims​

Since the Rangers’ conference final Game 6 elimination in Sunrise on June 1, general manager Chris Drury:

• Was able to get the final three seasons of Barclay Goodrow’s contract with an annual $3.641.667 million cap hit off the books by waiving the winger to San Jose.

• Signed Alexis Lafreniere to a seven-year, $52.15 million extension that kicks in next season for an annual average of $7.45 million per, about $1 million per below anticipated.

• Traded Jacob Trouba to Anaheim without retaining a cent of the money or the $8 million cap charge due to the defenseman through the end of the 2025-26 season.

• Signed Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million extension that kicks in next season with an NHL-record goaltending cap hit of $11.5 million per that was $500,000-$2 million under projections on the open market.


• [Stage whisper] There was also a memo.

The narrative that has been circulating for weeks is that the Rangers players do not like the way Drury does business and as a result have gone into some sort of a sit-down strike, apparently hoping to influence ownership to change the passcode for the executive suite.

Of course there is no indication that any change to the organizational directory is being contemplated.

That also applies to head coach Peter Laviolette and his staff, even as baseless reports circulate that the team is looking to make a change behind the bench.

I doubt there was a particularly kind way for Drury to advise Goodrow that the only way the club could move him without retaining a large portion of his contract was to place him on waivers, but maybe the GM could have found a way.

And I have no idea how the players believe Trouba was wronged when the club tried to trade him on July 1 after his no-move became a partial no-trade, but I’m all ears on that one. Trouba had always been the one to knock throughout his 12-year career, but not this time. He was on the other end of it, and apparently did not like it at all.

Time’s a wastin’​

The Rangers’ body language has been dreadful.

Once Drury’s Substack message became public, the club’s leadership group shriveled like Costanza in the pool. There are exceptions, but the Blueshirts seem to feel they are somehow victims and that folks should feel sorry for them.

I have said this before, but if the Rangers think they are quitting on Drury or Laviolette or both, the fact is that they are quitting on themselves, their teammates (who are supposed be family) and the customers who pay big money to watch them play.

Drury has the obligation to address the team. An open, honest dialogue is imperative. If players feel they have been disrespected and want out, they have the obligation to speak up.

Reilly Smith is the only player on the team to win the Stanley Cup. Are you telling me this veteran core is throwing away a season they will never get back because their feelings were hurt over the summer? How many chances do they think they’re going to have?

The teams of the past decade that fell short are remembered fondly and with respect. The clubs of Emile Francis that fell short are beloved.

It is never quite Cup-or-Bust for generations of the faithful who have seen the club win one (is the loneliest number) Stanley Cup championship and keep coming back for more because they don’t want 1994 to last a lifetime.

And I don’t know if these Rangers particularly care, but this group putting on a collective sulk over perceived grievances is not only destroying the season. It is destroying their reputation, both as a group and one by one as individuals.

They are not going to be remembered for two conference finals and a Presidents’ Trophy within three seasons. They are going to be remembered for this.

You’d think that would count for something.

Down, not out​

Coming up with six points out of a possible 26, as the Rangers have done by going 3-10 since Nov. 21, is almost impossible in a league where teams get a point if they are tied after 60 minutes.

The last time the Rangers collected as few as six points over a 13-game stretch in the first half of a season came 35 years ago, when the 1989-90 club went 1-11-4 over a 16-game span from Dec. 9 to Jan. 10 bridging the new year.

That club recovered, though, going 7-1-2 over the next 10 and 20-10-5 the rest of the way to finish 36-31-13 before advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

This is a different year, a different team and different era.

But it is still December. The season is not lost. Laviolette must demand and enforce accountability across the board. Thirty games of giving benefit of the doubt is enough. Jersey numbers and not paycheck numbers must determine ice time. The Rangers must embrace structure. They must defend. The Rangers haven’t defended since Day 1.

But in order to regain any semblance of identity and any sense of self, the Rangers have to lose their entitlement. They have to stop embracing victimhood. They have to grow up.
They are professional athletes.
It is time for them to act that way.

Best non trade rumor article he's written in a very, very long time.

 

[mike14]

Thank you for your input. It will be taken into consideration by the board of governors.

Bloody ivory-tower know-it-alls. Think they can just lord it over the common man...

 

[Siddi]

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How are they gonna pull that off? LMAO

Easy. Players tell Dolan its either Drury or playoff revenue.

 

[Brutananadilewski]

Easy. Players tell Dolan its either Drury or playoff revenue.

These scrubs think they're making the playoffs?!

 

[Machinehead]

Bloody ivory-tower know-it-alls. Think they can just lord it over the common man...

"Common"

You people are weird.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Took my wife out for a late lunch. Returned to find 200 posts added to this thread.
If this has already been posted, apologies:

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Lavi patting himself on the back for scratching Reilly Smith who has played 30 games with NY and had a very successful career where he won a Cup (pretty recently) and was never scratched before. Time for a change.

Exactly my thought. He won’t scratch the players that truly deserve it, so he’s going after “easy targets.” Totally gutless leadership, and I’ve been a supporter of his.

 

[RangersFan]

If there is any shred of truth about the mutiny then they have no choice but to trade Kreider and do anything they can to get rid of Zib. Utter disrespect to the fans and the team mates that are trying.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

People keep talking about the core only in terms of age but I hate to break it to you the core is comprised of just as many kids as it is vets. Laff, Kakko, Miller, Schneider, Fox, these are all core players. They've been here longer than Trocheck, Smith, Carrick, Vesey, etc. I guess my point is, the kids stink too and we shouldn't be so precious about it.

 

[GAGLine]

People keep talking about the core only in terms of age but I hate to break it to you the core is comprised of just as many kids as it is vets. Laff, Kakko, Miller, Schneider, Fox, these are all core players. They've been here longer than Trocheck, Smith, Carrick, Vesey, etc. I guess my point is, the kids stink too and we shouldn't be so precious about it.

Most of the players, young or old, are better than they are currently playing, and we aren't going to get rid of everyone. It's just simple logic that the older players should be the first to go.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Well it appears Drury is an equal opportunity idiot, has young guys, old guys, everyone mad at him. Wonder how Larry is gonna spin this one.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Rupp nailed it. Drury is a moron.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Most of the players, young or old, are better than they are currently playing, and we aren't going to get rid of everyone. It's just simple logic that the older players should be the first to go.

When the whole team tells you where the problem is someone should listen. You can't trade the whole team away, it's time for Drury to go.

 

[leetch99]

I f***ing love him now! Good for him.

I would like to see him give Kreider or Zibs a bump in practice....see if that creates any activity in the hive .

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Most of the players, young or old, are better than they are currently playing, and we aren't going to get rid of everyone. It's just simple logic that the older players should be the first to go.

Agreed. But people need to stop referring to the core as a bunch of entitled aging vets. The young players are very much part of the core, they aren't blameless.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Why does this site always just try to throw every single topic into one thread? Like the Kakko comments should be their own thread and own discussion. Weird how mods always try to keep it all in one thread imo

Lazy mods want to do as little as possible.

 

[McRanger92]

Drury can tell Larry whatever he wants. Dolan is the one who will boot his ass.

Dolan is on Drury’s side my friend. You think Drury was allowed to ship off the captain without Dolan’s blessing?

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Rupp nailed it. Drury is a moron.

Bingo, Drury is an idiot

 

[New York RKY]

Still sounds like a leader more than those hair lickers infesting the room now

Better to be a hair licker then a hair eater, right @Machinehead?

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Dolan is on Drury’s side my friend. You think Drury was allowed to ship off the captain without Dolan’s blessing?

I think you would be surprised by how little Dolan cares about the Rangers. That's what Slats is there for. He's Dolan's link to the team. I'm willing to bet Dolan could not even tell you who's in the lineup tonight. He probably thinks Jacob Trouba is a musical instrument.

 

[RangerBoy]

Is Larry telling us Trocheck is a whiny biotch?

 

[GAGLine]

When the whole team tells you where the problem is someone should listen. You can't trade the whole team away, it's time for Drury to go.

I'm fine with that. I haven't liked Drury since day 1.

But at the same time, the players shouldn't get a pass. Pouting and losing games is only making things worse.

 

[McRanger92]

I think you would be surprised by how little Dolan cares about the Rangers. That's what Slats is there for. He's Dolan's link to the team. I'm willing to bet Dolan could not even tell you who's in the lineup tonight. He probably thinks Jacob Trouba is a musical instrument.

Yeah because he lets the guys he’s hired do their jobs. Not be led around by primadonna players

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Yeah because he lets the guys he’s hired do their jobs. Not be led around by primadonna players

So is he signing off on trades or is he letting Drury do his own thing? You’re all over the place.

 

[will1066]