Thinks the Rangers have adequate top six scoring, he’s dumber than I thought. Can assume Trocheck is gone so, Miller, Zibanejad, Lafreniere, Cuylle. By necessity Perreault and who else? Kartye? Great story but realistically unless Cuylle finds another level, they are good bookends on a third line with Miller, whose play this season suggests that’s his realistic peak. But of course in Sullivans world Coner Sheary and his 7 goals and 11 assists with all the preferential ice time he got is a slam dunk top six winger. So Miller, Lafreniere, Zibanejad, Cuylle, Perreault, and Sonny in law Sheary is your coaches assessed adequate scoring top 6. Per his quote the Rangers have enough top six scoring and need bottom six help to assume pk duties in particular to lighten the top six responsibilities. This from a coach who with Crosby, Malkin, and Letang finished out of the playoffs his last three years. All three players in the playoffs this year. Lost in the first round for four seasons before that with that same top three player core, debatably as good as any in the NHL. Rangers have another coach and G.M. Fans have to wait to be fired and hope their replacements can get the team back to upper echelon.
What do you expect him to say - 'yeah, our top 6 needs more scoring, the centers are too old, and besides Fox and Gav we have no d to push offense?'It would be funny, we all can see it, but he aint saying it. 🤣
He has to coach most of these guys next season.
They have a boatload of cap room to get some top 6 forward(s) and if they trade trocheck you would think they would get something back to fill the top 6 lack of scoring or another D man to push offense.
1 Cup in 86 years
2048
I don't remember who said it, but the quote about the Knicks and Rangers never winning a championship while Dolan owns them grows truer every day.
Can't imagine what they've been seeing if they think there's no problem with the top 6.
What do you expect him to say - 'yeah, our top 6 needs more scoring, the centers are too old, and besides Fox and Gav we have no d to push offense?'It would be funny, we all can see it, but he aint saying it. 🤣
He has to coach most of these guys next season.
They have a boatload of cap room to get some top 6 forward(s) and if they trade trocheck you would think they would get something back to fill the top 6 lack of scoring or another D man to push offense.
He could say what everyone knows, except for him. The Rangers do not have a group of top 6 forwards to compete with the top teams in the NHL. Lafreniere, Zibanejad, and Perreault is not a number one NHL line, a pretty good number 2 but no 1. Rangers need a complete top line.
This for sureI don't remember who said it, but the quote about the Knicks and Rangers never winning a championship while Dolan owns them grows truer every day.
come on, they know, they just learned its better to go with cliches rather than the truth after getting rid of Trouba and BGoodrowCan't imagine what they've been seeing if they think there's no problem with the top 6.
1 Cup in 86 years
2048
He could say what everyone knows, except for him.
He could, but what does he gain?
The Rangers do not have a group of top 6 forwards to compete with the top teams in the NHL. Lafreniere, Zibanejad, and Perreault is not a number one NHL line, a pretty good number 2 but no 1. Rangers need a complete top line.
yup
1 Cup in 86 years
2048
Drury doing his interview by zoom apparently, no ability for media to question his answers. This gem answer. “ I’m not commenting on failed draft picks I’m not responsible for. Since Sept 2015 Director of player development. Sept. 2016 Asst. G.M. He must have forgot about Sean Day, Lias Anderson, Kravstov, and Othmann.
I'm sure he'll say (a) he wasn't involved in those decisions or (b) he was only following orders.Drury doing his interview by zoom apparently, no ability for media to question his answers. This gem answer. “ I’m not commenting on failed draft picks I’m not responsible for. Since Sept 2015 Director of player development. Sept. 2016 Asst. G.M. He must have forgot about Sean Day, Lias Anderson, Kravstov, and Othmann.
I'm sure he'll say (a) he wasn't involved in those decisions or (b) he was only following orders.Drury doing his interview by zoom apparently, no ability for media to question his answers. This gem answer. “ I’m not commenting on failed draft picks I’m not responsible for. Since Sept 2015 Director of player development. Sept. 2016 Asst. G.M. He must have forgot about Sean Day, Lias Anderson, Kravstov, and Othmann.
Of course.
Since we are not in the draft/scouting room, the GM at the time gets all the credit, both good and bad.I'm sure he'll say (a) he wasn't involved in those decisions or (b) he was only following orders.Drury doing his interview by zoom apparently, no ability for media to question his answers. This gem answer. “ I’m not commenting on failed draft picks I’m not responsible for. Since Sept 2015 Director of player development. Sept. 2016 Asst. G.M. He must have forgot about Sean Day, Lias Anderson, Kravstov, and Othmann.
Of course.
Sean Day was a 3rd round pick. Not sure why he gets a mention.
1 Cup in 86 years
2048
Drury was in the room and had his say. He was Asst. G.M. It’s how it works, if you’re in that room you have an opinion, or you’re not there. More of his excuses.
Good article by Vince
There are a few dates on the NHL calendar when my inbox and social notifications fill with versions of the same questions from New York Rangers fans.
“When is Chris Drury talking?” and “Where can I watch it?”
My responses are generally, “I’m not sure yet,” and, “Nowhere, unfortunately.”
While front-office executives across the league typically schedule face-to-face media availabilities around notable events — trade deadline, draft and end of season, as a few examples — Drury is the only general manager who doesn’t regularly hold solo, in-person news conferences. The last one came in September 2023, with Drury’s only other appearances taking place in NHL-mandated group settings and occasionally alongside his team’s coach.
The norm during Drury’s tenure, which will soon hit the five-year mark, has been gate-kept Zoom calls capped between 10 and 15 minutes and never broadcast to the public. Video is turned off, and reporters in attendance are muted until they are called upon to ask a question — after which a meeting host promptly mutes them again.
It was the same story on Friday. Drury declined a request from the New York chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to speak in person, then spent 14 minutes evading the topics fans care about.
Regarding the next steps in the Rangers’ self-proclaimed retool, Drury dodged the question by saying it was still “so raw and so new” — even though it’s been over three months since he announced those intentions in a Jan. 16 letter to season-ticket holders. He declined to discuss how close New York is to reaching the playoffs again (“I’m not going to get into the timelines”); what went wrong with past draft picks that didn’t pan out (“It’s hard to say”); and whether he’s planning any additional changes to scouting and player development staffs with spotty track records (“We’re looking at every department”). When asked about the Rangers’ top offseason needs, Drury deferred to earlier comments from coach Mike Sullivan.
Avoiding these questions places an undue burden on Sullivan and the players. As they are required to speak to the media daily, they often must address decisions made above their heads. That culture of secrecy permeates every facet of the organization, with team employees nervous to do or say anything that might jeopardize their jobs.
A lack of transparency doesn’t seem to be frowned upon in the Madison Square Garden universe: Leon Rose, president of the fellow MSG-owned New York Knicks, hasn’t addressed the media since September 2021. At least Drury speaks a few times a year, but the Knicks have made the NBA postseason for four consecutive years. The Rangers, on the other hand, have missed the Stanley Cup playoffs twice in a row, including a dismal last-place finish in the Eastern Conference this season. That should turn up the accountability meter a few notches.
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Instead, the Rangers feigned transparency by issuing Drury’s “retool” letter. “The intent was to communicate with our fans,” he said Friday, but one vaguely worded statement doesn’t answer all of their questions about what to expect in the coming seasons. How can people have faith in the process if they don’t know what it entails?
If the goal is to communicate with fans, the open forum of a news conference would offer a chance to speak directly to them. They want to see and hear it for themselves — and in the age of streaming services and social media, the reach can be enormous. MSG has its own television network, for goodness’ sake.
An in-person setting would allow for follow-up questions and organic conversation. Conversely, I’d describe the current setup as robotic and impersonal — and extremely guarded. The limited access has allowed Drury to take the path of saying very little. The level of substance that comes out of these Zooms is minuscule.
New Yorkers are as passionate and engaged as they come, and they’re smart enough to understand nuance. Most can respect an executive who doesn’t want to show all their cards, but addressing past mistakes and laying out future goals doesn’t require revealing state secrets.
I often remind myself not to take things too seriously in this profession — we’re covering pro sports, not the Pentagon, after all. But I consider it my responsibility to serve as a sounding board for readers, stay attuned to their concerns, and ask fair questions that they want answered.
Ultimately, this isn’t about the prerogative of any individual executive, or about appeasing journalists who want information. It’s about doing right by the people who buy tickets and merchandise and various subscriptions that allow all of us — athletes, team staffers and reporters alike — to have these privileged careers. Maintaining open dialogue is the best way to earn the trust and understanding of those who make these dream jobs possible.
Maybe fans care less about this than I think they do, but my impression is that it matters to many of them and will be harder to brush aside as a nonissue if the losses continue to mount. Everyone appreciates transparency, which is a lesson Drury and the Rangers should take to heart at a time when confidence in the organization is eroding.
I read the article by VM and yes, Drury is a public speaking disaster delivering nothing to the reporters and by extension, we the fans. But, he only answers to Dolan and there is the problem. Dolan agrees with Drury's behavior towards the press. Until Dolan sells/leaves/retires or we stop paying for seats and stop watching MSG so the ratings go down, nothing will change. It sucks.
I will say that the NYR hockey that I watched after the Olympics and with the return of Fox and Igor gave me some hope. We shall see what happens.
1 Cup in 86 years
2048
As we have seen with regard to the Knicks, The Dolt does not have a good relationship with the press (and I do believe he harbors major resentments against them).I read the article by VM and yes, Drury is a public speaking disaster delivering nothing to the reporters and by extension, we the fans. But, he only answers to Dolan and there is the problem. Dolan agrees with Drury's behavior towards the press. Until Dolan sells/leaves/retires or we stop paying for seats and stop watching MSG so the ratings go down, nothing will change. It sucks.
I will say that the NYR hockey that I watched after the Olympics and with the return of Fox and Igor gave me some hope. We shall see what happens.
It's a shame that fan approval or disapproval has been removed from the sports equation. I vividly recall when actions of fans could affect and/or influence ownership/management. Not today...Dolan is sitting pretty: fans have been priced out of the arena in favor of corporate sponsors; I could be wrong here, but I think viewership of MSG going down affects the cable company rather than Dolan.
But you are correct that things will be status quo as long as The Dolt owns them.
Some of the Rangers played pretty well towards the end of the season... Which doesn't mean a damn thing, other than perhaps kept their trade value from bottoming out. We need players who can get it done when it matters not a bunch of weak has beens who show up after the Rangers were eliminated. That includes Adam Box...I don't care how well he played while he was in the lineup... he is damaged and weak to begin with and cannot play against tough competition defensively.Trade them all.
If they need me to bleed, then I'll bleed for my team
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