Rangers GM’s legacy could be determined by 2025 NHL trade deadline

The New York Rangers enter 2024-25 with Stanley Cup aspirations after finishing with the League’s best record last season. Falling two wins shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Final in the postseason, there’s no doubt what the mandate is this season with the Rangers not having won the Cup since 1994.

Yet, the Rangers will enter training camp with largely the same roster as the one that fell short in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. General manager Chris Drury was hamstrung by the salary cap and unable to free up extra space by trading his $8 million per season captain Jacob Trouba.

So, it was more cost effective to trade for Reilly Smith as an option to play right wing alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider than to jump into the free-agent market for a sexier addition.

Since Drury took over as GM on May 5, 2021, following the dismissal of Jeff Gordon and team president John Davidson, the Rangers have had three straight 100-point seasons, including a franchise record 114 points in 2023-24. In addition, the Blueshirts have reached the Eastern Conference Final twice in that span, last season and in 2022.

So, Drury is doing something right as general manager. That doesn’t mean he’s not under immense pressure this season.

Related: What Rangers best-case scenario could be with Brennan Othmann in training camp

Rangers have made big strides with Chris Drury as GM

Drury’s three years at the helm have certainly come with a mixed bag of successes and disappointments. At his first trade deadline, Drury traded for forwards Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano and Tyler Motte and defenseman Justin Braun. Each of these players played key roles for the Rangers and were instrumental in the team’s unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Final. That was especially so of Copp and Vatrano, the latter of whom fit in well next to Zibanejad and Kreider.

In free agency, Drury’s best move arguably in his entire tenure as GM was signing Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract calling that pays $5.625 million annually. Trocheck has flourished on Broadway as a leader both on and off the ice, winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 2023-24.

Last season, Trocheck played in the NHL All-Star Game, posted an NHL career-high 77 points and centered a line with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere that was among the best in the NHL. He led the Rangers with 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

While those moves paid off for the Rangers, so did signing Adam Fox to a seven-year, $66.5 million contract ($9.5 million AAV) on Nov. 1, 2021. Fresh off winning the Norris Trophy as top NHL defenseman, but still on his entry-level contract, Fox received this robust extension. In the long run, the deal is aging quite well, further proving what a smart move it was by Drury.

But not all of his moves have been successful. In his first offseason as the key decision maker, Drury faced salary-cap issues and traded Pavel Buchnevich, a restricted free agent due a major raise, to the St. Louis Blues. Buchnevich is a star with St. Louis and forward Sammy Blais was traded back to the Blues after being acquired by the Rangers in the deal.

Worse than Buchnevich’s success and Blais’ failure is that the Rangers have not had a consistent right winger since Buchnevich to play on a line with Kreider and Zibanejad.

And it didn’t quite work in 2023 when Drury went big, trading for veterans Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. Despite adding four Stanley Cup rings to the room, the Rangers lost in the first-round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils.

Related: Rangers missed out on this bargain NHL free agent

After quiet offseason, Rangers face important decisions ahead of 2025 trade deadline

That the Rangers didn’t make a lot of moves this offseason isn’t worrisome. This is still a very good team with an impressive core of top players . But it’s what Drury does before the 2025 NHL trade deadline that could make or break his legacy as Rangers GM.

With more than half the season to assess what area(s) to improve in order to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, Drury will need to be bold, decisive and on point with whatever moves he makes ahead of the deadline. What he does then is more important than what he did this offseason.

Last season, Drury opted for lower-profile deals when he acquired Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic. Wennberg did fill the third-line center role for the injured Filip Chytil. He was solid defensively and on the penalty kill, but his offensive production was lacking. Roslovic was badly miscast as a top-line right wing option.

So, Drury needs to be better this time around. His home run move needs to be finally finding the correct fit at right wing for Zibanejad and Kreider. That is unless one of Smith, Kaapo Kakko or, perhaps, Brennan Othmann surprisingly emerges there during the season.

Keep an eye on a reunion with Vatrano, who’s become a star with the Anaheim Ducks, is on an affordable contract and can be a UFA in 2025. He played well on the Rangers top line in their 2022 run and could be available ahead of this season’s trade deadline.

The core is not getting younger and with major upcoming decisions regarding contract extensions for Igor Shesterkin, Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller before next offseason, Drury will be under a great deal of pressure. The 2025 trade deadline has the potential to be a tipping point in Drury’s legacy as GM. The upcoming decisions for Drury could ultimately be a deciding factor in how his tenure is viewed.

The drought without a Stanley Cup has reached three decades, leaving the Rangers with one championship in 84 years. Drury will have to make the perfect move(s) to get this Rangers team over the hump.

Smith and the right-wing spot is one area to keep an eye on. Zac Jones playing an everyday role on the third defense pair for the first time in his NHL career is another. Drury could hunt for an upgrade there, perhaps even with an eye on a replacement for Ryan Lindgren, who could depart as an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

No matter the areas addressed, the 2024-25 season will come with immense pressure to finally bring the Stanley Cup back to New York. It is up to Drury to make the right moves that will ultimately determine his lasting legacy with the Rangers.

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