Rangers fans show little confidence in Chris Drury, front office: poll

New York Rangers fans appear to be lacking confidence in general manager Chris Drury heading into the 2024-25 season. Despite three straight 100-point seasons, and reaching the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three with Drury as GM, the Rangers front office ranks 17th in fan confidence, per a poll conducted by The Athletic .

Despite that recent success, including winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season, it’s clear the Rangers Faithful has higher goals and is not all-in on current Rangers management leading this team to the Stanley Cup. For a fan base that has seen one Stanley Cup in the past 84 years, anything short of a championship is looked at as a failure.

It’s a tough spot to be in for Drury, to say the least.

Despite being one of the top teams in the NHL, the Rangers received an overall C+ grade from fans in The Athletic poll. Fans were most upset about New York’s drafting and developing prospects under Drury. The Blueshirts received a D+ grade in that area.

The Rangers front office also received C- grades in salary cap management and trades.

“The cap management grade feels extra perplexing given the team’s current spending,” Dom Luszczyszyn wrote. “Sure, the Jacob Trouba deal isn’t great, but other teams have it far worse. If that’s truly the only bad deal on a cap sheet that includes incredible deals for Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider maybe it’s time to start focusing more on all the good rather than the few weak spots.”

When it comes to the overall state of the team, there are a few reasons as to why Ranger fans may not be thrilled. For starters, Drury was one of the more quiet GMs on July 1 in free agency because the Rangers lacked salary-cap space. While big names flew off the board left and right, Drury could only sign fourth-line center Sam Carrick and trade for forward Reilly Smith. Meanwhile, rivals like the New Jersey Devils made some big-time moves to improve their roster.

The Devils failed to make the playoffs last season, and they are ranked seventh in fan confidence, 10 spots higher than the Rangers. The moves made in the offseason to bring in Jacob Markstrom. Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and others, provided their fan base hope, something that Ranger fans appear to be lacking at the moment. This despite the fact that the Rangers finished 33 points ahead of the Devils last season.

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

Rangers front office receives C+ overall grade in fan poll

It should be noted that the Rangers graded much higher when counting votes from fans of other NHL teams. For instance, the Rangers received an A- grade in roster building and nothing lower than a B- in the poll of all NHL fans.

But Rangers fans graded much more harshly. The Rangers received their highest grade in roster building from their own fan base, but that still was only a C.

Aside from Drury, many Ranger fans are starting to doubt the core of the team. Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Fox and Igor Shesterkin, have had great regular-season success. When it comes to the playoffs, some of them have developed a tendency to disappear when it matters most, though that’s most certainly not the case for Shesterkin. It is hard for Ranger fans to picture a playoff run ending with celebration when this is the case, though.

When star players fail to get the job done, fan confidence plummets. Take the Toronto Maple Leafs for example. They have a very solid group, and a very skilled core of players in Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, etc. Even still, they are ranked 30th in fan confidence, likely because of consistent first-round exits in the playoffs. Only the Los Angeles Kings at 31 and the New York Islanders at 32 are ranked lower than the Maple Leafs.

Among the teams leading the way in fan confidence, the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers sit at No. 1. They have been a dominant team for several years now, and are looking to defend their title in the upcoming season. The Dallas Stars sit No. 2, as they have been successful for quite some time in the Western Conference. Despite not winning a Stanley Cup, their fans believe GM Jim Nill and the Stars front office are doing right by the organization.

Surprisingly, the Utah Hockey Club ranks fourth in fan confidence. The core group of players that came over from Arizona have flashed some, and Utah made some big moves this offseason in free agency. A fresh start with a new franchise has fans budding with confidence.

For the Rangers, there is a lot riding on this season. Once again, it appears to be Cup or bust for this core group of players, and maybe for Drury as well. After a quiet offseason, Drury should be primed to make a splash before the 2025 trade deadline, should the Rangers be in a position to make a deep playoff run like last year.

But right now, it appears to be 50/50 if the Rangers fans believe Drury and Co. can get the job done to their satisfaction.

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