Blueshirt Banter New Year's Resolution Roundtable

New year, new you. That's how it's supposed to work anyway, right?

Here at Blueshirt Banter, we're taking a moment to reflect on the givings and misgivings of being a New York Rangers fan. As of late, it takes a special kind of person to choose to watch this team night after night.

So, with the new year already here, we're looking toward the future and adopting a resolution to affect our experience as a Rangers fan, for better or for worse.

What Is Your Personal New Year Resolution as a New York Rangers Fan?

Joe Fortunato: I suppose to have patience for the rest of the year ... then strike with a vengeance. I have been a very vocal supporter (or, at least ,understander) of Chris Drury. I have also, of late, admitted that things really do look like the plan was to get a superstar in free agency this summer, and now no one knows what to do. That said, there's no way it was the only plan. And thus, patience. Drury has this year to fix what this team is and where it's going now. If he can't figure it out, then I will come at him with the explosion of a thousand supernovas.

Eric Kohn: I'm going to echo Joe here and say, patience and perspective. This is partly because I just don't think impotent rage is all that helpful. Look, I don't like where the Rangers are right now anymore than the rest of you. What just a few years ago looked like a team on the rise, with two Eastern Conference Final appearances in three seasons under their belts, now looks like a team that's completely stalled out. That's boring. You're not getting out of that morass overnight. That's the patience part.

The perspective part is one I think is important for everyone to keep in mind: Straight-line projections are easy to make, for what should be fairly obvious reasons. But they're almost always wrong. Because the affairs of humans hardly ever play out in straight lines. We don't know the who the next star player is who will grow dissatisfied with their current situation and demand a trade. We don't know which player will finally realize that, with the free agent markets in future summers looking bleak and bare, he could land an enormous contract just by deciding to test the waters. Perspective is recognizing that there are unknown unknowns. In that lies opportunity. From there, it just needs to be seized.

Snark Messier: For the remainder of 2026, I plan to expect less and find more joy. Like everyone here, I love the New York Rangers. I want them to succeed every season and raise multiple Stanley Cups. Realistically, though, that isn't happening anytime soon. So, I'm choosing to reset my expectations and take pleasure in the smaller moments—the good shifts, the young players developing (kidding!), and the little wins that may take place on the ice night after night.

Chip23: Acceptance over anger. Look, the Rangers are what they are. They're the same team they've been for 30 years across multiple coaches, general managers, and player groups. They're not changing soon. At this point, the best that we can hope for is that an elite goalie steals them a few rounds in the playoffs and, with a little (okay, a lot of) luck, they get to a Cup final. It's not impossible; just improbable.

Chris Feldman: I'm unsure if this is really considered a resolution, but I'm officially starting the timer on Chris Drury. I'm not suggesting he's going to be fired, and I'm not even sure I see that as a productive response to anything, but the Rangers need to make a move. Any move. This team is dreadfully boring to watch and are proving they aren't a good enough team as currently constructed. It can't go on like this, and Drury needs to do something. So, I'm starting that metaphorical timer on Jan. 1, 2026. The longer we go without any notable change, the more impatient I get. This second half of this season is going to be a make or break moment for the Rangers' general manager.

Roberto Solis-Byxbee: My resolution is a simple one: stop egging Phil on about Conor Sheary. Okay, in all seriousness, I am going to try and be more positive. It’s easy to lose my way in the negativity surrounding this team right now, so I’m going to choose to find a way to enjoy this and stay in the moment.

Charlie Vidal: Take solace in the fact that despite how maddening this team is to watch, we still get to watch Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin. The New York Rangers are not contending for anything other than a wild card spot and early exist as currently constructed, so I will begrudgingly reset my expectations for this team lower. The team is what it is, and instead of complaining that JT Miller looks washed up, Alexis Lafreniere hasn’t turned out to be the generational talent that he was touted as, and the rest of the team is mostly a collection of depth pieces, I’ll appreciate the brilliance of Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin as they drag this sorry roster from being a bottom feeder to being merely mediocre.

If You Were Chris Drury, What Would Your Resolution for This Team Be?

Joe Fortunato: Be honest with themselves. Who is worth keeping? Who is worth trading–even if it's emotionally hard. Who needs to be thought of as a long-term piece, and who needs to have the clock ticking on them? Let's be real about what is worth sticking with and what isn't. It's one of the only ways to truly fix this mess. Let's also be honest about what this team is, why the organization is in the position they are, and resolve to fix it. Keep draft picks, focus on re-stocking the cupboard, and be patient.

Eric Kohn: If you listened to the latest episode of Blueshirt Bandwidth, you already know my answer here: No more half measures, Chris. While many bleat on about the moves Drury has made being the primary exhibits for the prosecution in the case against him, my attention is on what wasn't done. The one case of a player who would've/could've been a real difference maker for the Rangers, and whom we know was on the trade block and that the Rangers were in on, was Jake Guentzel. The cost would have been in the realm of "hard to stomach, unless you win the Cup." We would have hated watching Gabe Perreault put up a point per game playing with Sidney Crosby. But this was the move to have made. There's no guarantee that Guentzel would have been enough to overcome Florida (or Edmonton, if they got past Florida), and there's no guarantee that he would have resigned after the season, but it would have made a difference. This is the lesson to be learned here: No more half measures. Take the swing.

Snark Messier: "Restore homeostasis." In other words, Chris Drury and the New York Rangers must take the necessary steps to restore their environment to balance. Chris Drury has the head coach he wanted in Mike Sullivan, has his franchise goaltender in Igor Shesterkin, and will also have an estimated $30 million in cap space this offseason. It's time to stop giving out PTO's to the likes of Andrej Sustr and Conor Sheary, and handing out contracts to players like Matt Rempe, and get serious about actually filling the holes in this team's roster. And, working towards building a team that doesn't just make the playoffs, but is also the team left standing in mid-to-late June.

Chip23:

Chris Feldman: To make Artemi Panarin's no-movement clause disappear and pull off a real Drury masterclass.

Roberto Solis-Byxbee: Accept the ceiling of this team and embrace selling. As easy as it sounds, I don’t anticipate it being realistic.

Charlie Vidal: Get out of the “murky middle” as quickly as possible. The rumor is that James Dolan wants the Rangers to acquire a “superstar,” but I’m not sure how that will happen anytime soon. Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin are great foundational pieces, but in order to build a contending team around them before their primes’ pass without getting out of the Eastern Conference Final, Drury has to take on some short-term pain. This means trading anybody over the age of 30 without a no-movement clause who still has value, including Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Sam Carrick, and Carson Soucy, if you don’t intend to extend him.

What Would Your First Move in the New Year Be for the New York Rangers?

Joe Fortunato: Trading Vincent Trocheck. The market is red-hot, the guy is an Olympian, and centers are at a premium in the current market. I know he's J.T. Miller's best friend. I know this would rock the locker room. But I also know that the window to move him is probably closing faster than anyone wants to admit, and with the state of the organization right now they can't pass up this opportunity. It also gets them out of another longer contract with an older player. It doesn't need to be done in January, but if I'm managing the team, that's where my head is at.

Eric Kohn: Drink. Heavily. But then, if I'm Drury, I sell James Dolan on a "quick retool" that starts with moving out Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck for as much as you can get back and begin restocking the cupboard with draft picks and young talent that, at least would be what you needed to bring in a marquee name, if they don't become the future themselves.

Snark Messier: Where do I start? The first move that I would make is to gauge interest in Urho Vaakanainen. Vaakanainen, who received a two-year deal from the Rangers almost a year ago, has played only 19 games this season and carries a cap hit of $1.55 million. If he's not going to see the ice, there's no reason they should continue to pay him.

I'd also look to move Brennan Othmann, as well, seeing as after five rookie camps with the Rangers, and 31 games played in the NHL, and time spent on lines with the likes of Panarin, Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad, he can't stick in the NHL. Othmann, who at one point was the most coveted prospect, has yet to make any meaningful contributions, has not once put the puck in the back of the net, and appears to be deeper in his own head than his basal ganglia (look it up). It may even be beneficial to package Vaakanainen and Othmann together with a draft pick and see if there isn't a team willing to bite.

From there, I'd probably start engaging in talks with Artemi Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous, to better understand what Panarin is looking for down the road. I've said it before, and it's worth repeating: Moving Artemi Panarin to a contender may yield quite the return for the Rangers. And doubling down and attaching themselves to a player who will be in his mid-3os at the start of next season, while on-brand, would be a bad decision for a team that appears to be headed towards yet another "rebuild."

The only other thing left to do at this point would be to trade Braden Schneider, which is bound to happen sooner or later. Personally, I think he'd fit in well with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In actuality, the Rangers will likely do nothing of substance, make between one and three AHL-based trades at or around the trade deadline, and miss the playoffs by less than five points.

Chip23: First move? Waive Matt Rempe. Look, it's not the biggest thing, but the fact is that the Rangers cap situation has them playing Justin Dowling right now. You cannot tie up money in Rempe if he is playing five minutes a night. Waive him and give yourself some cap space to recall better players from Hartford.

Chris Feldman: I know I made the argument for extending him, but selling Carson Soucy seems like the best first move for this team to make. I have no insight on how well Soucy is perceived in that locker room, but if you move him for a second or third round pick, it sends a message to the team that they aren't good enough to be worth buying for. And until they show otherwise, changes are going to continue to occur. If you move on from Soucy, Schneider could play the left and Scott Morrow could remain with the big club on the third pair. Until, of course, Schneider gets dealt, too.

Roberto Solis-Byxbee: Sending Artemi Panarin to the highest bidder possible. I’ve been saying this for a couple of years now and I know it’s looking less and less likely, but if I were Chris Drury, I’d find a way to do this and jumpstart the rebuild.

Charlie Vidal: Vincent Trocheck is so valued by other NHL GMs that he was selected for Team USA over Jason Robertson, who is fourth in the league in goals as I write this. I struggle to see how Trocheck will be a key piece if and/or when the Rangers are ready to contend again, so you might as well get assets in the form of picks or prospects for him now.

Through 41 Games, Who Is the Team MVP?

Joe Fortunato: Mike Sullivan. This would be a six win team under any of the previous five coaches the organization has employed. Sullivan has brought accountability, systems that are replicable and competent, and the leadership this organization has lacked for decades.

Eric Kohn: There are a few good candidates, even on a team that has underachieved (or, fully achieved their mediocre ceiling, depending on how you want to look at it) as much as the Rangers so far this season. But, I'm going with Sam Carrick. Can a fourth line center be your team MVP? In a season where the top six has looked like the Cursed Earth and where the Rangers are closer to the draft lottery than to the playoffs, I'm going with the guy who has the most give-a-shit of anyone on the team. Carrick works hard. He's always engaged. He's is the first guy to jump in to defend his teammates when necessary. And beyond that, his play is everything you want from someone in his role. To paraphrase and adapt Ara Parseghian from the classic film Rudy, "I wish God would put Sam Carrick's heart in some other Rangers players bodies." (Looking at you, J.T. Miller.)

Snark Messier: Jonathan Quick. In terms of goaltenders with at least ten starts, Quick ranks second behind Jesper Wallstedt in save percentage (.924 percent), and he ranks third behind both Mackenzie Blackwood and Brandon Bussi in goals against average at 2.11. Quick ranks tenth in the NHL in goals saved above expected per 60 with 0.895, and seventh in percentage of goals saved above average (29.72 percent). This season, Quick holds a record of 3-6-1, and in those six losses, the Rangers have been outscored by a total of 20-9. On top of the aforementioned, it's also important to remember that Jonathan Quick will turn 40 later this month, and for all intents and purposes, still plays in a manner that would make the uninitiated think he was in his early 30's.

Chip23: Adam Fox. He has been one of the most effective players in the National Hockey League this season, and their power play completely went to shit when Fox was out. I know, I know, devastating for the haters.

Chris Feldman: The answer has to be Vladislav Gavrikov. Without him, the defense falls apart and the rest of the team is an even bigger disaster than they already are. I mean, just imagine how those D-pairs would have looked with Adam Fox hurt and no Gavrikov in the equation. That's a world in which Matthew Robertson becomes the teams most dynamic defenseman by default.

Roberto Solis-Byxbee: I’m aligning with Chris here, Vladislav Gavrikov has been just as advertised. Better than advertised even. On a year where the team looks mediocre, I shudder to think of where they’d be without him.

Charlie Vidal: Adam Fox is by far the best and most valuable player on the Rangers. The difference in how they play when he is and is not on the ice is huge, both at 5v5 and on the power play. Unfortunately, he hasn’t actually been in the lineup enough to be all that valuable for the Rangers so far this season. So instead of overthinking this award and giving it to the player who has most outperformed expectations, I’ll just give it to the goalie who has saved the third most goals above expected in the NHL this season (per EvolvingHockey): Igor Shesterkin.

Happy New Year from all of us here at Blueshirt Banter!