Everybody Hates Chris: Who’s Replacing Drury Down the Line?

At this point, it's obvious that Chris Drury is one of the most hated men in New York.

Whether the New York Rangers win or lose, fans are consistently calling for Chris Drury to be relieved of his duties by James Dolan and the New York Rangers.

In a previous piece on Chris Drury, I noted that I was struggling to blame him for what was a colossal failure in the 2024-25 season. In that same article, I actively declared that Drury needed to nail this past offseason, citing it as a critical time for him and the team.

"The ball is now completely—and undeniably—in Chris Drury's court," I wrote, going on to say that if Drury "flinched for even a second," I would be prepared with both my torch and my pitchfork — proverbially speaking, of course.

Well, here we are in December, and the Rangers are quite the conundrum.

Earlier this month, they were shut out by the Vancouver Canucks, a team of which John Giannone referred to as "cellar dwellers," given the fact that they're currently circling the drain of the NHL. Before that? Not so hot either, folks.

A loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, two deflating overtime losses to both the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, a matinee meltdown against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and, more recently, a loss in Nashville to a rather bad Predators team.

Now, don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been terrible on Broadway.

The Rangers have sprinkled in some poignant victories, and, on the evening of Dec. 7, they found themselves sitting in a wild card spot. However, all of these rapid fluctuations that we've encountered, in many ways, will likely make this an easily forgettable season as time marches on.

Busy Doesn't Always Mean Better

As I noted, the 2025 offseason was supposed to be Chris Drury's proving ground.

With the pressure mounting and the fanbase restless after missing the playoffs, every move would be made under a microscope. On paper, Drury did stay busy—adding a new head coach, handing out contract extensions, and making a team-altering trade.

Sadly, for both the fans and Drury, activity doesn't always equate to progress.

Just under a week after the season ended, Drury inked a multi-year extension. 

The numbers backing that decision look great on a PowerPoint slide—23 playoff wins in 43 games, two trips to the Eastern Conference Final, and a Jim Gregory Award nod. 

But, as we all know, extensions are about the future, not the past, and the Rangers, in many ways have a future that looks murky at best.

On May 2, Drury & Co. hired Mike Sullivan to be their 38th head coach in franchise history. Sullivan brings a championship pedigree—two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh, and the sixth-winningest coach in NHL history. 

As of today, the Rangers are 19-16-4 under Sullivan, so that "championship presence" Chris Drury touted seems to have not yet rubbed off on the team. The same day, Drury signed Jusso Parssinen to a two-year, $2.5 million extension after just 11 games. Parssinen has since been placed on waivers and currently plays for Hartford. Money well spent!

Drury handed out extensions to Matt Rempe, Matthew Robertson, and Adam Edstrom over five days in June. Robertson has been a rather pleasant surprise for the Rangers, with Stephen Valiquette recently calling him the team's best defenseman in December. Edstrom showed promise before another lower-body injury sidelined him, and Rempe, who is fresh off an injury sustained in a fight with Ryan Reaves, has just one point this season, a goal that deflected off his rear-end while he lay face down in the crease.

Drury also signed Conor Sheary to a one-year, two-way deal. Sheary, who is married to Sullivan's niece, has scored one goal since April 2024 and has, against all odds and the collective wishes of the many Rangers’ fans, continued to play top-six minutes.

Nepotism is alive and well at Madison Square Garden, it seems.

Drury also handed out a PTO to Andrej Sustr, who played so little in the preseason that calling it "a cup of coffee" would be generous—more like a sip of water.

The Kreider trade? I no longer possess the mental bandwidth. He's thriving in Anaheim (as is Trouba), and that certainly makes Drury look foolish in the eyes of many fans. 

Read Chris Feldman's piece here if you want the full trade breakdown.

After all these offseason moves, and through what looks to unfortunately be another lackluster season, fans are relentlessly letting it be known they want Drury out. However, when it’s brought up, there’s always a disconnect, as they rarely have an answer for who it is that they’d want to replace him. 

So I decided to put the question to some friends from X and Blueshirt Banter to help fill in the blank.