The Clock Is Ticking: Why Drury Needs To Make a Move Sooner Rather Than Later
This roster isn’t good enough to buy, too flawed to stand pat, and running out of runway. So, what does a realistic Rangers deadline actually look like?
The New York Rangers are currently knocking on the basement door of the Metropolitan Division—three points ahead of last place Columbus, and now 13 points behind the first place Carolina Hurricanes and just six points out of a playoff spot. With Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox both dealing with significant injuries, there’s plenty of reason to not feel confident about what lies ahead for the Blueshirts. The schedule isn’t getting any kinder, the opponents are only growing hungrier for all available points, and to have to navigate that without your two best players is no small challenge.
Let's start by stating the obvious: This team is horrendous. They are 3-7 in their last ten, and are coming off an atrocious afternoon in Boston where they gave up hat tricks to two different Bruins and 10 goals overall, which is just further proof they are not a team worth investing in. A significant part of that is surely owed to the absences of Fox and Shesterkin. But even at full health, this team does not have what it takes to claw their way out of this hole they've dug for themselves. Now 46 games into the season, they have only 46 points in the standings with a record of 20-20-6.
One way or another, Chris Drury needs to start making moves. Buyer, seller, somewhere in-between, the trade deadline is going to sneak up on everyone fast after the Olympic break. And the sooner Drury handles business, the more time it gives the Rangers to make something out of what is currently on track to be another lost season. Playing the waiting game and seeing how things pan out is fine if it indeed lands you in a playoff spot. But as it stands right now, that's purely wishful thinking.
