I am trying something different. I have written two open letters to New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury regarding the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline on Friday, March 8th.
In part one, which is written below, I tell Chris Drury to stand pat. I try to convince him that he has the right pieces to win the Stanley Cup and that he should not do anything to disrupt the team’s chemistry like last season.
Does the letter below mean I feel this way? No.
I just wanted to try something different for you folks. I hope you enjoy the first of two pieces!
Related Post: An Open Letter to Rangers General Manager Cris Drury: Part II – Make a Move Or Two
Mr. Drury,
Good morning! With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, I figured that now would be as good a time as ever to reach out to you.
With your team still sitting in first place in the Metropolitan Division, third place in the Eastern Conference, and eighth in the league, I implore you to stay the course. Despite what your team’s fans are saying, the roster that you have now is good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup.
For starters, you have one of the league’s best players, Artemi Panarin, playing like a man possessed. Yes, he was not good in last year’s postseason, but given the way he has played this season and the adjustments he made in the offseason, there is reason to believe that his play in this year’s playoffs could lift your club to new heights.
Secondly, it should be noted that while it is very unfortunate regarding what happened to Filip Chytil, your team has done just fine without him. All-Star Vincent Trocheck took his spot on your club’s second line with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, and in doing so, that line has been your team’s best by a wide margin.
Related Post: As the Trade Deadline Looms, Ranger Fans Try to Read the Tea Leaves
You must also believe that Mika Zibanejad will turn his game around in a big way. Everyone is aware that he has been struggling since the start of the new year, but once he gets his game back on track, the rest of the team will follow suit.
It would also be smart for you to think about what you did last season just before the deadline when you acquired All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko and future Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Kane. While it was a solid idea at the time, these moves disrupted the chemistry of the club, especially when it came to the move for Kane.
Lastly, you have a coach in Peter Laviolette who knows what it takes to win a Cup. He will make the right adjustments, press the right buttons, and implement the right style of play to get your team playing its best brand of hockey at the most important time of the year.
Temptation is everywhere at the deadline. Please do everything in your power to resist any ideas that might come to your head.
Trust that the team you have will get it done.
Sincerely,
Patrick Hoffman
4 Nations Break – Ranting Rangers: A New York Rangers Podcast
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
This team does not have the horses as is. If you can get Henrique at the right price without giving too much, fine but don’t leverage away assets. Please someone pay attention to player development and scouting as first round selection record is embarrassing. Lias Anderson, Vitali Kravtsov, both single digit selections neither even in the league anymore although not as catastrophically bad selections as the Hugh Jessiman disaster. ( I digress, different regime altogether). Point being, Drury does have a good nose for pieces available for the right value (Motte, Vatrano, Copp, Wheeler, Gustafsson) and despite not getting the desired outcome the Kane pick up was virtually painless and Tarasenko was a gamble with too much upside to pass on.
Before you trade Kaapo Kakko ask yourself what the stats of anyone you would trade for were at age 22? Then ask yourself if there is a better future upside with Kakko. His next contract should not break the salary cap bank.
Agreed, while his production is way below expectation he’s also only 22, not carrying a huge contract and let’s face it we are all hoping he can develop significantly. Don’t sell unless the return is significant. To miss on the #2 overall pick….. might as well hold and hope.
Don’t hold your breath The rangers will trade Kappo part the future get back little in return and be struggling just like they always have Ita the Rangers destiny not to win another cup for twenty years I think that will make 54! Been watching them suffer for 60 years.
Kaapo Kakko brings a lot to the table. The Rangers are a much sturdier team with him in the lineup; it’s not all about numbers, he plays a top notch 2 way game and to give up on a #2 pick just because he’s not setting the world on fire by age 22 would be insane.