Opinion: A Quick Analysis of The New York Rangers

Going into the offseason, it was clear that New York Rangers General Manager Chris Drury had to make a lot tough decisions and changes.

After being the best team in the league in the 2023-24 season, the Blueshirts missed the Stanley Cup playoffs in convincing fashion last season. They were inconsistent all year long and seemed to have a lot of trouble focusing on doing what they needed to do in order to win hockey games.

Drury has already been plenty busy doing what he can to make this team better not only for the upcoming season, but well beyond. Let’s take a look at what he has done so far this offseason.

Firing Peter Laviolette and Hiring Mike Sullivan
The first shoe to drop was the firing of head coach Peter Laviolette. Laviolette was a big part of why the Rangers were so good in 2023-24, but he could not seem to recapture the magic this past season.

To replace Laviolette, Drury went out and hired two-time Cup winning head coach Mike Sullivan. It is believed that Sullivan, who last coached for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is the guy that Drury has wanted all along, so now that he has his man, it will be interesting to see how much of a shelf life Sullivan will be given.

Trading Chris Kreider
The Blueshirts then traded Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks for a prospect and draft picks. There is no doubt that this move stings as Kreider was a very loyal and productive Ranger for 13 years.

With that said, it was clear that Kreider’s game had slowed due to various injuries and that he could not contribute the offense that the team needed for him. His inconsistent and injury-riddled play last season greatly impacted his best friend and teammate Mika Zibanejad and while there is no doubt that Zibanejad will miss Kreider, there is a chance that he might be able to find the form that allowed him to put up a high amount of points on a consistent basis.

Signing UFA Defenseman Vladislav Gravikov
Then came July 1, the first day of free agency. The first big move that Drury made was signing unrestricted free agent defenseman Vladislav Gravikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract.

Gravikov, 29, had a terrific season with the Los Angeles Kings this past year as he had 30 points (five goals and 25 assists), played in all 82 games, and finished high up on a lot of team-related categories. He is a smart defenseman who blocks a lot of shots, eats up a ton of ice time, and is smart with the puck.

Trading K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes
Speaking of being smart with the puck, the Rangers traded defenseman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2026 first- and second-round pick while also getting defenseman Scott Morrow, who was a highly-touted prospect with the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes then signed Miller to an eight-year deal worth $60 million.

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to Miller. Offensively, Miller was a standout for someone whose primary position is defense. In five seasons with the Rangers, he had 132 points (36 goals and 96 assists) in 368 games while also being a +/- + 49 and averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Miller is a defenseman who has a great shot, uses his speed to drive towards the net, and can be creative with the puck. When he was on his game, that is the Miller that Rangers and their fan saw more often than not.

On the other hand, Miller struggled playing on the other side of the puck. He constantly coughed up pucks, made dangerous passes in his own zone, and looked lost in front of the net.

It was easy for Drury to trade Miller after he signed Gavrikov. Drury and the team’s brass believe that Gavrikov will be a much better version of Miller in the long run.

Extending Will Cuylle
One of the team’s best players last season was Will Cuylle. Cuylle, 23, finished with 45 points (20 goals and 25 assists) this past season and was easily the team’s most consistent player in terms of effort.

Drury rewarded Cuylle with a two-year contract extension worth $7.8 million. While the Rangers and their fans probably hoped for a longer-term deal, this one is certainly more than palatable and one that might end up looking like a steal.

Cuylle is a player who works hard every night, plays a physical brand of hockey, can chip in offensively, and sticks up for his teammates. Last season, he was third in the league with 301 hits and on a team that had a lot of offensive talent, his +/- +12 lead the club.

This is a player who has the potential to become a career Ranger. It is up to Cuylle to continue to taking positive steps forward and it is up to the Blueshirts brass to show him that how much they value him come the end of this deal.

What Else Does Drury Have in Store This Offseason?
There is no doubt that Drury is not done when it comes to trying to make this club better heading into next season. The team still needs at least one other defenseman and it would not hurt for the team to add offensive depth.

Let’s see what Drury does moving forward to get the fans back on his side.