Since the season ended, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury removed chunks of salary off the books and infused a stale prospect pool with coveted talent and promising upside, all while redesigning the defense corps and adding a young premier scoring threat in the NHL.
While the aggressive nature of the moves was necessary to undo some setbacks, the Rangers have navigated this offseason like a team that intends to compete next season.
In a true rebuild, the three first-round picks Drury shipped off since the start of the offseason would be valued at a premium.
But haven’t you heard? This is a retool.
“My philosophy and our philosophy was if [a first-round pick] for the right player or players, that are at the right age with the right contract that can help our lineup — not just in the [next] year or two but for a number of years down the road — it would be worth it,” Drury said on a Zoom call Thursday afternoon.
“We were also able to acquire at the deadline a first-round pick that’s closer to playing, turning pro this year, in [Liam] Greentree. A little later pick in [Jacob] Battaglia and obviously Cole [Beaudoin on Wednesday] is a former first-round pick, so we felt we plugged some holes with not only real players to put on our roster that can play key roles, but also added some other picks and actual draft picks and actual prospects in those players I mentioned.”
While they might not make those selections, the Rangers acquired former first-rounders who are much closer to being NHL-ready than any future draft pick likely would be.
Plus, two of three picks are top 10 protected thanks to conditions Drury implemented. If either of the next two seasons go down the drain again, the Rangers — who still have their own firsts in 2027 and 2029 — won’t be hindered further by missing out on a high pick.
Drury turned the Rangers’ No. 26 pick in last weekend’s draft and a top 10 protected 2028 first-rounder into 30-plus-goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev. He also bolstered the blue line by sending a top 10 protected first-rounder in 2030 to Vancouver for top four defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
“Certainly not going to sit here and say the job’s done and complete and move on,” Drury said. “We’re still tinkering, still looking, and any which way we can help the team between now and Opening Night, we’re going to keep trying.”
Deflecting a direct question about how the influx of moves impacts Braden Schneider’s status, Drury showered the 24-year-old defenseman with praise but wouldn’t say whether he would stick around.
It’s possible the changes to the blue line open the door for Schneider to remain here in his usual bottom-pair role. As The Post previously reported, Drury is only looking to trade Schneider if a comparable player/contract is coming back.
Drury acknowledged that reshaping the defense corps was a priority this offseason, noting that he worked to add players who would inject puck-moving ability, cleaner zone exits and stronger neutral zone play into the lineup.
As for No. 5 pick Alberts Smits, who is heading home to Latvia for a bit before he returns to train in New York later this summer, Drury sounded extremely encouraged by what the big-bodied defenseman could be.
“Well, there’s not too many kids his age drafted who have played in two different men’s pro leagues, Olympics, World Championships,” Drury said. “Certainly isn’t getting in bigger stages than those events he participated in. We’re excited where we got him. … But with that said, we’re going to do right by him and the long-term health and well-being of him as a Ranger.
“This is not a sprint for him. We hope he’s a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years. We’re not going to put him in positions or situations that he can’t handle.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
