Struggling New York Rangers will retool, GM Chris Drury says: 'Not a rebuild'
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Struggling New York Rangers will retool, GM Chris Drury says: 'Not a rebuild'
Mike Brehm, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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2 min read
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TheNew York Rangers, less than two years removed from being the league's best regular-season team, are calling for a "retool."
General manager Chris Drury sent out a message to fans on Jan. 16 with the strugglingRangerssitting in last place in the Eastern Conference.
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"With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation," he wrote. "We are not going to stand pat - a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.
"We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed and a winning pedigree with a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward. That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years. These players represented the Rangers with pride and class and will always be a part of our family."
Feb. 24: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick for defenseman Brett Kulak.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
Feb. 4: The Los Angeles Kings acquired left wing Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Liam Greentree and conditional third-round (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.
(Stan Szeto, Imagn Images)
Feb. 4: The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
Jan. 27: The New York Islanders acquired left wing Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
(Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
Jan. 26: The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
Jan. 20: The San Jose Sharks acquire forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks for second-round picks in 2026 and 2027, plus defenseman Cole Clayton.
(Bob Frid, Imagn Images)
Jan. 19: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-rounder in 2028.
(Sergei Belski, Imagn Images)
Jan. 16: The Anaheim Ducks acquire winger Jeffrey Viel from the Boston Bruins for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Anaheim will give up the better of the fourth-rounder previously acquired from Philadelphia and Detroit.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
Jan. 8: The San Jose Sharks acquire goaltender Laurent Brossoit, defenseman Nolan Allan and a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for defensemen Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong and a 2028 fourth-rounder.
(David Kirouac, Imagn Images)
Dec. 29: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2027 third-rounder.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
Dec. 19: The Montreal Canadiens acquire center Phillip Danault, right, from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 second-round pick.
(Marc DesRosiers, Imagn Images)
Dec. 19: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
Dec. 12: The Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
(Simon Fearn, Imagn Images)
Dec. 12: The Edmonton Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
Oct. 24: The Vancouver Canucks acquire forward Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
(Talia Sprague, Imagn Images)
1/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 24: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick for defenseman Brett Kulak.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
1/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 24: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick for defenseman Brett Kulak.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
2/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 4: The Los Angeles Kings acquired left wing Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Liam Greentree and conditional third-round (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.
(Stan Szeto, Imagn Images)
3/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Feb. 4: The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
4/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 27: The New York Islanders acquired left wing Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
(Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
5/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 26: The New York Islanders acquired defenseman Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
6/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 20: The San Jose Sharks acquire forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks for second-round picks in 2026 and 2027, plus defenseman Cole Clayton.
(Bob Frid, Imagn Images)
7/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 19: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-rounder in 2028.
(Sergei Belski, Imagn Images)
8/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 16: The Anaheim Ducks acquire winger Jeffrey Viel from the Boston Bruins for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Anaheim will give up the better of the fourth-rounder previously acquired from Philadelphia and Detroit.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
9/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Jan. 8: The San Jose Sharks acquire goaltender Laurent Brossoit, defenseman Nolan Allan and a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for defensemen Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong and a 2028 fourth-rounder.
(David Kirouac, Imagn Images)
10/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 29: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2027 third-rounder.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
11/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 19: The Montreal Canadiens acquire center Phillip Danault, right, from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 second-round pick.
(Marc DesRosiers, Imagn Images)
12/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 19: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
13/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 12: The Minnesota Wild acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
(Simon Fearn, Imagn Images)
14/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Dec. 12: The Edmonton Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
15/15
NHL trade tracker: Who changed teams in 2025-26
Oct. 24: The Vancouver Canucks acquire forward Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
(Talia Sprague, Imagn Images)
The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2023-24. They missed the playoffs last season, leading to acoaching change to Mike Sullivan.
But fortunes haven't changed. They have lost five in a row, starting in a game in whichstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin was hurt. In the four games since, they have given up 27 goals. DefensemanAdam Foxis also out with an injury.
Rangers' salary cap situation
According topuckpedia.com, the Rangers have a little more than $3,000 in cap space available.
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Artemi Panarinis in the final year of his contract and would fetch prospects and picks if dealt. He has an $11.6 million cap hit and a full no-movement clause that the Rangers would need to get him to waive.The Athletic reportedthat Panarin was told his contract wouldn't be extended.
