Grading Drury's First Off-season

[shestYORKin]

only wankers wait for actual results. let’s hear your letter grade for Chris Drury’s summer. 

cliff notes to consider:

key additions: Gallant, Goodrow, Blais, Reaves, Nemeth, Tinordi, Hunt

key subtractions: Quinn, Buch, Smith, Howden, Blackwell

key contracts: Mika, Shesty, Lindgren, Goodrow, Reaves

key TBD: Fox, Strome

draft: Othmann, Grubbe, Korczak, Lamb, Vaisanen, Boyko, Chmelar, Kempf 

other headlines: GRIT, Buch bombshell, handling of Eichel saga, expansion draft protection 

it’s a strong B+ for me. solid, decisive, holistic improvements feel like the rebuild is done and the window is open. the Buch return (even with the brilliant fit of Blais) and lack of center depth are my negatives. I would’ve drafted Svechkov over Othmann and made a straight hockey trade, Buch for McDavid. other than that, Drury has quickly earned my trust. 

[Sod16]

B.  Pluses: signed Zib; signed Goodrow; and, most importantly, did not make any blockbuster Espo/Neil deals for the sake of "doing something" and putting his stamp on the team.  Negatives: Reaves and Tinordi; Buch deal (not a major negative, as I know his predicament).

[The Dude]

B-

I feel he over did it with the "toughness", yet had little options to do much else besides keeping the same roster.

Reached on giving Goodrow a long term contract, extended Reaves, brought in Hunt and Blais (really liking HIM though), brought in Tinordi... a bit much IMO.

They are giving the youth major roles though. So, I really can't complain, as that's something I've wanted to see the team do for a long time. There are a variety of ways the wings could work out. From Kakko, to Kravtsov, to Chytil, to Gauthier, to Blais, to Goodrow.  Lots of ways this can go, if need be. 

They're stacked on D and it's a problem. LOL. A good problem. 

I'm nervous about goalie though. Shestyorkin hasn't been the same since his car accident.  Georgiev is not one of my favorites. Over priced and very average.  I'd have liked to see Drury move him for almost anything and signed a vet or gone with Kinkaid. Georgiev is one love affair I don't understand with this franchise. 

I'm not going to pretend I know anything about the players they drafted this year, but I  give him partial credit for many of the players in the cupboard from the Gorton regime. He was part of it.

 

He locked up Lindgren really quick and now he's got Zib on another good contract, so he gets credit for that..

I guess I have to like the direction they are going in with the youth and moving on from Buch. They had to get their chances at some point. That's why he gets a B-. Doing what needs to be done and pulling off that band-aid. I'm just not into Goodrow for some reason and think they really needed a way to get harder to play against on their top lines. With no such player besides a Tkachuk potentially available,  I guess they had to go the route they did.

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2021 by The Dude

[jsm7302]

A- addressed weaknesses. Gave roster flexibility and options. No dumb moves. Calculated risks. Locked up pending players they needed to take the next step. 

 

Haven't been this happy with Chris Drury since he signed here on Free Agent frenzy day......pure winning character...#LLWORLDSERIESCHAMP

[Phil]

Probably a solid B. Did plenty of good, even though he went long on Goodrow and probably added one too many tough guys (Tinordi, Reaves). He also really fumbled the Buch trade in not getting a first-round pick back. It seems crazy to me that wasn't available, though I freely admit that could be the case.

[shestYORKin]

2 hours ago, The Dude said:

I feel he over did it with the "toughness"

I thought so too at first. but then watching the way Blais creates like a beast, Hunt hustles/swarms, Goodrow brings massive confidence and takes crucial face offs, and Reaves leads—I get it. Tinordi was the one real stretch for me and then he showed up really well last night and can fill in for Reaves as security if needed. so wtf, great job. just need the kids to keep ramping and this team is going to be dynamic as fuck

[shestYORKin]

29 minutes ago, Phil said:

even though he went long on Goodrow

it’s obviously early on but if Goodrow turns into a heart and soul Zuc-level fan favorite over the course of some playoff runs that extra year or two will be quickly forgiven

[Phil]

15 minutes ago, shestYORKin said:

it’s obviously early on but if Goodrow turns into a heart and soul Zuc-level fan favorite over the course of some playoff runs that extra year or two will be quickly forgiven

Oh, sure. I've no real problem with it, I'm just saying, if I'm being asked to grade him, in doing it against what I would have preferred (which would have been like $3Mx5).

[siddious]

Gallant: I like.

Goodrow: I like. Not an ideal contract length wise but I think this will end up being an alright deal in the end.

Blais: I like. Buch had to be moved, wasnt much of a market for him, happy with what we got back.

Reaves: I like. At worst you sit him, at best he is a wrecking ball who is protecting his teammates (something this team hasnt had in years).

Expansion Draft: Went as well as you could expect.

Draft: TBD but  I am hopeful.

Eichel: Didnt sell years of amassing talent for a guy who has no spot on this roster without displacing a few other guys. I like it.

Zib: Fair contract.

Tinordi: irrelevant. At best 7th dman. gets sent down or waived. Dont know why anyone is making a big deal.

Kids getting bigger roles and ability to continue to develop: Really like.

Dislike: Trouba is still here. Unfortunate but understandable.

Overall grade: A-

[Vodka Drunkenski]

F - Panarin still on the team

[shestYORKin]

5 minutes ago, Vodka Drunkenski said:

F - Panarin still on the team

is that an F or an F minus? I’d hate to judge

[Vodka Drunkenski]

18 minutes ago, shestYORKin said:

is that an F or an F minus? I’d hate to judge

F minus unless there is something worse

[ThirtyONE]

A

He added what we've been needing to add for three years. He got an experienced coach. He locked up key players to good deals. 

Buch being a cap casualty isn't on him. Clearly no one was interested in giving up anything for him, which is also not on him. Blais is awesome and with the rise of Kakko and Kravstov, I don't think Buch will be missed, quite frankly. 

Only reason it's not an A+ is because there wasn't anything insane that happened. I truly believe in the make up of this team. They feel like a team for the first time in forever.

[Ozzy]

A

I like what Drury did adding key players, that have grit and can play up and down the lineup.  Buch in my opinion is a guy you walk from.  I'm cool with him getting a #2 back with Blais, I'm sure he wanted a number 1 but it's Buch we traded, not Gretzky.

Goodrow is a solid add, period.

Locked up Mika just today...good deal, and glad to have him the rest of the way.

Gallant...Win

Tinordi...Hartford needs toughness too...

Reaves...I wanted him all along.  Maybe an overkill, but when was the last time someone ever said the Rangers had TOO MANY tough players??  Fuck it...I'll take his 15 goals this season and run with it....add in a few first round KO's and I'm cool.

Stayed away from Eichel...Thank you, and keep up the good work!

[Pete]

9 hours ago, siddious said:

Dont know why anyone is making a big deal.

Is anyone making a big deal?

[Pete]

9 hours ago, ThirtyONE said:

A

He added what we've been needing to add for three years. He got an experienced coach. He locked up key players to good deals. 

Buch being a cap casualty isn't on him. Clearly no one was interested in giving up anything for him, which is also not on him. Blais is awesome and with the rise of Kakko and Kravstov, I don't think Buch will be missed, quite frankly. 

Only reason it's not an A+ is because there wasn't anything insane that happened. I truly believe in the make up of this team. They feel like a team for the first time in forever.

This +1. 

[siddious]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Is anyone making a big deal?

There has been whining 

[LindG1000]

This is a B+ for me...for now. I think when you look at the individual decisions, they're largely good. I still think we sold low on Buch, but I can forgive it if Blais is what we think he is, because we need that guy. I think the Goodrow contract is too big, but I can forgive that if Goodrow and Chytil continue this incredible chemistry they have. I think the Lindgren, Shesterkin, Chytil, and Zibanejad contracts were all exactly right for both player and team. 

He turned over most of the front office - hard to assess that without a longer run first. 

It's a "midterm" grade of B+, but I can see a straight path to an A.

[Pete]

50 minutes ago, siddious said:

There has been whining 

He's terrible but when signed I expected him in the AHL.

Reaves is a much bigger risk if Gallant has a love affair with him and plays him 13+ every game, PP2, etc. That would not be in the team's best interests. 

[The Dude]

10 hours ago, Ozzy said:

A

I like what Drury did adding key players, that have grit and can play up and down the lineup.  Buch in my opinion is a guy you walk from.  I'm cool with him getting a #2 back with Blais, I'm sure he wanted a number 1 but it's Buch we traded, not Gretzky.

Goodrow is a solid add, period.

Locked up Mika just today...good deal, and glad to have him the rest of the way.

Gallant...Win

Tinordi...Hartford needs toughness too...

Reaves...I wanted him all along.  Maybe an overkill, but when was the last time someone ever said the Rangers had TOO MANY tough players??  Fuck it...I'll take his 15 goals this season and run with it....add in a few first round KO's and I'm cool.

Stayed away from Eichel...Thank you, and keep up the good work!

Ahem...

 

15 goals? 

 

15 points maybe?

 

And yeah, the Rangers probability do get KOed in the first round.  LOL

[Ozzy]

8 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Ahem...

 

15 goals? 

 

15 points maybe?

 

And yeah, the Rangers probability do get KOed in the first round.  LOL

Ballsy predictions thread...my prediction...and if it happens, Pete's getting me a beer!  LOL