TRAINING CAMP OPENS THURSDAY
As I like to say, “two things can be true at once.”
As a “True Blue” New York Rangers fan, until his team officially punches a playoff ticket, I will not be able to fully forgive GM Chris Drury for tearing apart the 2024 Presidents’ Trophy-winning group in such a careless fashion.
But eight months after the Letter 2.0 was issued, I’m not going to let my “fan bias” prevent me from praising Drury for delivering exactly what 2.0 promised.
Two days ahead of the official start of training camp, my “Real Take” is that the Rangers are better equipped to play Mike Sullivan’s style of hockey in 2026-27, and they have a deeper prospect pool for the future.
“THIS WILL BE A RETOOL”
“This will not be a rebuild,” stated Drury in Letter 2.0 on January 16, 2026. “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…”.
Drury has retained the following core players:
- G Igor Shesterkin — #3 ranked goalie by NHL.com (signed until 2033).
- D Adam Fox — #13 ranked defenseman by NHL.com (signed until 2029).
- C JT Miller — 2026 Olympic Gold Medal Winner (signed until 2030).
- C Mika Zibanejad — entering his 11th season in New York (signed until 2030).
- D Vladislav Gavrikov — steady first-pair partner for Fox (signed until 2032).
- F Alexis Lafreniere — somehow still only 24 (signed until 2032).
- F Will Cuylle — averaging 20 goals and 301 hits last two seasons (signed until 2027).
He supplemented the core with three veterans via trade:
- F Pavel Dorofeyev — The 25-year-old winger is the team’s first pure sniper since Marian Gaborik (signed until 2033).
- D Sean Durzi — The 27-year-old is an agitating defenseman with PP2 offensive skills (signed until 2028).
- D Marcus Pettersson — The 30-year-old stay-at-home defenseman is one of Mike Sullivan’s favorites from their time with the Pittsburgh Penguins (signed until 2031).
PROSPECT UPGRADES
In 2.0, Drury not only promised retooling the big club, but a dedicated effort toward acquiring prospects with “tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree.” In the next few months, he acquired the three players who sit atop the organization’s prospect lists according to Vincent Z. Mercogliano (The Athletic), Dan Rosen (NHL.com), and Stat Boy Steven (The Under Review podcast).
- He drafted Alberts Smits #6 overall in June’s draft. The 18-year-old defenseman was the youngest participant in the 2026 Olympics playing for Team Latvia.
- Liam Greentree was acquired in the Artemi Panarin deal from the Los Angeles Kings. The 20-year-old winger was selected #26 overall in 2024 and scored 20 goals and 38 points in his last 24 playoff games with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.
- He addressed the organization’s lack of center depth by acquiring Cole Beaudoin in the same July 1 Vincent Trocheck deal that netted Durzi.
Smits projects as a top-pair defenseman, Greentree a top-six forward, and Beaudoin a middle-six center. All three are expected to start their professional careers this fall with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
OPENING NIGHT ROSTER
If Drury and Sullivan deferred to me, I would stash younger prospects in Hartford to start the season. Camp is short, and I always prefer that young players not just knock at the door, but break it down before being given a chance.
My Rangers 23-man Roster
Gabe Perreault-Mika Zibanejad-Pavel Dorofeyev
Alexis Lafreniere-JT Miller-Oliver Bjorkstrand
Will Cuylle-Noah Laba-Eeli Tolvanen
Tye Kartye -Joe Veleno-Matt Rempe
Taylor Raddysh
Vladislav Gavrikov-Adam Fox
Marcus Pettersson-Sean Durzi
Matthew Robertson-Braden Schneider
Urho Vaakanainen
Igor Shesterkin
Joonas Korpisalo
Dylan Garand
I love the concept of pairing the Rangers’ young playmaker, 21-year-old Gabe Perreault, with Dorofeyev on Zibanejad’s wings. I also am a proponent of returning Alexis Lafreniere to his natural left-wing position alongside Miller. Lafreniere, like Miller during his first tour of duty in New York, struggles at times with maintaining intensity. That’s something the captain corrected in himself and should be able to impart to Lafreniere.
In my opinion, Cuylle looked best last season playing alongside Noah Laba. The two homegrown kids bring forechecking, penalty-killing acumen, and speed to the third line.
On the fourth line, while I was impressed with both Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora, Matt Rempe is such a unique talent; I want to give him a run at the beginning of the season. Let’s see if he can duplicate the success he had in the first eight games last year — before his thumb and season were shattered on Ryan Reaves’s helmet.
Finally, the Rangers are going to have to send down one or two players whose contractual status means they will have to clear waivers. That’s why I’m advocating for keeping three goalies — because I value Dylan Garand more than rearguards Vincent Iorio and Scott Morrow.
MY REAL TAKE
Due to the NHL’s condensed training camp schedule, the Rangers will open camp, play four preseason games, and 14 regular season contests in the next 40 days. By then, October 26, we will be in a much better position to truly evaluate Drury’s retooling efforts.
The fan in me, still missing Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren, and Jacob Trouba, will take a wait-and-see attitude. But as an analyst who prides himself on journalistic integrity, I’m comfortable saying that Drury’s work since 2.0 has set up Sullivan and his players for success.
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