Drury Looking to Shake Things Up, Could Trade Kreider and Trouba: Friedman
It's no secret the Rangers had a disappointing end to their road trip. After being thoroughly outplayed by an inferior Calgary squad, the Blueshirts were lit up in Edmonton, and once again, their goaltender was left out to dry. The late-night game against the Oilers was hard to watch, with many fans opting out of depriving themselves of sleep. As those fans did their best not to panic about the team's recent streak of underwhelming competitive spirit and poor play, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman announced some big news.
In the aftermath of their 6-2 loss in Edmonton on Saturday, the Rangers have made it very clear they are interested in making moves and shaking up their roster.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 25, 2024
Among the names indicated are Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, although other options will be considered.
This announcement and the leaked information were 100% orchestrated by Chris Drury. The GM has put all his cards on the table and made it public knowledge that he is displeased with the team's play this season. This was either an attempt to light a fire under some struggling players or a genuine effort to rekindle some trade talk that died earlier in the summer after the Jacob Trouba trade talk ceased due to the defenseman's contract clause.
What's most interesting were the specific names mentioned. It's not clear, and most likely never will be, who specifically mentioned Trouba and Kreider by name, but the homegrown veteran forward's name is the more surprising of the two. Trouba has been and will continue to be on the trade block for the team, especially as the years on his contract progress and more cap space is needed to re-sign Igor and other younger players. If Kreider's name is on the table, then either the list of untouchables is only a few players long at most, or the inclusion of the veteran forward is meant to grab the attention of potential suitors or dramatically wake the team up as Kreider has long been considered part of the core.
It's well known that Trouba and Lindgren are severe issues for the Ranger's back end, and if the team can part ways with one or both players, even for little to no return, it'd be a gigantic win for their possession metrics and chances at success night in and night out. Things are getting interesting, but this piece of news makes one thing clear: Drury is committed to winning no matter the cost.
