That may be the theme of the 2024-25 New York Rangers season. So much about this group, one that was six wins from the elusive Stanley Cup last spring, has changed since they fell short of that goal. First Barclay Goodrow, then Jacob Trouba, followed by Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and now Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey join the exodus from the World’s Most Famous Arena. Even the most pessimistic fan couldn’t have seen a season quite like this coming down the pike, as most of us figured at the worst this team would be in the playoffs. That world, as fleeting as it may be, could still be a reality, but the actions taken by the front office on Saturday rightfully lessen the chances of that reality coming into existence. The trade with Colorado taught us a lot, which we’ll get to in a moment, but first let’s talk about the deal itself.

In exchange for Lindgren and Vesey, Chris Drury acquires Calvin de Haan, Jusso Parssinen, and two picks. de Haan should be a familiar face to Ranger fans, as featured on the rival Islanders and Hurricanes blue lines for many years. He’s not worth a whole lot on the ice anymore beyond being a place holder, but that’s not the worst thing for the Rangers who don’t exactly have a lot of defenseman to call up to the lineup. Parssinen meanwhile was a late round pick by the Predators in 2019, who failed to develop into much to this point in his NHL career. He, like de Haan, may get the chance to just play a role here while the team plays out the string. The real prize here for Drury is the second and fourth round pick’s he gets in the deal, as he looks to restock the cupboard this summer.

In terms of what is heading to Denver, the Rangers are losing two heart and soul type players, especially in the case of Ryan Lindgren. Number 55 has quite literally bled for this team and its fans on multiple occasions since his arrival in the lineup in 2019. Lindgren always reminded us of all of Dan Girardi, as he was never the most skilled player in any game, but he worked harder than almost any player in the league and did whatever the team needed him to do to win. He blocked shots, made sound plays and really functioned well as the ying to Adam Fox’s yang for several seasons. It’s tough to see him go, as I like many of you had a lot of love for Lindy, but ultimately, I believe Chris Drury was in the right here.

Accompanying Lindgren on the flight to Denver is Jimmy Vesey, whose second stint with the Blueshirts is officially history. Number 26 returned prior to the 2022-23 campaign and earned a role on this squad; one he kept for two years to come. A lot like Lindgren he isn’t the most gifted or talented player, but Vesey is one of those “don’t judge the book by its cover” kind of guys. His combination of in game intelligence and bursts of skill made him a consistently solid option for this team to turn to in all situations. He along with Lindgren truly make an already dangerous Avalanche team even deeper, and I would not be shocked to see either succeed in the playoffs with Colorado, even if they have struggled so far this season.

Ultimately, I like this trade a lot for the Rangers. They said goodbye to two well liked players, but it was the absolute correct decision by Chris Drury and the front office. Drury is looking to remake his contending roster on the fly, and while more playoff games at the Garden sound fun, they likely wouldn’t lead to much more than a quick exit for this group. Getting value for pending unrestricted free agents like Lindgren, Vesey and others will serve the long-term vision of this team much better than just trying to steal a playoff spot.

I was very hard on Chris Drury after last year’s deadline, rightfully so in my mind, but I must give credit where credit is due. Drury identified the short comings in his team and has refused to stand by and allow them to fester. Even if that meant not succeeding in his mission at first, the man in charge has kept the course as he tries to turn this team over. His cutthroat approach, controversial as it may be, is what is needed. Madison Square Garden is not a country club, this is pro sports, where ideally everything, including your job on the ice, is earned by your play. It’s a harsh business, one the players clearly have a lot of contempt for, but frankly they should get over themselves about all of this “heartbreak” as it allowed their season to get away from them. I feel Drury has perhaps had his best year in charge of the team, as removing Goodrow and Trouba’s cap hits entirely was savvy work, then also extracting value for Lindgren and Vesey while re-acquiring JT Miller for the oft-injured Filip Chytil has already paid dividends. The Kakko for Borgen swap still feels like a toss-up, despite early returns being in Kakko’s favor, as time will tell how both player’s look long term.

There are in my mind, two key takeaways from this trade. The first is much more obvious, which is the idea that the Rangers will have some version of a fire sale at this deadline. I would be surprised if any core players go by the Friday afternoon deadline, but there are still a number of assets that could and probably should move including Zac Jones, K’Andre Miller, and Reilly Smith. The other takeaway is more subliminal, and that is that Chris Drury almost certainly safe as the team’s GM for at least one more year. An executive on his way out the door likely wouldn’t be allowed to commit to a retooling like this without real job security. I would have to think James Dolan has assured Drury he has at least one more year ahead of him, one that would follow an offseason that should see Drury aggressively work to return this team to contender status. Whether Peter Laviolette returns is a different question, though at the moment I would be surprised to see Drury make a coaching change on top of all the other work he will look to do.

The biggest question the media and fans will ask from here is, “what happens next?” The answer is really two-fold. First the Rangers will continue to work through their sale and send more expiring contracts away. Reilly Smith should yield them nice return from a contender looking for depth scoring, especially given his playoff pedigree. Zac Jones, who did request a trade a short while ago, may be a slightly different case with minutes opening up on the blue line. The Rangers will have to have a difficult conversation about whether or not they want to commit to K’Andre Miller. All of this must go hand in hand with Peter Laviolette running the bench like the meritocracy he claims it should be.

The second part of the answer to that question is that a number of players must benefit from the exodus/meritocracy. Braden Schneider, who has been a bright spot on the blue line yet again, must get more top pair minutes down the stretch. Will Cuylle, perhaps the teams most consistent forward this season, needs to continue to feature on the first line while also gaining power play time. Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard need to see more minutes in the middle six of the lineup to see if they can earn jobs on next year’s squad. Matthew Robertson must join the fray on the blue line to show what he’s got after working hard in Hartford for a few years. All of this change should be seen as opportunity by these players, and they’re not alone. These final 20+ games feel like a good time for Alexis Lafreniere to wake up and find his game, to at least finish this disappointing year on a high and look towards a bounce back next year.

With this season winding down, and likely ending without a playoff berth, the attention has to turn to next year and what this team may look like. Below is the list of players I expect to see on the roster next opening night, and while the possibility exists that some could be gone, I think the assumptions are pretty safe.

• JT Miller
• Vincent Trocheck
• Will Cuylle
• Alexis Lafreniere
• Adam Fox
• Braden Schneider
• Will Borgen
• Igor Shesterkin
• Jonathan Quick (should he not retire)
• Artemi Panarin
• Chris Kreider (I could see Drury look to move on here)
• Mika Zibanejad (I could see Drury look to move on here)
• Adam Edstrom
• Sam Carrick
• Matt Rempe (if he continues to improve)

Assuming all of the names above return next fall, that still leaves several spots open. Spots that will likely see a mix of outside additions given the Rangers newfound cap space as well as the league increasing the salary cap number yet again. I would expect to see Drury aggressively attack the free agent and trade market, as he and Laviolette look to get back to contending for the Cup immediately, but I would also be surprised to not see some home-grown players on the roster. Brett Berard showed some nice flashes earlier in the year and will get a chance to continue that trend now, while Brennan Othmann has popped so far in his second NHL call up. Perhaps Matthew Robertson earns a role on next year’s blue line, as the remainder of this season could be a jumping off point for him and the free agent defense class isn’t deep, All of this is to say that I believe this change is very healthy for the Rangers, as these much-needed changes open up cap flexibility and the chance for young players to better develop. As disappointing as it is that this season is ending poorly, I at least feel excited about the prospect of watching young players develop as this team works on its future…after all, I’d rather watch prospects screw up than a bunch of checked out vets.

We’ll have continuing coverage of the Rangers and the NHL trade deadline over the week ahead. There are a ton of moves already being made, so we’ll have not shortage of content at this time of year. Be on the lookout for some additional pieces as we start to focus on March Madness and the Saint Patrick’s Day holiday as well. On Twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!