Chris Drury must let the NY Rangers grow together

The NY Rangers were a surprise success story last season. Finishing just two wins short of a Stanley Cup Final appearance, the team exceeded expectations at every turn. With success, however, comes a new set of expectations.

Headed into this current offseason, the Rangers are expected to act like contenders. To be a team looking to add the talent necessary to push them closer to the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, for this Rangers team, acting like contenders is the worst decision they could make.

NY Rangers do not need to keep up with the Jones’

The rebuild may be over, but adding newly established players to the team will be costly. Not just costly in terms of the salary cap, but also in assets via trade and players lost as cap casualties. Spending more cap dollars now would decimate the team’s depth and practically reverse the progress made during the rebuild. Players like Pierre-Luc Dubois and J.T. Miller, each a rumored Rangers target acquisition will be very costly to attain and nearly impossible to keep long term.

Fortunately for the organization, team President and General Manager Chris Drury has proven to be a pragmatic and thorough executive. He is not one to jump the gun and his record thus far speaks for itself. Not every transaction has been golden, but with more wins than losses, the GM has steered the team towards success. So much so that he was nominated for GM of the year.

Keeping it calm

It is Drury’s pragmatism that must win out this offseason. He must review the team realistically and make the most of the opportunities presented before him. He must not rush to fill perceived voids simply because they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. In fact, recognizing how the team managed that feat after a four-year playoff absence is paramount.