New York Rangers President and GM Chris Drury may have dug himself into a hole he may not be able to come out of. That hole was already evident during the debacle of a season the Blueshirts are going through. But it became even more palpable during the Artemi Panarin fiasco.
That said, the lowball return the Rangers got for the hottest commodity on the trade market suggests no other GM may take Drury seriously ever again.
Yes, there has been so much talk about Drury’s hands being tied due to Panarin’s full no-trade clause. But let’s not forget that Drury had his finger on the red button. He could have pushed the button and nuked a deal to LA. While that would have effectively derailed negotiations before the Olympics, it would have shown that Drury means business.
Instead, he caved. He didn’t want to risk the Kings backing out of the deal. The thought process was that, if Drury pushed back, he would end up stuck with Panarin and no trade on the table. That possibility would have been disastrous as Rangers fans would have prodded management to avoid losing Panarin for nothing.
But then again, when was the last time Rangers’ management considered what fans wanted?
Now, Drury faces impending negotiations for other trade targets like Vincent Trocheck. The chatter is that now, all of a sudden, Drury has dug his heels in the ground. Perhaps the Rangers’ GM feels like he doesn’t have to trade Trocheck. Since he’s not an impending UFA, Drury has the luxury of waiting for the right deal.
But what if Trocheck’s camp pressures for a trade? Would that be a repeat of the Panarin situation?
The bottom line is that no other GM, in his right mind, would see Drury as a formidable adversary. Other GMs will use that tried and tested buyer’s tactic. If a buyer is willing to walk away from a deal, the seller will have no choice but to cave or lose business.
That’s not something exclusive to pro sports or the NHL. Any negotiation in life works that way. If a party is not willing to push the red button and nuke a deal, other parties figure they have all the leverage in the world. That’s not a good place to be in when you’re looking to rebuild a struggling team.
Drury should take a page from Ken Holland’s book. Holland recognized an opportunity and took it. He even got Panarin’s camp to get down from its high horse and agree to the short-term deal he didn’t want from the Rangers. That speaks volume of the Blueshirts’ current administration.