The New York Rangers are not expected to be a Stanley Cup contender in 2026-27, but this summer should have indicated that it is going in that direction. Basically, this team has to show up in a few weeks and look a lot better than it did last season.
What happens if this team takes another nosedive next season? Who is to blame, and who gets the axe?
It really comes down to two names if this team cannot get it together, and that would be the President/General Manager and head coach which results in the question of: who is held more accountable if this Blueshirts team fails in 2026-27?
Drury is on the hotter seat
The Rangers went ahead and got a bunch of new pieces this summer. Headlined by Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Pettersson, and Sean Durzi, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chris Drury went ahead and did his job this summer. But there are two sides to that coin.
These players can help make this team grab a few more wins next season, but they can also be a hindrance when trying to adjust to the new atmosphere and new teammates. This roster has been transitioning to a more prospect-driven one, with the departures of Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. These veteran newcomers have to come in and be ready to lead the charge for the younger guys like Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue.
With that notion, that means that Drury is in a little bit hotter water heading into the 2026-27 season, because he is the reason why those players are now Rangers. Head coach Mike Sullivan did not make those calls, though he likely had some kind of say on who he wanted on his roster. This upcoming season is about figuring out who will be ready when this team is ready to be in a win-now status, and how long until that happens.
The Rangers were 34-39-9 for 77 points last season, finishing in last place in the Metropolitan Division. For 2026-27, there is nowhere else to go but up, so if they made all of these "positive" moves on paper, there has to be an increase in wins and points next season.
If not, Drury's days are certainly numbered.
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