The New York Rangers just got slaughtered by the New Jersey Devils. It's their sixth loss in seven games, and issues are everywhere. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider aren't producing, the defense has headed home for Christmas, and Igor Shesterkin is having his traditional struggles in November and December. Peter Laviolette is rotating the cast, trying to find a solution, but it has been in vain to this point. We're getting to the point where questions need to be asked of the higher-ups in the organization.
If this continues, Laviolette will almost certainly lose his job, but what about Chris Drury? The Blueshirts general manager was tasked with turning this roster into something capable of winning the Stanley Cup. All he has to show for this was two Eastern Conference Finals losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. There's been a first-round loss to the Devils, too. How much longer should Drury get?
Drury started to offer players like Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider to teams around the league, and it's to the locker room. The rumors circulating the league must have disturbed the Rangers' locker room because it's the only explanation for the recent Blueshirts issues. They were a good enough team before this news broke, and since they are playing worse than the San Jose Sharks, who just had the first overall pick.
So, should Drury's job be considered? Given the organization's failures, many people want an answer. While some of this is the frustrations of the historical issues being taken out on Drury, there does have to be a question because his intentions to move a staple like Chris Kreider got leaked. Many Blueshirts fans adore the American winger, which unsettles the fanbase and locker room. When you disrupt an organization that much, it has to be asked.
Ultimately, since Jeff Gorton left, it's been his job to turn this organization into a Stanley Cup Champion. He's not done that until now, but he has been active. When looking at Drury's overall body of work, there's much to evaluate. He's made a lot of moves as general manager of the Rangers, and there's some good, some bad, and some ugly. Let's go through it, and you can judge Drury's job.