- Chris Drury says the Rangers got younger and faster this offseason and aren’t done yet
- New York added Pavel Dorofeyev up front and rebuilt the blue line with Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson
- Read below for what Drury said about the retool and the work still left to do
Chris Drury finally spoke, and the Rangers president likes what he sees.
He met with the media Thursday for the first time since the season ended and said New York is younger and faster after a wild week of trades and signings. It all traces back to the letter he sent fans in January, when he promised a retool around the core. A few days into free agency, the Rangers have stuck to the script.
That work isn’t finished, though, and Drury said so plainly.
“We’re still tinkering, still looking, and any which way we can help the team between now and Opening Night, we’re going to keep trying,” Drury said.
The headliner up front is Pavel Dorofeyev. New York grabbed the 25-year-old from Vegas on June 26 and locked him up on a seven-year, $77 million deal. He potted 37 goals last season and 72 over the past two.
Drury didn’t hide why he chased him.
“His unique skill set and his production, specifically in goals, is something we were in need of,” Drury said. “We targeted him and we’re thrilled to pull off the trade with Vegas.”
Here’s the Rangers making it official:
The bigger project was the blue line. Drury called a faster, puck-moving defense a priority and remade the group in a matter of days.
It started by shipping Vincent Trocheck to Utah for Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin and a 2027 third-round pick:
Then came Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver for a top-10 protected 2030 first-rounder, with Will Borgen going to Boston to clear the room:
Drury built the new tandem to sit behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, and he thinks the pieces line up.
“You’re looking for good fits,” Drury said. “If they are together, Marcus and Sean could be a good pair.”
New York didn’t stop there. It also signed Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno and picked up goalie Joonas Korpisalo from Boston. Braden Schneider’s next contract and a middle-six forward are the boxes Drury still wants to check.
