Rangers’ Chris Drury pens letter to fans, says team is in a retool

It’s hard to blame New York Rangers fans for being upset. After all, they’ve watched their team go from 114 points and a Presidents’ Trophy two years ago, to last place in the Eastern Conference this season. New York’s lineup is stuffed with highly-paid veterans, presuming an expection of winning now. But the team simply isn’t winning, causing frustration within the fanbase and “Fire Drury” chants, aimed at Rangers general manager Chris Drury, to echo through Madison Square Garden.

Drury heard the chants and protests, and decided to respond with some words of reassurance. On Friday, he released a letter to the fans, sharing his own disappointment with New York’s season to date, and shedding some light on how he and the organization plan to proceed.

Much of the letter is boiler-plate public relations, expressing sympathy for the fans’ vexation and promises of “working relentlessly” to bring the Rangers back to glory.

Most interestingly, the letter also hints at how New York’s front office will approach the rest of the season, especially ahead of the trade deadline on March 6th.

“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” the letter reads. “We are not going to stand pat – a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects. We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree with a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward.”

Drury may not want to call it a rebuild, but it’s clear the organization is shifting their focus from winning now to winning in the future. This letter should only increase the trade speculation around Rangers star Artemi Panarin, among others.