Is Chris Drury nonetheless in an axe-swingin’ temper?
The New York Rangers basic supervisor has already moved Jacob Trouba and reportedly mentioned stalwart winger Chris Kreider as available for the correct provide. With the Rangers nonetheless mired in a horrid hunch, let’s study who Drury may transfer to attempt to shake up his chargers.
The longest serving Ranger, Kreider, has three years left on a really tradable $6.5M deal. While he’s on monitor to attain round 30-35 objectives, Kreider’s solitary help (He’s by no means been a giant helper man, however sheesh!) by way of 25 video games is embarrassing.
Kreider’s nonetheless a handful within the crease and arguably the NHL’s greatest at redirections, however virtually each different aspect of his recreation has fallen away this marketing campaign. Aged 33, is Drury chopping bait earlier than his star falls off a cliff?
NHL Commerce Speak’s Jim Parsons not too long ago opined on the potential of a K’Andre Miller trade. Even 12 months in the past, the considered New York shifting on from Miller appeared unfathomable. Large, highly effective, a swift skater and armed with a cannon, Miller and Adam Fox have been the Rangers’ defensemen of the following decade.
This season, even earlier than the Rangers started to swoon, Miller has regarded solely disengaged. He’s on monitor to report the bottom level and hit totals of his five-year profession, although the attention take a look at is even worse. He’s an enormous unit with wings for ft, but he not often, if ever, lays an opponent out. He’s routinely overwhelmed within the corners and the slot in his personal zone. His positioning is usually woeful, and his lack of urgency is galling.
Watch as Miller mishandles a simple cross and compounds his error by turning and watching, somewhat than hustling again to stop the two-on-one from which Chicago scores their eventual recreation winner: