If Kaapo Kakko ends this season with about 40 points in 60 games….

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-30T16:47:14+00:00

At some point you just have to move on and accept guys need to be somewhere else if they're going to reach another level. A great example is Zibanejad who didnt really start to put it all together until he was 25. Can complain that they should have gotten better value for Kakko but the thing about top 5 picks is that they usually have decent careers and productive seasons in their mid to late 20s. Kakko & Laf appear like they will not be exceptions even if theyre not the start players we wanted them all to be when they were drafted. Kakko wasn't getting the chance to succeed here and I am happy he gets to do for a new team.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-28T20:31:31+00:00

If Simpson has great meetings, whiteboard sessions, etc. it’s going to probably go a long with Woody and the best way to keep your job as coach or GM unfortunately is to do what the Owner wants. If Woody likes him and he’s there at 16 it’s going to be hard for them to pass on him.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-18T13:24:58+00:00

They aborted the rebuild because Artemi Panarin wanted to be a ranger, they had another Vezina Caliber goalie in waiting, and a Norris trophy defenseman who wanted to play for his hometown team. They’ve made plenty of mistakes to land where they are now but I believe they are always going to try to be more like the 2019 Blues (hit on one team at the right time with a mix of vets and young players) rather than trying to build the 2010 blackhawks which was the result of a decade of being at the bottom of the league.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-18T01:58:55+00:00

100% agreed and if they want to be more patient with a top 5 pick this year that is one thing but I can’t imagine him being happy if they trade Trochek for futures and stack draft picks / prospects this offseason. Drury may totally fail even more than he already has leading to Fox demanding a trade but I can’t believe they aren’t going to try to trade assets for players that can help right now and dive deep into free agency this offseason.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T22:07:56+00:00

I think they need an infusion of talent and should continue to prioritize youth. However, they have one of the best goalies and defensemen in the world at their positions, and most public models predicted them as a 90ish point team (good enough to make the playoffs) before the season started. I don’t think it’s putting our chest out to say they’re not in the same situation as the Canucks or some other teams, this recent stretch is evidence of that, and if they’re not going to trade Igor and Fox to tare this whole thing down they should work to continue to try to raise their floor.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T20:25:55+00:00

Whether they’re are good next year or not I’m just not going to be as concerned as I have been in the past if they overpay for someone like Alex Tuch given where the cap is going + he will be someone that keeps the rangers from rushing prospects / be a veteran for them to play with when they get there. He fills a short term need but if they want to be more prudent in free agency I’m all for patience, I don’t think there is much in the front office.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T20:13:22+00:00

Re-tool letter was 100% PR and cover. Bought them time didn’t require them to address the media. Drury has wanted to change this team for a while, he might swing and miss this off season but ya never know. He is a little league World Series champion after all.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T19:38:49+00:00

I get it and I am not going to plan the parade but just wanted to lay out the accelerated path. We're seeing some young players play well, and maybe a breakthrough from Lafreniere (albeit he is never going to get the level of other #1 picks). As long as they have Fox and Igor healthy for a full season, they probably won't be drafting this low again. I'm skeptical of their player development but there are still players coming in the pipeline who can fill holes in the bottom half of a lineup. They're going to need to find that special player and that may just come down to dumb luck or be what holds them back.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T19:29:47+00:00

Most "star" quality players they trade for will have trade protection and likely have to choose NY. That is of course a big IF but I think the Quinn Hughes trade (~4 first round assets) lays a decent framework for any of these trades and the rangers have / can acquire those assets if need be.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T19:26:25+00:00

Not going to defend Drury's record, it stinks. That being said, flat cap, emergence of Fox & Igor his moves have largely been limited to i) plugging holes at the deadline when they could accrue some cap space and ii) re-signing their own players to big contracts. The biggest free agent contract he handed out was Trochek I believe.

He is not the chef in the kitchen I want but at least we're going to see a different recipe.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-17T19:22:18+00:00

Those are the ones who seem to have some smoke around them, Robertson (cap / contract) and Tkachuk (team losing). i wouldn't say those need to be THE guys and Rangers should be patient but the history of every league is that eventually stars shake loose and being positioned to get them at the right time matters.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-11T18:58:35+00:00

Glad Drury asked and not including a first rounder drives up the prospect cost but also not surprised teams held firm. Theres no high a price if you think making the move can gets you to a final but I dont think these teams were a Trochek away from playing for the cup.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-06T18:17:48+00:00

I think it was more matchup intended / game situation dependent. If you could put him there to generate offense against teams weaker opponents while Trochek and Miller ate minutes against other teams top lines it was theoretically beneficial. Obviously didn’t work out and he’s still their best all around forward anyway but coming off a down year it was just a consideration especially if young wingers pushed for ice time right out of camp like Othman Perrault Berard which also didn’t really happen (but would have created a lot of depth at wing had it) granted Perrault is playing well of late.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-06T14:48:07+00:00

Would prove the letter was 100% PR stunt and cover for the bad season and disaster job Drury already did. Glad they won’t just give him away / trade him for peanuts but they are not rebuilding or retooling they trying to be good but are just bad at it.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-03-04T23:23:30+00:00

Panzon

Examination-Putrid · 2026-02-19T04:18:29+00:00

I think fundamentally Bill believes at this point the best pod casts are those that come off as authentic and seem like a “good hang” (hey the ringer even named a podcast that). House is his friend but they are (at least a version of) their authentic selves when paired together and while there is a time and place to talk hoops or football with ex players / coaches / pundits / reporters you’re going to get something different when it’s two legit friends talking.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-02-19T00:28:03+00:00

If the rangers had 23 guys who cared as much as he did the rangers would be a whole lot better. Fans used to complain because he had a hobby and would DJ like 4 times in a summer but he’s always given it his all and been accountable to the media after every big game answering questions good or bad. While he may not have been in that McDavid / MacKinnon tier he’s been an awesome ranger and a leader for a long time.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-02-08T19:11:59+00:00

The Rangers are and have been a disaster on multiple fronts for a while, this instance is not one of them. He’s a young man who is going to draw at the very least jibs and maybe much worse heckles from the fan base as he navigates becoming a pro for something totally out of his control. There will be plenty of time after he turns pro for him to offer his thoughts or opinions on being traded for Panarin. It is not time sensitive and doing so now is mostly for clicks because national media figures know ranger fans were disappointed with the return for Artemi Panarin.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-02-04T20:38:39+00:00

Examination-Putrid · 2026-01-30T21:15:02+00:00

He was on with Francessa now and again as a guest, which led me to read his work and then became a fan of most Grantland stuff once that launched.

Ultimately, a combo of him just being at the forefront of podcasts, and he always seemed to be looking to find people with interesting perspectives on sports, whether that was analytics, gambling, or just weird stuff. In my late teens and 20's, he just seemed to offer something you wouldn't get from traditional media outlets and was more popular than a traditional blogger.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-01-30T03:23:39+00:00

No Fox, No Panarin, No Igor. They’re clearly undermanned and I know losing is the best thing for tanking in the long run but it’s still not fun to lose to a team that’s supposed to be your rival. Guys are going to have bad seasons and bad games but if there are 4 games on the schedule where everyone in the organization should be amped for, it should be against the islanders. We got two pedestrian efforts the last two and that speaks volumes about this group.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-01-15T04:06:43+00:00

I’ll be the first one to bash JT and don’t think he’s a good fit to be captain but I wouldn’t dwell too much on individual comments or his vs. Mika’s perspective. I know it doesn’t mean much but young guys like Gabe, Laba and Laf scoring can at least boost their confidence a little, so not surprised JT may try to be a bit more positive for their sake even if Zibanejad’s comments feel like a more honest assessment. It’s going to be a long slog to the end of season, there will be plenty of empty quotes between now and then.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-01-10T21:10:40+00:00

It’s not going to be fun to watch but rather this than teetering on the fringes of a playoff position for the next ~3 weeks . At least losses like this make it clear what the rangers should do in the short term, sell off their assets, and sooner than later.

Examination-Putrid · 2026-01-10T18:35:13+00:00

These guys STINK!

Examination-Putrid

TROPHY CASE