Trade talks intensifying for the New York Rangers as struggles continue to affect the locker room

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Joshua Deeds
December 3, 2024 (11:01 PM)

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Thanks to a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils last night, GM Chris Drury has a mandate to improve the lineup.

This was after a disappointing off-season, which was sold as a Stanley Cup-winning roster.

Now GM Chris Drury is hitting the panic button, as NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has reported the Rangers are open for business.

The Rangers have won, one game out of their last 6 and have been in a slump not even Peter Laviolette can dig them out of.

While Rangers players do their best not to let rumors affect the locker room, it appears that the fallout has happened.

,q>Defenseman Adam Fox gave an honest answer after Monday's loss when asked about all the buzz. "You hear things," Fox said of the chatter. "I don't know if we consciously let it get in here, we try and just come in every day and play good hockey. Sometimes we don't. We've built a camaraderie in here, we all have each other's backs. ... That's just part of the territory, you're going to have outside noise. It's up to us to not let that creep in."

The Rangers were once thought to be top of the East, and the honeymoon wasn't ending with Laviolette returning for his 2nd year.

But now, they're 13-10-1 and fighting for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

This leaves GM Chris Drury to make drastic moves, as none of the major trades and signings seem to have paid off.

Reilly Smith has failed to perform up to expectations, while veterans like Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad are on a cold streak.

It's mystifying how this team has gone from contenders to pretenders in one season.

The names mentioned in trade talks are as follows:

Kreider, Trouba, Kakko, Chytil, Smith, and Vesey are all Rangers who could be in play in trade talks.

Already Chris Drury is working the phones, and has reached out to fellow GM Patrik Allvin of the Vancouver Canucks:

On Friday, Staple cited a league source claiming Drury recently contacted the Vancouver Canucks about bringing J.T. Miller back to Vancouver. Staple considers that to be a long shot at best, citing Miller's expensive long-term contract and the Rangers' limited cap space. By Saturday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said the Rangers are trying to dial down the heat, not wanting to rush into making a move they might later regret.

The desperation in the front office is palpable.