The New York Rangers are the only Eastern Conference team with a points percentage under .500. After a disastrous season last year, they were looking for a bounce-back under Mike Sullivan. That has not happened, and now the organizational direction is changing. Rangers general manager Chris Drury issued a letter to fans, preparing them for a re-tool on Friday.
A Message from Chris Drury to Our Fans pic.twitter.com/JVimBJ59B7
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 16, 2026
“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation. 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,” Drury's letter read, in part.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that this letter came after some conversations with players. “Hearing Rangers GM Chris Drury met with the team today…and members of the leadership group individually to tell them this was the plan. We will see where this takes us through the trade deadline.”
This letter is similar to one sent by former Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton sent in 2018. Shortly after sending that letter, the Blueshirts landed Artemi Panarin in free agency, powering out of the retool. This letter almost certainly means Panarin will be traded at the upcoming deadline.
What does Chris Drury letter mean for Rangers this season?
With the Rangers' trade stance made clear, fans are already saying goodbye to Panarin. He has been phenomenal in the regular season throughout his run on Broadway, with 601 points in 477 games. But his contract is ending after the season, meaning they can kick off the re-tool by trading him now.
The drama comes from where else the Rangers could tear down the roster before building it back up. Jonathan Quick has been a solid backup goalie and is on an expiring contract. Vincent Trochek has slight trade protection, but dealing him to an approved team could load up their prospect pipeline. And former first-overall pick Alexis Lafrenière has no trade protection.
The Rangers will now go into the deadline as one of the biggest sellers. With a two-time Stanley Cup Champion behind the bench, they should want to get the retool over with quickly, like last time. But there is no premium free agent, like Panarin, coming available this offseason. Where can Drury and the Rangers go from here?
