The 2024 trade deadline has finally come and gone! General managers wheeled and dealed, players were on the move, fans panicked online and the great Elliotte Friedman logged 17 hours of screen time per day to make sense of it all.
From a New York Rangers perspective, this year’s additions were exactly what the doctor ordered. While the Rangers were rumored to be in on multiple different marquee names, Chris Drury held the line in negotiations by refusing to overpay for rentals while still addressing the team’s needs.
No, Pittsburgh, Drury isn’t going to revamp your farm system and give you a jumpstart on the rebuild for a few months of Jake Guentzel’s services. Would Guentzel have been a nice fit on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad? Probably. But the window is open in New York past just this spring and there were other attractive options on the table for a much smaller price tag.
Clearly, the 2023 trade deadline was a bit too chaotic and the “super team” didn’t pan out as intended. To me, this year’s deadline feels a lot like the 2022 deadline in the best way. Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte and Frank Vatrano weren’t household names when acquired, but they quickly won over the fanbase with how nicely they slotted into the lineup and filled specific holes. This year, it’s Alexander Wennberg, Chad Ruhwedel and Jack Roslovic. For negligible assets going the other way, Drury acquired a reliable 3C, a dependable defenseman and a speedy winger.
All three are consummate professionals and versatile in where they can be slotted in the lineup. Both Wennberg and Roslovic were extremely noticeable in their debuts last night against the St. Louis Blues. Wennberg was as advertised defensively, picked up an assist and seemed to immediately mesh with Will Cuylle in the offensive zone. Roslovic jumps off the TV screen with his speed and showed an uncanny ability to make plays along the wall and keep things simple while still being creative.
The fit on the ice is the priority, but the way Drury adds to the team chemistry in the same breath is underrated.
Swedes and the Rangers are forever a match made in heaven, and Wennberg is the most recent beneficiary. He has childhood friends in Mika Zibanejad and Erik Gustafsson already in the locker room, having all gone to the same high school in Sweden and rising through the Djurgarden system in junior hockey. He’s stated “it’s a dream come true” to play for the Rangers and cites Henrik Lundqvist as an idol and his favorite player growing up. On top of that, he has experience playing with Artemi Panarin when they were both in Columbus together. You think he’s gonna have a hard time fitting in here?
With Roslovic, he’s close with Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren after spending time with the both of them at the US National Development Program (USNDP). As well as familiarity with Jonathan Quick, who he’s gotten to know in different capacities through USA Hockey. He’s a Columbus, Ohio native, but clearly had an affinity for the Rangers growing up, as fans were quick to dig up one of Jack’s tweets from 2014.
The trend stops with Ruhwedel, who claims to know nobody currently on the team, but only heard good things about the guys and the coaching staff. I’ve seen Penguins fans online describe him as a “no nonsense, do your job” type of player and that’s exactly what the Rangers need in a depth defenseman. He’s also simply “Chad” from San Diego, so he’s got that going for him.
Hockey is a small world, but when you look at the University of Michigan reunion that was the 2022 deadline and now these culture fits in 2024, it feels more intentional than coincidental with Drury at the helm. As a former player, he knows the mojo in the locker room is directly correlated to on-ice success.
Not for nothing, it’s not always the team that gets the “big fish” that wins anyways. Look at the Vegas Golden Knights last year. Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Quick weren’t the biggest names at the time, but they proved to be the correct additions to go on a run and win a Cup. Same could be said for the Colorado Avalanche the year prior, picking up Artturi Lehkonen, Nico Sturm, Josh Manson and Andrew Cogliano at the deadline. None of those names raised too many eyebrows at the time, but they ended up being the perfect ingredients to add to the mix in order to win a Cup.
Without question, Drury used the Rangers’ close-knit locker room as leverage leading up to the deadline. The vibes are good, the team is winning and there’s no need to make a big splash.
I had a lot of confidence in the group going into the deadline and they’ve given me a good reason to be confident,” Drury explained.
“Our record has been pretty good, fairly consistent throughout the year. Obviously, January was a little bit up and down, but I think we fought through it and came out of the break re-energized and focused. The players themselves have given me a lot of confidence.”
New York Post
With stealth moves made before the clock struck 3pm EST on Friday and a vote of confidence from the man up top, the Rangers are well-equipped and ready to roll this spring.
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