An Open Letter to Rangers General Manager Chris Drury: Part I – Stay The Course

For starters, you have one of the league’s best players, Artemi Panarin, playing like a man possessed. Yes, he was not good in last year’s postseason, but given the way he has played this season and the adjustments he made in the offseason, there is reason to believe that his play in this year’s playoffs could lift your club to new heights.

Secondly, it should be noted that while it is very unfortunate regarding what happened to Filip Chytil, your team has done just fine without him. All-Star Vincent Trocheck took his spot on your club’s second line with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, and in doing so, that line has been your team’s best by a wide margin.

You must also believe that Mika Zibanejad will turn his game around in a big way. Everyone is aware that he has been struggling since the start of the new year, but once he gets his game back on track, the rest of the team will follow suit.

It would also be smart for you to think about what you did last season just before the deadline when you acquired All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko and future Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Kane. While it was a solid idea at the time, these moves disrupted the chemistry of the club, especially when it came to the move for Kane.

Lastly, you have a coach in Peter Laviolette who knows what it takes to win a Cup. He will make the right adjustments, press the right buttons, and implement the right style of play to get your team playing its best brand of hockey at the most important time of the year.

Temptation is everywhere at the deadline. Please do everything in your power to resist any ideas that might come to your head.

Trust that the team you have will get it done.

Sincerely,

Patrick Hoffman