New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury issued a letter to fans Friday announcing the club's intentions to retool as the trade deadline approaches.
"With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation," Drury wrote. "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 around our core players and prospects. We will target players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward. That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years."
The Rangers, who have won two of their past 10 games, are on a five-game slide after losing star netminder Igor Shesterkin to injury. Defenseman Adam Fox is also sidelined as New York sits last in the Eastern Conference, eight points out of a wild-card spot.
Drury didn't indicate which players the Rangers will build around going forward, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported later Friday that New York won't offer leading scorer Artemi Panarin a contract extension, putting him in play for a potential trade.
Fox, Mika Zibanejad, and captain J.T. Miller, whom the Rangers acquired last season from the Vancouver Canucks, have full no-move clauses.
The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy in 2024 but last spring became only the fourth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs the year after being the league's top regular-season club.
New York hired Mike Sullivan as head coach in an effort to right the ship, but the Rangers' first season under the two-time Stanley Cup winner hasn't gone to plan.
"No one in the organization is happy with what has transpired - from management to coaches to players," Drury added. "Over the last few years, we've had some successes and moments to cherish, but ultimately it was not the end goal."
