Chris Drury, general manager of the New York Rangers, topped WFAN’s Evan & Tiki show’s selection of the top ten sports executives in the New York metropolitan region.
Evan Roberts, Tiki Barber, and Shaun Morash addressed the matter on their weekday broadcast from 2-6:30pm and disagreed on where Drury should rank.
Morash stated that Drury was the best general manager New York has to offer.
My current team president/GM rankings in town 9-1:
Brian Cashman
Lou Lamoriello
David Stearns
Sean Marks
Joe Douglas
Tom Fitzgerald
Joe Schoen
Leon Rose
Chris Drury
— Shaun Morash (@ShaunMorash) August 2, 2024
Roberts ranked Drury third, after New York Knicks president Leon Rose and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
The annual NY sports GM/President power rankings just came out…
1. Leon Rose
2. Brian Cashman
3. Chris Drury
4. David Stearns
5. Joe Schoen
6. Lou Lamoriello
7. Tom Fitzgerald
8. Joe Douglas
9. Sean Marks
— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) August 2, 2024
It’s crucial to determine the criteria for evaluating sports executives. Are they judged by how far their teams progress in the playoffs or by the quality of players they bring in?
Morash contends that Chris Drury has achieved more in his three years with the Rangers than Leon Rose has in his four years with the Knicks.
“Chris Drury took over a team in the middle of a rebuild after firing John Davidson and Jeff Gorton, and he has led the Rangers to the conference finals twice in three years. In contrast, Leon Rose hasn’t yet managed to get the Knicks even close to a conference final. Chris Drury’s results have clearly outpaced those of Leon Rose,” Morash stated.
This argument holds weight. Drury revived the Rangers from the challenging period under Davidson and Gorton between 2017 and 2021, when the team only reached the postseason once due to the expanded 24-team COVID-19 playoff structure, finishing as the 11th-best team in the Eastern Conference with a modest points percentage of .564.
Since Drury became the GM on May 5, 2021, the Rangers have achieved three consecutive seasons with over 100 points. As Morash pointed out, they have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice during this time. The Knicks, however, have not reached that stage yet.
Nevertheless, playoff success isn’t the sole measure of a general manager’s effectiveness. For instance, Brian Cashman has led the Yankees to four World Series titles and 21 playoff appearances since becoming GM in 1998, yet he is ranked at the bottom of Morash’s list. Similarly, Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders’ GM, is ranked second-to-last despite guiding his team to the Conference Finals twice since 2018.
New York Rangers GM’s signings and trades earn him #1 rank on WFAN’s New York sports executive list
If playoff success isn’t the only measure of a GM’s effectiveness, then another key factor is their ability to acquire the right players to enhance the team’s chances.
Chris Drury has made some exceptional decisions since taking over as the Rangers’ GM.
During his first trade deadline, he made a pivotal move by adding the highly productive Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano to the top six, helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final, where they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Drury has also made impressive signings. After the Eastern Conference Finals loss, he brought in Vincent Trocheck on a seven-year deal worth an average of $5.625 million per year. Trocheck has been a standout performer, amassing 103 points over two seasons and playing a key role in the Rangers’ special teams.
Another notable decision was extending Adam Fox’s contract. Securing Fox for seven years after his Norris Trophy-winning season at just 23 years old is proving to be a smart move.
Even smaller decisions have paid off, such as acquiring two-time Stanley Cup Champion and future Hall of Famer Jonathan Quick. Quick played a crucial role as a backup goaltender, helping the Rangers during Igor Shesterkin’s absence and contributing to their 10-game winning streak earlier in the season.
While some critics might highlight the unsuccessful Patrick Kane trade or the trade of Pavel Buchnevich to the Blues as potential missteps, these decisions were influenced by unforeseen factors like Kane’s hip injury and necessary salary cap adjustments, which were beyond Drury’s control.
Although Drury may not be the top GM in the current New York sports landscape, it’s clear that his moves have significantly improved the Rangers’ chances of winning a championship.
Leave a Reply