The New York Rangers had a brutal 2024-25 year, but GM Chris Drury received a vote of confidence with a multi-year contract extension on Wednesday.

The Rangers plummeted from first overall in the 2023-24 season to out of the Stanley Cup playoff mix this year. That didn’t stop Rangers owner James Dolan from keeping Drury in the fold.

“I am pleased that Chris will continue to lead the Rangers hockey operations in his role as president and general manager,” Dolan said in a news release. “Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic and a tireless pursuit of excellence. While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success.”

While there undoubtedly will be Rangers fans who vehemently disagree with Drury’s extension, the reality is that management hires are an area where there are no salary cap limitations.

Spending money to give Drury an extension – and the leverage of knowing he will have ownership’s endorsement for the foreseeable future – is something that Dolan can and should do. Although the team massively underperformed this season, Drury has a chance to continue to implement his plan to bounce back.

That said, don’t think for a minute that Wednesday’s news is a guarantee Drury will serve as GM for as long as the contract says. 

If Drury can’t pull the Rangers out of the tailspin that began this season, and the Rangers once again miss out on the playoffs this coming year and the year after that, you’d best believe Dolan will pull the plug on Drury’s tenure. Some teams don’t have the budget that allows them to keep firing people who don’t work out as they’d hoped, but the Rangers definitely do.

This contract extension assures Drury that he’ll be in the seat of power as he hires a coach to replace the recently-fired Peter Laviolette, and any players he acquires will understand Drury has a blueprint for success over the long haul. Ultimately, part of this contract extension is about optics, and the optics here tell you that Dolan believes in Drury.

Drury has had the GM job since May 2021. In the four seasons he’s served as GM, Drury has guided the Rangers to 193 wins – the most the Blueshirts have had over any four years in franchise history, the team said. The team made the Eastern Conference final twice in the last three seasons, which not many NHL teams can say.

Say what you will about some of the debatable decisions Drury made this past year, such as trying to trade Jacob Trouba last summer and then letting that distraction remain until December, or not making a coaching change earlier. Still, you can’t take away from the fact he’s also made many right choices, such as acquiring J.T. Miller and re-signing superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

The Rangers have been a flawed team under Drury’s direction this year, but he clearly has unfinished business. Dolan has given Drury more landing strip to realize his vision for the Rangers, and the GM now has the comfort of knowing he’s secure in his job until further notice. But don’t for a second believe the pressure on Drury will subside in the wake of Wednesday’s news. To the contrary, the pressure on Drury is only going to build from here.

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