Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThe New York Rangers secured an emotional 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday night, but lo and behold, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury was working behind the scenes to send Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders.
Soucy was notably absent from the lineup, as it was reported earlier in the day that he would be scratched due to roster management, with a trade between the Rangers and Islanders brewing.
Drury’s letter, issued on Jan. 16, outlining the team’s plans to retool the roster, sent a message that change is coming, and part of this core is bound to be broken up in the coming weeks and months.
Since then, Rangers players have preached a business-as-usual mentality, while saying all the right things regarding the direction and future of the team.
However, it feels like the calm before the storm, and a major shakeup to the team’s core is inevitable.
After the Rangers’ Monday night win, J.T. Miller was asked point blank if he is trying to savor these potential last few days with this group currently in place.
“To be honest with you, I try not to think about it,” Miller said. “It is what it is at this point. We have a close group in here. This isn’t the position that any of us thought we were going to be in at the start of the season, but it’s a business and we’re just trying to treat it like normal days. We have a lot of fun together in this room, so I don't think we're very worried about that.”
There’s a certain element of calmness coming from within the Rangers’ locker room right now with everything out in the open after Drury’s letter was released.
The reality is clear to everybody in the organization, and it’s just about waiting for what is ultimately to come.
Soucy is just the first domino to fall in what should be a flurry of moves made by Drury.