Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThere is pure PANIC in the Rangers high command.
And you'd better bet that Dolan, Inc. will lose playoff dough and more when disgusted season ticket-holders fail to sign up for next year.
Chris Drury's letter of surrender to loyal Rangers fans should have been accompanied by a white flag – and the president-general manager's resignation attached to it.
It also should have been accompanied by the sale of a once respectable franchise but it's
James Dolan's toy and will remain that way because it comes free and always will be.
Interestingly – maybe coincidentally, maybe not – Drury's piece of literary garbage follows two consecutive lickings (10-2, 8-4) that moved the New York Post to declare the Rangers "gutless" – both in lower case type and headlines.
It also follows chants of "Fire Drury" that emanated throughout Drury's "World's Most Famous Arena during the last game with Ottawa.
Here's why Drury should have fired himself:
1. UNLOADING ASSETS: He fired beloved and highly respected trainer Jim Ramsey. Also gone to the Montreal Canadiens were Nick Bobrov and Lauri Korpikoski. Bobrov is the guy who discovered Igor Shesterkin.
2. RUINOUS ROSTER: Dolan should have fired Drury for putting this roster together.
3. THE 'RETOOLNG' B.S.: As Jess Rubenstein points out, Drury's farm system has virtually no prospects of value.
4. TRADE FOLLY: Drury will have enormous trouble trading players who are overpriced and have no movement contracts.
Dolan's recent comments on Craig Carton's radio show look ever more ridiculous today.
"Chris Drury is a winner and competitor, he can't stand to lose."
Winner? What has he won? Missed playoffs last year. Likely a repeat. And mistake after mistake including the ridiculous choice of J.T. Miller as captain; as well as a lousy farm system and a first overall draft pick who plays like he was 200th overall.
Commending Mike Sullivan, he calls him a "culture coach," as if that has any meaning other than, "Well, I gotta say something."
Or, how about this gem, "The team from last year didn't really believe in themselves, and that made it hard."
And the current club, sitting at the bottom of the Met Division, is worse than Peter Laviolette's losers.
Dolan said of his current skaters, "They have to believe in themselves." Is that a joke? Nobody believes in Drury.
Jim's sayonara statement oozed with optimism: "Don't give up on my team this year,"
Sorry pal. The results speak for themselves and Drury's dripping-with-applesauce letter officially confirms the Rangers surrender.