Egad! What's going on in Rangerville? Patrick Kane has thumbed his nose at New York. Ditto, Jake Guentzel. Yikes! Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault as well. Kane returned to darling Detroit while Guentzel moved down among the sheltering palms of Tampa Bay. But that was just for starters. Oh for two for New York climbed – or should I say sunk – to 0-5 when Stamkos, Marchessault and, old Rangers pal, Brady Skjei, landed in Nashville of all places not named Manhattan. Chris Drury's hoped for "Great Rebuild" is simply looking just GRATE so far. (Remember, the secret words are "so far.") In the meantime, Drury has thrilled absolutely nobody with the alleged – means it ain't official until MSG says so – "signing" of Sam Carrick. (Repeat if you think I'm talking about Lamont Cranston, The Shadow, no, it's SAM CARRICK.) Talk about a managerial understatement, this one is an UGH! with a capital U. Just for the record, the 32-year-old center had 16 points (10-6) in 77 NHL games this past season. His lifetime NHL plus-minus mark is minus 41. Slingin' Sam opened last season as fourth center on the Ducks and wound up with the Oilers who – my Edmonton sources tell me – are not mourning his loss. Trouba at practice. Drury did make a noteworthy move by acquiring Reilly Smith from the Penguins, adding to their surplus of forwards. All of the above is small potatoes compared with Drury's hopes for "Deal Dynamite," which could explode as we speak or in a day or three. We shall see. The chief protagonist out there – as I noted a couple of times already – was supposed to be his eminence, Stamkos, a leader who still has the goods. I wanted Drury to nab Stamkos. That failed, so now The Maven is hoping for a big push to get Sidney Crosby away from the parachuting Penguins.) A longer-than-longshot, but so what? Meanwhile, your guess is as good as mine – or that of super media sleuth, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who knows everything except the name of my new podiatrist. For the still uneasy good citizens of Rangerville, The Maven's advice is simple: RELAX; so much can happen between now and opening night; not to mention the season's homestretch. Really, it ain't worth getting your vowels in an uproar over this first ferocious day. With that in mind, I'm donating my bottle of aspirins to The Jacob Trouba Fan Club. There remain reasons for the captain to remain a Ranger; and if you don't believe me, ask Mrs. Trouba who's studying to be a doctor; or Jake's agent. Then again, there are just as many Drury reasons for Troubs to go bye-bye. Remember, if the GM does grease the skids for Trouba, Drury is not trying to spite anyone; just better his backline – and solidify his job while he's at it.
