Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad or Adam Fox; Who can the Rangers trade to kick-start their retool?

Only a handful of weeks followed Drury’s letter before he traded away his best player – star left winger Artemi Panarin – for relatively little in return. Panarin had a full no-move clause in his contract, so he dictated his eventual trade to the Los Angeles Kings.

Panarin was indeed scheduled to be a UFA this summer, but he wound up signing a two-year contract extension with the Kings. While Drury did get something of value in trading Panarin to L.A., the bottom line is that, in the short term, the Rangers are a less talented team than they were with Panarin in tow.

MORE: Which 3 teams could target Rangers' Vincent Trocheck in the offseason?

However, we should probably take Drury at his word and expect more veterans to be moved – but not every veteran. You have to think centers like Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad could be on the move this summer. Both players are still solid contributors, but if Drury is really intent on “saying goodbye to players that have brought (the Rangers) great moments”, someone of name-brand value really has to go.

But the biggest question in New York City is how deep the cuts will be. Star goalie Igor Shesterkin is an obvious untouchable, but the Rangers might entertain trade proposals involving Lafreniere. The 24-year-old matched his career high in points this season, with 57 points in 82 games, but Lafreniere is not the difference-maker the Rangers hoped he’d be.

And here’s another Rangers player you have to wonder about – what about star defenseman Adam Fox? The 28-year-old had 53 points in 55 games this season, and he’s signed for another three seasons at $9.5 million per season. Fox has a full no-move clause right now, but we’ve seen how Drury has approached veterans, including Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, when they had no-move clauses. They eventually accepted a trade out of town, and Fox might do so as well.

Trading someone from the core is the level of change the Rangers need to truly start a new generation for the franchise. He can keep Shesterkin and some other youngsters, but there should be very few players Drury doesn’t take offers on.

When a team lets you down this much for two straight seasons, it’s telling you to make major changes. So be sure to keep your eye on the Rangers this summer. They’ve already said they’ll be making big moves – and soon enough, we’re going to see this storied franchise change in more ways than one.

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