NY Rangers GM Chris Drury's plan to be tested with training camp around the corner

After over a month of waiting to see if Chris Drury had another trick up his sleeve, the New York Rangers team president and general manager surfaced Thursday to offer his offseason assessment.

The Blueshirts didn't make a splashy move for any stars — at least not yet — but the man in charge seems content to roll with a lineup he believes is tougher and more balanced.

"I'm certainly excited about the guys we've added – from (Sammy) Blais to (Barclay) Goodrow to (Ryan) Reaves to (Patrik) Nemeth," Drury said on a conference call with reporters. "We were looking to have more defined roles within our lineup and trying to give (new head coach Gerard Gallant) as many options as you can to fill those roles. I think we did address a lot of them.

"As far as where we're at, as every manager says every time he’s asked – I'm no different – I'm always looking to keep pushing forward and keep making the team better. But as of right now, I'm excited about where we're at and looking forward to training camp starting."

It's no secret that the Rangers set out to add physically-imposing players who can complement — and protect — the young talent they accumulated during their rebuild.

Drury insisted it wasn't a reactionary decision, but rather something the organization has been planning for years.

"We've talked about trying to do this for a while," he said. "With all the assets we've acquired and adding a lot of skill, we knew at some point we were going to have to surround that skill with some players that had experience, that had size and had some grit, that had won in different places. We were fortunate enough to be able to do that this summer."

"It really wasn't something that was just all of a sudden, 'Let's go this way,' " he added. "It kind of had been talked knowing that this is going to be a piece of the puzzle that we need to add at some point."

And so the Rangers embark on the next phase.

Beginning Friday, they'll host their development camp at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown. It'll be their first opportunity since 2019 to work hands-on with many of their prospects, with a handful in position to compete for NHL jobs.

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Then the main attraction begins with the opening of training camp on Sept. 23. That's when Gallant can start the process of implementing his fast-and-aggressive system. It'll also be the first chance for the newly added pieces to make an impression and transform the Rangers into a more battle-tested group.

Soon enough, we'll find out if Drury's strategy was the right one.

Why Ryan Reaves?

Despite trading for gritty forwards in Goodrow and Blais and signing a number of depth free agents, Drury still decided to make the move for Reaves.

He sent a 2022 third-round pick to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 34-year-old forward with a reputation for playing with a nasty streak.

Reaves' future role with the Knights was uncertain, particularly after he was scratched at times last season and in the playoffs. But Drury saw value in acquiring a player who would standup for his teammates and had prior success under Gallant.

"We’re trying to find guys who can fit certain roles," he said. "It wasn't a reaction to one thing or one incident. Truth be told, we tried to get Ryan three years ago when he was a free agent and he chose to stay in Vegas. He’s a player we've liked for a long time and thought it was a good opportunity to get him."

While some question whether age has caught up to the 225-pound bruiser, especially given his all-out style of play, Drury still believes "his size, his strength, his work on the walls (and) his physical aspect" will be assets for the Rangers.

He defended the decision to extend his contract for an additional year at $1.75 million, which will take Reaves through his age-35 season.

"We just wanted him for another year," Drury said. "It's pretty simple. We think he's going to be good in our room and a valuable piece to what we're doing."

It's likely that Reaves will begin camp penciled in as the right-winger on the fourth line, with Blais on the left and Kevin Rooney at center. But Drury stressed there will be competition throughout the lineup.

Dryden Hunt and Greg McKegg were signed as free agents, Julien Gauthier was re-signed as an RFA and prospect Morgan Barron is expected to push for a spot.

Figuring out the lineup puzzle

The GM repeatedly referred to the next few weeks as "a tryout," leaving the door open for "kids (to) come back after an offseason and push for jobs." There will be some interesting positional battles, particularly on the fourth line and the third defensive pairing.

The top-nine forwards are essentially set, but the line combinations will be the subject of much intrigue.

Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome, Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil are returners in that group, with Goodrow almost surely slotting in somewhere. The final spot should belong to rookie Vitali Kravtsov, who's positioned for right-wing role following the July trade of Pavel Buchnevich.

The Rangers opted not to include Kravtsov in development camp, sending a clear signal of his budding stature. Drury said they prefer him practicing with the NHL regulars during their voluntary skates.

"We were excited with big parts of his game last year," he added.

The lineup puzzle will largely hinge on what Gallant decides to do with the Rangers' deepest position — left wing. That's the usual spot for Panarin, Kreider and Lafrenière, but it sounds like at least one will get looks on the right side during camp.

"When (Gallant) is tinkering with lines, you’ll see he’s looking at all those options," Drury said. "As more and more guys get back into town, I'm sure he's going to grab guys and pick their brains. ... (Gallant) is open-minded and ready and willing to explore anything."

The other critical question revolves around how Gallant will deploy his centers.

Zibanejad, Strome, Chytil and Rooney are the incumbents, but Goodrow has experience in the middle and a better face-off win rate than any of them. Drury also said the plan is for Barron to begin camp playing center, rather than wing.

Chytil's struggles on the dots have raised the possibility of him moving to the wing and being replaced by Goodrow or Barron, but Drury didn't sound very interested in that idea.

"Fil has played a lot of center and has continued to grow," he said. "He’s still only a young kid and still learning in a lot of different ways. He’s playing a tough position in the best league in the world. So, for me, I'd like to give him every chance to be a center and keep evolving at the role. We all know how important that position is."

Captain plans

It's been three-and-a-half years and counting since the Rangers traded away captain Ryan McDonagh, and they've still yet to name a replacement.

Fans have been waiting for a successor, and while Drury has insisted it's something he wants to do, he did not offer a specific timetable.

"It's an important piece for us moving forward to have a captain," he said. "But with that said, it has to be the right person. (Gallant) just got to town a little while ago and he’s just getting to know the players, on and off the ice. It has to be our decision, collectively, as an organization. We’ll continue to have discussions and look at different options. With that said, I'm very confident with the guys we have in the room and the leadership we have, and we've added. One way or another, I think it's going to get figured out."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.