NY Rangers make something clear to Mike Sullivan and fans, with subtle dig at Artemi Panarin after Kings trade

Finally, Artemi Panarin’s drama has been put to rest. However, that doesn’t mean the waters have even remotely calmed down for the New York Rangers. If anything, moving on from Panarin was only the first hurdle—a pivotal one, obviously—but the first nonetheless. Now, the work may only just be beginning for Chris Drury, Mike Sullivan, and the Blueshirts going forward in the NHL.

The writing was on the wall for Panarin’s time in Manhattan. However, his next destination was still up in the air. According to reports, it remained that way until just hours before the NHL’s Olympic roster freeze, when Panarin made one thing clear to New York and its front office, admitting where he wanted to play.

Drury and the Rangers respected his wish, and that was that: “The Breadman” became the newest King in the league. After Panarin exited the Rangers, the Los Angeles Kings’ projected lines received a massive boost. Despite the highs-and-lows, it seemed there was no bad blood between Panarin and Sullivan‘s Rangers. However, Drury dropped a comment during a press conference that may paint a different picture.

Drury’s message hides shot at Panarin

“Our fans deserve a Stanley Cup, not a team just hoping to get in as the last wild card,” Drury admitted, via The New York Post. “So we felt it was best to start this organizational shift sooner than later.“

The Rangers’ general manager didn’t mince words during his media availability. Obviously, as Panarin’s move and contract details with the Kings were revealed, the biggest trade of the NHL season was the talk of the town in the Big Apple. Needless to say, there was no escaping the barrage of questions for Drury.

With his statement, the GM managed to wield a double-edged sword—one side pointing at Sullivan, whose job is to put the struggling Rangers back on their feet, and the other aimed at Panarin, whose departure for Los Angeles signals the end of an era in New York.

New York wants the Cup

The Rangers have divisional conquests and a Presidents’ Trophy to show for it. For some organizations, that’s more than enough. However, Drury made it clear that New York aspires to hoist Stanley Cups, and that an Eastern Conference Final run in 2024 is far from the end goal.

“That will be the guiding principle of every decision we make as an organization,” Drury stated. “How does this help us return to a Stanley Cup contender? We are going to work tirelessly at this every day to continue to improve and push towards that goal.”

Although the Blueshirts have admitted it’s time to embrace a retool—not to be mistaken for a rebuild, though the latter feels imminent as rough outings continue to pile up—Drury has set the franchise’s sights on Lord Stanley. Whether that is a realistic goal, that is another question. Despite the alarms going off and smoke coming out of the building, Drury is still painting a rosy picture.