Adam Fox's next partner, K'Andre Miller's future and more: Rangers mailbag, part 2

Back with part two of our New York Rangers mailbag.

My colleagues first part answered questions on the possibility of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider or Artemi Panarin trades; Ryan Lindgrens status; and who might come out of the current 4 Nations break rejuvenated.

In this installment, Ill have answers on who general manager Chris Drury might want to bring in after all the recent and possibly future departures.

Those include a new depth center, a partner for Adam Fox and what happens with KAndre Miller.

(Note: Some questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Are the Rangers more likely to try and add a third-line center or a top-six winger at the deadline? Perhaps a better way of framing this: Is Zibanejad at right wing a season-long solution or a temporary one? Cody G.

I think this is where not being in go-for-it mode helps Drury and the Rangers in the next few weeks.

He can be more concerned about where players fit for the longer term than with plugging holes in crisis mode to try and win a Stanley Cup.

Im not saying this is their thinking, but based on the moves Drury has made in the past two months, it makes sense that this would be how the Rangers are approaching March 7.

Advertisement So they can give Zibanejad a stretch at RW while also examining the market to know if theres a now-and-future fit either on the right side up the lineup or in the middle down the lineup.

And even if they acquire a pending unrestricted free agent, it might not be a rental; that would make little sense.

So if there is an addition, its almost surely not someone coming in for a quick viewing.

I dont think theyre going to be in the Ryan Donato market, for instance.

But would they be in the Ryan McLeod market should they find a fit with the Buffalo Sabres? Yeah, maybe.

Or the Trent Frederic market.

Frederic would be a costly addition, but youre acquiring a guy like that to keep him for a few years.

People seem excited about the fact the Rangers wanted Erik Brannstrom.

Am I being a pessimist in thinking that hes basically a slightly better Zac Jones that wont get a real shot anyway? Jimbo Brannstrom has been an exciting acquisition in a few spots already.

The 294 NHL games probably give him a leg up on Jones, but the drawbacks appear to be similar: a smallish player who doesnt have the skills to be more than a bottom-pair guy yet.

Hes basically another swing at finding a regular on the left side.

Urho Vaakanainen is that, too, and he seems to be in a decent spot for an extension and a role.

Jones less so.

If the Rangers trade Ryan Lindgren and dont replace him from outside before the deadline, Brannstrom likely gets an audition.

The teams biggest need is pretty clear, and its a legitimate partner for Fox.

He needs someone highly mobile who can handle the puck.

Just take a look at pairings like Devon Toews-Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes-Filip Hronek.

So with that in mind, who do you expect them to target? Zach V.

What do you expect Drurys plan is on defense this offseason? How can Drury realistically fortify the D and acquire players that actually win puck battles and drive possession from the back end? Kevin M.

If thats the measuring stick, youd think KAndre Miller would be the guy, but Im not sure thats how Drury and Peter Laviolette see the top four shaking out.

Among the summer UFAs, there are three left-shot candidates for me: Ivan Provorov, Dmitry Orlov and Vladislav Gavrikov.

Very different price points on the open market, I would think, with Provorov probably the most expensive and the one who could best fill what youre looking for in a top pair like the ones you mentioned.

Orlov is the oldest of the three and maybe the one you could get cheapest and with the shortest term but maybe the one youd wonder about as a fit.

Advertisement Im going with Gavrikov an underrated skater who definitely skews defense/PK but has some skill and has already shown he can eat major minutes.

Also, Gavrikovs last two KHL seasons were spent as Igor Shesterkins teammate, which could mean nothing, but maybe you want your cornerstone goalie to have a friendly face here long term.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being could be fired tomorrow, and 10 being Glen Sather, where do you put the respective job security of both Peter Laviolette and Chris Drury? We know expectations are always high for this team, and surely the owner is not happy with how the season has played out.

Are both likely to go if the team misses the playoffs? Michael L.

I understand that James Dolan can be a bit reactive, but as far as Drurys concerned, I dont see how you undertake such a major revision, especially in the middle of a season in which youve essentially punted because of the desire to change the roster, without full ownership support.

Ill put Drury at an 8.

The coach is never so secure.

Clearly Dolan and Drury like Laviolette or hed have already been gone in this weird year.

Once the Rangers make the moves they deem necessary this summer, then the spotlight is on Laviolette.

So lets give him a 6 for now.

So my view is no, even if the Rangers miss the playoffs, neither is getting fired.

It feels like the teams in a tough position.

The cores aging and some of the guys youd want upgrades over dont have much trade value.

But you also dont sign Shesty to a massive contract like that or trade for J.T.

Miller only to rebuild.

Were the Rangers right in trying to rescue a (possibly lost) season and fight for a playoff spot? Or should they have blown it up, even if it means parting with an incredible player like Panarin? Chris H.

I dont think this franchise was ever going back to 2017-2021 no matter how bad it got this season, so blowing it up just doesnt feel like the goal here.

The Shesterkin contract showed that to be the case even two-plus months ago and then the J.T.

Miller trade compounded that this is about changing the core as much as Drury can.

Advertisement Panarin is an interesting case.

Im not sure they will be eager to re-up with him after next season so if things are still going along the same path in 2025-26, theres surely a way to convince him to waive his no-move clause and go to a contender, but I dont see it happening sooner than that.

Trading Panarin now is throwing in the towel not just on this season but maybe next season too, and with that first-rounder still in play for the Pittsburgh Penguins now, no less thats a big risk.

But whether theyve rescued this season is still up for debate.

Miller is here to be a core guy for a few years, not save this season.

The jurys still out on the current vets whove been questionable this season (Zibanejad, Kreider) and at least one younger player (KAndre Miller) whos been up and down.

To me, this is still evaluation time.

What do you think the Rangers are going to do with KAndre Miller? Extend or trade? John R.

Before all the other moves, I was very much leaning trade, since he could have brought back a pretty significant player or package of assets.

Now Ive flipped.

With Lindgren on the way out, I cant see Drury basically dumping the entire left side of the defense and starting over.

The chances of a seven- or eight-year deal seem pretty slim, but with the cap going up significantly, a six year-$6.5 million deal might end up being a huge bargain in a couple of seasons.

It would also be eminently tradable.

Panarin is an elite NHL offensive force, no question.

I wonder as a right-handed forward, why he is not on the right side? It just seems that attacking with the puck on his forehand will allow him to leverage his elite vision and passing with greater quickness, accuracy and force.

As opposed to the backhand or doing a spin for position could help on breakouts and through the neutral zone.

Also free up the left side.

Alexis Lafreniere-J.T.

Miller-Panarin seems to me to be an imposing line that allows a settling of the others.

No knock on Panarin.

He produces from the left.

Just wonder what can be done from the right? Jim D.

Panarin plays the left because thats where hes always played and hes backed it up with some pretty ridiculous numbers.

Perhaps shifting Lafreniere back to the left would help him regain his form, but even in this down year, Panarin is the engine of the offense.

Unsettling Panarin, even if hes not here beyond next season, doesnt seem like the right play here.

If the Rangers keep the 25 first-round pick by staying a bottom 13 team in the standings.

What are the odds that pick is also shopped for immediate help? Reed L.

Youd better be right if youre moving a lottery pick for help now.

The Rangers need that help, but they also need to keep the pipeline flowing.

Its been a minute since they picked in the top 13, and Drury has never had that chance as GM.

Having said all that, I think they would move that pick if its not in the top five.

Thoughts on taking a swing on six- to seven-year deals for Will Cuylle and KAndre Miller that may be overpayments now but will age well with the rising cap? Brendan M.

Pretty good bets on both guys if they can pull that off.

The cap going up may mean second and third restricted-free-agent contracts are going to be shorter since there are more chances for huge paydays.

If the Rangers can lock both of them in at todays prices for that long, itll be wins on both.

Advertisement What are the chances that Gabe Perreault gets added to the roster after his college season? If its Laviolettes inclination to bottom-six the kid, then Im not sure it would be worth it.

Frank B.

As I wrote on Perreault last week, there might be barely any time to bring him on.

The NCAA title game is April 12, and Boston College is a decent bet to get there.

If the Rangers are going to miss the playoffs, that leaves just two games after the college championship.

At that point its not about where Perreault would play for the Rangers; its just about seeing how hed handle a few games.

GO DEEPER Rangers prospects Perreault and Fortescue searching for one last win before pros Ive never seen an in-depth discussion of the Rangers coaching staff under Laviolette.

What are their duties and, the major question, why have the defense coach(es) not been able to teach the team to effectively backcheck, deny easy entry through the neutral zone, coach D-zone net-front play, etc.? Michael R.

Michael Peca handles the forwards on the bench and the power play, Phil Housley handles the defense and I believe Dan Muse is basically Laviolettes right-hand man.

You often hear Muses voice at the whiteboard or in drills at practice as much as Laviolettes.

Muse is well-liked in the room and a guy who might get some head-coaching interviews sooner rather than later.

Hockey just isnt like baseball or football, where assistants or coordinators get dumped midseason for failings on either side of the ball.

The NHL coaching room is pretty cohesive and Laviolette picked all these guys, so any major failing falls on all of them.

Housley didnt have the greatest track record in developing defensemen during his long coaching career so maybe thats one spot to pick out, but the teams defensive deficiencies are just that full team efforts.

Not sure who you blame for that other than the guys who dont track back well or make poor coverage decisions.

(Top photo of Adam Fox: Michael Reaves / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.