Colin Stephenson: Rangers' Chris Drury doubles down on 'retool' label after second straight playoff miss

In his Breakup Day Zoom meeting with reporters, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury returned to the word he has chosen to describe the stage the Blueshirts are in after failing to reach the playoffs for two straight seasons.

“We have a lot of talented players,’’ he said. “And we’re trying to retool and find some different ways to have success. And . . . I do like a lot of our pieces. And I’m excited to begin the offseason.’’

To be clear, if Rangers fans had any doubts: This is a “retool’’ and definitely not a “rebuild.’’ And while Drury again refused to declare any kind of timetable for how long the process might take, the hope among his players and coach Mike Sullivan is that it shouldn’t have to take that long.

“I think we have the ability to improve and get better in the most immediate future,’’ Sullivan said Friday as the Rangers gathered for one last time at their practice facility to have their exit meetings. “I feel like with some tweaks to our roster, [once we] get some guys healthy again, I think we have the ability to become a competitive team.’’

When asked how that might happen, Sullivan suggested the team might want to bring in “some puck-moving ability on our blue line’’ and some reinforcements for the bottom six forward group. When asked the same question, Drury agreed.

Both men talked around the question of whether there needs to be improvement in the top-six forward group and expressed confidence in those players.

“I think we’ve got some talented guys,’’ Sullivan said. “Mika [Zibanejad] had a terrific year. I think J.T. [Miller] is capable of scoring. I think [Vincent Trocheck] is capable of scoring. I think Will Cuylle, I think Laf [Alexis Lafreniere] is very capable of scoring.

“I think there’s another level to Laf’s game, for example. We were really encouraged by his evolution the second part of the season. So I do think we have the makings of guys that can finish and produce offense.’’

Trocheck, who wasn’t traded at the deadline but is well aware he could be traded over the summer as part of the retool, was the only player who expressed any hesitation about the team’s situation. He said his desire to stay will be affected by what he sees as the direction the team is heading in.

“You want to see the team heading in a direction where we’re going to be able to contend,’’ he said.

Most of the players were more optimistic about the team’s situation. They chose to play up their 12-10-3 record after the Olympic break (which included a four-game winning streak and wins in five of their last seven home games) as a positive that could carry into next season. They also highlighted encouraging performances by Hartford call-ups Jaroslav Chmelar, Adam Sykora and Dylan Garand, along with defenseman Drew Fortescue, who joined the team straight from Boston College.

Zibanejad, the only player on the roster who was on the team for the 2018 rebuild and who has a full no-move clause in his contract, said he has no desire to leave during the retool.

“I want to be here,” he said. “Having been here now for 10 years, I’ve gone through the ups and downs. For me, it is about retooling; you look around the league and see how fast a team can turn things around.

“Obviously, you never know what is happening with the organization, but seeing other teams make the playoffs after a quick turnaround makes me optimistic. With the young talent coming in, I don’t feel like we need a whole lot to improve. I want to be here to turn this around.”

Adam Fox, who had created something of a stir when he didn’t declare emphatically that he wants to stay, seemed relaxed when asked what he thinks is possible for the team next season.

“No matter what, we’re always going to come in and have a high bar and try and win,’’ Fox said. “I think each of us is going to come in and try and take advantage of the time we have now, and I think no matter what, try and win a Stanley Cup.

“It’s a lofty goal, maybe, but I think that’s all you can do is come in and try and attack training camp and go from there, really.’’

Sullivan said he didn’t expect to be in a retool situation when he took the job at the end of last season but promised he is committed to riding out the process.

“My family and I went through a process and made a decision that we felt was best for me as a coach, and our family,’’ he said, “and what I’ll tell you is that we are unwavering [in our] investment into the Rangers, and that will never falter. From my standpoint, I have incredible optimism on where we can go.’’

Blue notes

Forward Adam Edstrom revealed he had surgery in December to repair a fractured ankle . . . Matt Rempe had two surgeries to repair his left thumb, which was injured in a fight with Ryan Reaves in October. He said he’ll be ready for training camp.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.