We now know exactly why things turned ugly between GM Drury and Trouba, Kreider and Kakko

In case you missed it yesterday, the New York Rangers traded former 2nd overall selection Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for depth defenseman Will Borgen and a couple mid-round draft picks.

Womp womp...

Kakko trade rumors have been in the headlines for years now at this point, but to see the team give up on him for such a little return has to be disappointing to Rangers fans. Disappointing maybe, but surprising? Unlikely.

The fact is that the Rangers have made several disappointing moves under GM Chris Drury and a report from Rangers insider Vincent Mercogliano is shedding some light on Drury's process and why it's rubbing some many Rangers' players the wrong way.

It's clear that Drury runs the team with an iron fist and doesn't allow dissenting voices to be heard. His first move to de-stabilize his team's psyche was to waive veteran forward Barclay Goodrow and force him out of the team. The move was seen as underhanded by some of the team's core planted the seed of distrust for Drury.

Drury moved on to captain Jacob Trouba and spent all offseason trying to move his team's captain, only for Trouba to flex his no-movement clause. Ultimately Drury won the game of chicken the pair were having and Trouba was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks. The former captain made it clear that he wasn't happy with the lack of communication he received from his former GM throughout the process.

"I’m not overly thrilled with how it went down," Trouba said. "In my opinion, things could have been handled better."

Now, just days after voicing his own frustrations with the team, Kakko is gone too.

A team spokesperson has claimed that Kakko's trade had nothing to do with him speaking out against head coach Peter Laviolette on Monday but... who honestly believes that? The kid spoke his mind and now he's on a flight to Seattle... it's not hard to do the math on this one.

Rangers players, understandably so, aren't happy with Drury broadcasting Chris Kreider's trade availability to the entire league, also. The news apparently blindsided Kreider and his teammates, as the longest tenured Rangers player has arguably given more to this team than anyone else since Henrik Lundqvist.

"It's my job, and 31 other GMs’ jobs, to try and do everything we can to help our team," Drury said in a recent conference call. "There's things at our disposal in the (Collective Bargaining Agreement). I'm not trying to mess with players. I have a ton of respect for Barclay and certainly, as I've said already, for Jacob. I'm just trying to do the best I can to move the team forward and make changes that I think are necessary."

Then there's the shocking dismissal of long-time team trainer Jim Ramsay in 2023. The Rangers terminated Ramsay's employment with the team after 29 years without stating a reason. 

"We don't comment on employee matters," a team spokesperson said.

The Rangers' leadership group was reportedly devastated for Ramsay and shared their opinions with management. That's when things got ugly with Kreider and the team, reports say.

From Mercogliano:

Multiple sources indicated the shocking dismissal was framed as an ownership decision and had a chilling effect on the team. Ramsay was beloved by most players, who privately let their displeasure be known.

Kreider was among the most aggrieved, with his frustration boiling over Feb. 15, 2024 – the night Ramsay returned to MSG for the first time as head trainer for the Montreal Canadiens.

He netted a hat trick in the 7-4 win and was one of several players to embrace their former trainer after the game, yet Kreider curiously declined to speak to the media after being named the No. 1 star of the game. According to one source, it was because Kreider was so upset by the Rangers’ treatment of Ramsay and refusal to acknowledge his return and feared he might not be able to hold that anger back if interviewed.

- Vincent Mercogliano

Mercogliano also reports that the Rangers have made significant changes to their front office, scouting, public relations and social media departments. The changes have been described as 'wholesale'.

The most damning evidence of toxicity in the organization though comes from an internal memo by the team leaked to reporters. In it, Drury warns that interactions between team staff and roster players could be grounds for dismissal. This reportedly comes after a PR employee had dinner with a Rangers player following a media event.

More from Mercogliano:

Drury’s memo to all NHL GMs has garnered a ton of attention lately, but it was an internal memo − exclusively obtained by lohud.com/USA TODAY − that reverberated throughout the organization earlier this year.

In the aftermath of a PR person being fired for having dinner with a player following a media event prior to the new season, a letter signed by Drury, as well as Knicks president Leon Rose and MSG COO Jamaal Lesane, was distributed to all team employees issuing “a reminder regarding the expectations of behavior when interacting with the players or coaches of any of our Teams.”

Staffers were told that “absent written approval from an Executive Vice President (‘EVP’) or above,” they were prohibited from staying at the same hotel as any of the teams under the MSG umbrella, including the minor-league Hartford Wolf Pack and Westchester Knicks, traveling on team flights or buses, or attending team social gatherings or meals, according to the memo.

Furthermore, it mandated that employees keep as much distance as possible at the rink.

“Interactions between employees and players or coaches must be strictly limited except as necessary to satisfy the requirements of an employee’s role,” it read. “Failure to comply with the directives set forth in this memorandum may result in disciplinary action, including, without limitation, termination of employment.”

This was seen as a step too far by many who value the working, collegial relationships between players and staff, including trainers, equipment managers and PR. Some responded by boycotting the next team function after the memo was sent out, according to two sources.

- Vincent Mercogliano

It's clear to me that Drury is doing everything possible to hold onto his power. He doesn't want his players or his staff to even question him and his methods for a second. If they do, they're history... it doesn't matter if you're team captain, a 2nd overall pick or a beloved team employee with 29 years experience... if you speak out against Drury, you're gone.

The only question is... who's next?