Can the NHL go a couple of days without the Rangers making headlines? At this rate, I wouldn’t bet on it. Two days after breakup day following a disappointing season without making the playoffs, they’re in the news again.

Earlier today, the Rangers announced that they’d signed team president and general manager Chris Drury to a multiyear contract extension. If there were any hopeful fans who actually thought he’d be gone, they probably also believe in the tooth fairy.

It’s no secret that Drury has a close relationship with Garden CEO James Dolan. Dolan, who oversaw the firing of coach Peter Laviolette, still thinks that Drury is the best person for the job. So, he got some job security. Now, it’s on Drury to get the hiring of a new coach right and overhaul a roster that became stale.

“I am pleased that Chris will continue to lead the Rangers hockey operations in his role as President and General Manager,” Dolain said in a press release. “Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic, and a tireless pursuit of excellence. While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success.”

Right now, the Rangers are a laughingstock. Other fans of rivals are making jokes at their expense. Even across the Hudson when the Devils find themselves in a 2-0 series deficit to the Hurricanes, some of their fans can’t contain their excitement for what’s going on at 33rd and 7th. Unless they find some offense in time for Game 3, they’ll be joining our team on the golf course soon.

Be that as it may, the calendar hasn’t even changed to May yet. Drury has his work cut out for him. The Rangers went from a league-leading 114 points to 85 in one year, subtracting captain Jacob Trouba, alternate captain Barclay Goodrow, former number two pick Kaapo Kakko, and key defenseman Ryan Lindgren. Only Goodrow changed locations before the season, with Drury making a prearranged waiver deal with the Sharks to claim him last summer. Jimmy Vesey also went with Lindgren in the roster purge that did little to improve the team. Even the key addition of J.T. Miller wasn’t enough to get them into the postseason.

While Drury is still in Dolan’s good graces, all this does is up the ante. Nobody is satisfied with the season they just had. Dolan lost a lot of gate revenue, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for season ticket holders. They were set to raise the ticket prices again despite how underwhelming the team was. The cost for each round of the playoffs was absurd. At least, loyal fans saved money this time. Had they somehow squeaked in, the Rangers would’ve had no shot against the Caps in the first round. At least the Canadiens can compete. If Game 1 was any indication, that could be a closer series than first thought.

What lies ahead is finding the right coach who can get whoever’s left on the roster to buy into becoming a much tougher team. It’ll be the third coaching hire of Drury’s tenure running the organization. The two-year plan they’ve been on isn’t sustainable. The team’s lack of consistency further explains how they went from two appearances in the Conference Finals to getting good coaches dismissed in record time.

The onus is on Drury to get it right this time. That’ll include some tough decisions on restricted free agent K’Andre Miller, and well-respected veterans Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The latter two could wind up getting moved. If he’s looking to free up enough room to make an impact move that can improve the roster, Drury will have to have a long sit down with Zibanejad, who holds a full no-movement clause on a contract that pays him an $8.5 million cap hit. He didn’t suffer from any injuries like Kreider, who clearly was a shadow of the player who averaged over 37 goals the past two seasons before dropping down to 22 goals in 68 games.

There are more decisions to make, with Will Cuylle due to a significant raise from his entry-level contract. Forwards Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe, Arthur Kaliyev, and Juuso Parssinen are all restricted free agents. Defensemen Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson are as well.

Whatever transpires this summer, it won’t mean a thing until we see how the Rangers perform next season. There will be a lot more pressure on both the GM and the players. It should be an interesting off-season.