It appears that captain Chris Drury has softened on his stance from last week and may accept the Rangers’ buyout after all.  Drury had reportedly told GM Glen Sather that he’d file paperwork stating that he was medically unable to play, thus blocking the Rangers’ planned buyout of the final year of his contract.  But the NY Post’s Larry Brooks reports that Drury may have changed his mind and the Rangers may be able to purge his contract from the books after all.

Teams have until Thursday to buy out players, but the Rangers would have to start the process no later than Tuesday because Drury would need to pass through unconditional waivers before the buyout deadline.

There’s no indication as to why Drury may have changed his mind, but perhaps the public backlash against his decision swayed him.  Drury is a proud man for sure, but he’s also a team-first guy and his reluctance to accept the Rangers’ decision was puzzling.  Drury would surely be in demand elsewhere if he became a free agent, so severing ties with the Rangers, who have no place for him next year, really makes the most sense for all involved.

- The Rangers revealed the roster for the Prospect Development Camp set to begin today at the Madison Square Garden Training Center.

The notable absence is Chris Kreider, who remains committed to his junior year at Boston College.  Kreider could have participated in the camp and still returned to school, so it’s unclear why he’s not attending, but perhaps Kreider doesn’t want the pressure of signing with the team early which would likely be a main storyline of the week.

Otherwise, all the Rangers’ notable prospects will be in attendance.  The newly acquired Tim Erixon and Oscar Lindberg are set to attend, as are all of this weekend’s draft picks: J.T. Miller, Peter Ceresnak, Steven Fogarty, Samuel Noreau, Michael St. Croix and Shane McColgan.

Outside of Erixon and Miller, the most attention may be focused on 19-year-old left winger Christian Thomas, the team’s second-round pick in 2010.  Thomas tore up the OHL last season and has already signed an entry-level deal with the Blueshirts.  There’s some question about whether he’s physically ready for the NHL, but his offensive skills are top-notch and there’s been plenty of speculation that the Rangers hope to get him in the lineup as soon as this season.

- In case you missed our full slate of draft coverage from the weekend:

Mid-Round Steals + Addition Of Erixon Make 2011 NHL Draft A Win For NY >

J.T. Miller profile >

Steven Fogarty profile >

Michael St. Croix profile >

Shane McColgan profile >

Samuel Noreau profile >

Peter Ceresnak profile >

Reaction to the J.T. Miller pick >

Evgeny Grachev traded >

- And here are some early thoughts from around the hockey world on the Rangers’ draft:

Pro Hockey Talk – “Miller is an example of the “Mario Lemieux effect,” one of those Pittsburgh-area (Miller was born in Ohio) players who was probably inspired to play the game by the Penguins legend. He was considered one of the three best players for Team USA at the 2011 Under-18 World Championships.” 

ESPN – Grade: B-

“Jonathan Miller will play and offer some added edge. Not much thereafter, however. Michael St. Croix is an interesting player -- scouts give him very mixed reviews, liking his game one night and not at all the next. If he can string together his good nights, he might have a shot. His numbers (27 goals and better than a point a game with Edmonton) are solid for a No. 106 pick.  Sonier's prime picks: Stepped up and got their man in Miller, who is a great combination of sandpaper, skating and grit. Smaller skilled players St. Croix and Shane McColgan -- both from the WHL -- have put up numbers and with added strength could surprise people.”

Corey Pronman – “Day 1: I'm not a huge fan of this pick and while I get why some like J.T. Miller in the intangibles, the physical game and the solid skill set, I don't see the hockey sense in Miller and subsequently I think he's a bottom-six player in the NHL. He has the raw skills to prove me wrong and get to a second line status, but something major would have to click for that to happen.  The Rest: While I wasn't crazy about their Day 1, the Rangers went to work in Day 2. When I saw Steven Fogarty, he showed decent offensive tools, but I couldn't classify him as a fringe offensive player either; he also has quite desirable physical tools. I loved where the Blue Shirts were able to get Michael St. Croix as it is very easy to see his skating, puck skills and hockey sense one day playing in an NHL top-six even with his physical holes. Shane McColgan came into the year with some thinking he could go in the top 15, but he fell off after not meeting the offensive expectations required for a player of his size. This is an all or nothing pick, as McColgan has plus puck skills and is an above-average skater and shooter—he'll either play scoring minutes or he simply won't play a game in the league. Samuel Noreau is a big, physical defenseman with limited upside and is somewhat of a project. Peter Ceresnak never really stood out in viewings. He showed a steady and somewhat advanced defensive game but he's not really a pro puck-mover.  Summary: The Rangers played it safe on the Miller pick, but by the end of the draft they had taken a couple of risky shots while also accumulating a notable amount of depth. I'm not exactly jumping for joy over what they did in Minnesota, but at the end of the day, I thought they still did well.”

- And of course, don’t miss Jess Rubenstein’s thoughts on the draft over at The Prospect Park.