NHL

Rangers’ Drury may take buyout

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The twists and turns over the couple of weeks since general manager Glen Sather first notified Chris Drury that the Rangers were preparing to buy out the final season of the captain’s contract apparently are not yet over, The Post has learned.

For after Drury suggested a week ago that he was going to apply for a designation of being medically unable to play next season because of a degenerative condition in his left knee, the captain is now leaning toward accepting a buyout, according to individuals familiar with the situation.

The deadline for buyouts is Thursday, but procedure dictates a player must be placed on, and go through, unconditional waivers after official notification of the intent to buy out. The Rangers would have to place Drury on waivers no later than Tuesday in order to comply with procedures.

2011-12 SCHEDULE

If Drury does indeed accept the buyout rather than file for the medical exception, the Rangers would carry approximately $3.717 million of dead cap space on his deal through the summer and next season, a saving of approximately $3.333 million.

The club also would face a charge of approximately $1.667 million for 2012-13, pending a new collective bargaining agreement that could erase that obligation.

Sather would not directly address the Drury situation yesterday following the draft, though the GM did reveal the team did not extend a qualifying offer to defenseman Matt Gilroy, who will thus become an unrestricted free agent Friday after rejecting an alternate offer from the Rangers.

“I’m not going to tell you anything about [a buyout] until the time comes,” Sather said. “I haven’t talked to Chris recently; I assume he’s feeling fine.”

Sather said that the club did extend qualifying offers to right wing Ryan Callahan, centers Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov and defenseman Michael Sauer, the five restricted free agents other than Gilroy on last year’s roster.

It is unlikely any will come to an agreement before the market opens as the Rangers will retain as much maneuverability as possible under the $70.73 million summer cap to sign unrestricted free agents.

Gilroy, who would have been owed a qualifier of $2.1 million, opted to take a shot at the open market after a pair of disappointing seasons in New York after signing a free agent contract out of Boston University.

“I like him; I think he played well in the playoffs but I think the deal for [defenseman Tim] Erixon left him skeptical where he sees himself on the team,” Sather said. “But it doesn’t matter who is on the roster, you have to make the team.”

Evgeny Grachev, once regarded as a top prospect, will not be in position to make the team, traded to St. Louis yesterday for the 72nd overall pick in the draft the club used on Edina (Minn.) High School center Steven Fogarty.

“He felt he wasn’t a fit in our system [and asked for a trade],” Sather said of the 21-year-old winger who struggled badly through eight scoreless games with the Rangers last year. “I’d been shopping him around for a year now, and the only team that was interested was St. Louis.

“He may still turn out with a fresh start.”

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Assistant GM Cam Hope is leaving the organization, The Post has learned . . . Sather revealed the Rangers will open the next three seasons in Europe . . . The Rangers drafted Edmonton center Michael St. Croix 106th overall, Kelowna right wing Shane McColgan 134th, Baie-Comeau defenseman Samuel Noreau 136th and Slovakian defenseman Peter Ceresnak 172nd.

larry.brooks@nypost.com