This New York Rangers team is undeniably better than the way they ended the season. Acquiring forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno should help, particularly with the big additions on the blue line of Sean Durzi, Marcus Pettersson and fifth-overall selection Alberts Smits. The New York Rangers’ improvement this season, if it occurs, will be thanks to these transactions.
Notably, the Rangers do still have needs. Some of those needs are minor and short-term. Some of those needs are major and more long-term in nature.
These are just some of the reasons the team still won’t make any noise, according to former NHL forward Mike Rupp. Speaking on “Tri-State Hockey Podcast” with co-host Jonny Lazerus, Rupp poked a few holes in the plans laid out by general manager Chris Drury.
Artemi Panarin is the Missing Man
Rupp indicated that he liked the moves the Rangers made this off-season. There can be little doubt of the New York Rangers’ improvement this summer. Some doubt stems from whether they improved enough for it to matter.
Some of Rupp’s doubt stems back to something the Rangers did in February. After releasing a letter to fans, the Rangers also indicated their intention to trade Artemi Panarin. They ultimately traded the star winger to the Los Angeles Kings for a modest package. That deal returned the Los Angeles Kings’ top prospect, winger Liam Greentree, and a third-round selection in 2026.
“Why is Artemi Panarin not here? You know what I mean? When you see the deal that he got — you can’t always judge it based off of what he got — but man a short-term deal for Artemi Panarin to be here? Now you’ve got a sniper. They got two shooters in [Oliver] Bjorkstrand and [Pavel] Dorofeyev, and the best playmaker that this franchise has seen in a long time is not there. So who is even going to get these guys the puck?”
Rupp and Lazerus agreed that the Rangers are essentially in no man’s land heading into 2026-27. The team spent significant capital to improve, but questions remain over how much the team actually improved.
New York Rangers Improvements are External and Internal
New York made big bets in the off-season. Those bets mean the Rangers have to be on the right track no later than the 2028-29 season. Vegas landed a protected 2028 first-round selection as part of the return for Dorofeyev. If the Rangers keep the selection in 2028, it becomes an unprotected 2029 pick. For a team in desperate need of high-end talent, the Rangers can’t afford to give up premium picks. In some ways, it’s a smart bet by Drury. He’s hedging his bets that, even if the Rangers are bad this year, they can turn it around before the ticking time bomb explodes in 2029. In other ways, it’s the hockey equivalent of a poker gutshot straight draw. Chris Drury is punting his issues, in hopes that he’s already got the right puzzle pieces.
Some of that is based on superstars Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox. The Rangers clearly missed both last season. The New York Rangers’ improvements hinge in part on those two simply being healthy. The team went 2-11-0 in 13 games without both players heading into the Olympic break.
Health isn’t the only thing the team is counting on for success next season. The Rangers clearly have high hopes for 2020 No. 1 overall selection Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers winger finished the season with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in his final 25 games. He saw increased playing time on the first power-play unit. He also showed chemistry with center Mika Zibanejad and young winger Gabe Perreault. The latter drew significant praise from prospect experts for his play down the stretch last season.
Rangers Chances Really are Down the Middle
That’s both literally and figuratively true. Much of the New York Rangers’ improvement this season hinges on captain J.T. Miller bouncing back as he moves to center full-time.
The middle is also where the Rangers stand in some of the projection models. Hockeystats.com gives the Rangers exactly a 50 percent chance of making the playoffs in a crowded Eastern Conference. Much like Lazerus and Rupp, many experts are approaching the Rangers with trepidation heading into next season.
Former NHL Player: Improved Rangers Won’t Make Noise Minus Star Winger