The New York Rangers have undergone a handful of changes during the offseason in the wake of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this spring as the last-ranked club in the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers, who traded away sniper Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in early February, later swapped veteran forward Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth over the summer while acquiring backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins.
However, they landed a major fish when they acquired forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for the No. 26 and No. 92 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, and a top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
It gave the Rangers a steady-scoring forward that they hope will offset some of the production that left with Panarin and Trocheck.
New York Rangers Forward Pavel Dorofeyev Previews His First Year In The Big Apple
The good news is that for Dorofeyev, he doesn’t feel the need to change much of anything that’s been working for him as he prepares for his first Training Camp as a member of the Rangers.
“If you fear that type of challenge, you just have to be a man and accept the challenge and do your best to just just be the same way,” Dorofeyev said via Remy Mastey. “I don’t have to change much.”
“We have a great group of guys,” Dorofeyev said. “We have a lot of skill, a lot of potential, and we’re gonna work hard to be good. We’re gonna put that effort together.”
Meanwhile, he also gets to play with a handful of his countrymen that he was already familiar with.
“When I got traded, I knew them (Igor Shesterkin and Vladislav Gavrikov) before,” Dorofeyev said. “We were in touch a little bit. Not just necessarily Shesterkin and Gavrikov. I can easily talk to J.T., Mika, Lafrenière. We are all on the same page.”
The Rangers Were Happy To Acquire Dorofeyev From The Golden Knights
Shortly after the trade was completed, Rangers GM Chris Drury explained that the club targeted the Russian-born forward known for his offensive flair, and that they were very pleased to be able to acquire him.
“His unique skill set and his production, specifically in goals, is something we were in need of,” Drury said. “We targeted him and we’re thrilled to pull off the trade with Vegas.”
“I think we’ve got some pretty talented players that can get him the puck as well, whether it’s 5-on-5 or power play,” Drury said. “The right age for us, the right production, excited to add him to our mix and I think he’s going to do extremely well for us.”
Pavel Dorofeyev Breaks Silence Before 1st Rangers Training Camp