What Rangers fans expect in 2025-26: player prediction poll
Forever Blueshirts recently launched a daily fan poll series on social media to get an idea about what New York Rangers fans expect from some of the organization’s top players heading into the 2025-26 season.
In the dead of the offseason, where there isn’t much breaking news, the polls provide a fun way to gauge what Rangers fans are thinking — who they believe will bounce back, break out or take a step back.
Over the course of five days, Rangers fans voted on point projections for forwards Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle, as well as defenseman Adam fox.
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Rangers fans set their expectations
Despite entering last season with a loaded roster and coming off a Presidents’ Trophy, the Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs entirely. Panarin followed up a career-best 120-point season by failing to crack 90 for the first time in a full season with the Rangers — excluding the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Zibanejad never found his rhythm, and Lafreniere struggled to produce consistently after what many hoped was a breakout 2023-24 season. Even Fox had a down year — at least by his standards.
The front office responded by relieving Peter Laviolette of his duties, and replaced him by hiring veteran coach Mike Sullivan. The Rangers also made a splash by signing free agent Vladislav Gavrikov to help stabilize the top defensive pair.
With all of that in mind, each player included in the voting is coming off a season he’d probably like to forget (minus Cuylle), and fans are expecting more across the board in 2025-26.
Artemi Panarin: 80-90 Points
After putting up a career-best 120 points in 2023-24, Panarin took a noticeable step back last season. He led the Rangers with 37 goals and 89 points, but it was a sharp dip from his elite production the season prior. His expected goals also fell from 30.6 to 25.4, per MoneyPuck.com, and his power-play production dropped as well.
In Forever Blueshirts’ fan poll, most voters expect a solid bounce back. The most popular vote was 80-90 points (43.2 percent), followed by 91-100 (33.6 percent). Just 12.7 percent of fans believe Panarin will crack the 100-point mark again, and only 10.5 percent expect him to score fewer than 80 points.
It’s clear that expectations have been recalibrated. Panarin’s 120-point campaign now looks like a positive outlier — not because a decline in the 33-year-old forward’s game, but rather because the team around him hasn’t maintained the same offensive firepower. Even if his individual skill stays elite, Panarin may not have the same opportunity to put up triple-figure scoring numbers.
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Mika Zibanejad: 60-69 Points
Zibanejad’s production dipped again in 2024-25, marking his second straight season with declining point totals. After putting up an NHL career-high 91 points in 2022-23, he dropped to 72 in 2023-24 and fell to 62 last season — his lowest output in a full 82-game season since 2017-18. The biggest concern lies in his overall impact, especially at even strength. Despite eating up similar minutes, Zibanejad scored just 20 goals, his lowest total with the Rangers since 2016-17, his first season on Broadway, when he had 14 goals in 56 games.
Fan expectations have adjusted accordingly. In Forever Blueshirts’ poll, the most common projection was 60-69 points (37.2 percent), followed by 70-79 (24.8 percent). Only 14.5 percent of voters believe he’ll bounce back with an 80+ point season, and 23.5 percent expect him to fall below the 60-point threshold. It’s clear fans still believe in Zibanejad’s ability to contribute, but not necessarily at the same level.
At 32, Zibanejad can still bring value as a two-way center and power-play threat, but the elite scoring that once defined his game may be in the rearview mirror. He also has the ability to shift to the wing, a move the Rangers very well may utilize this season after he had success there playing alongside J.T. Miller.
Alexis Lafreniere: 60+ Points
After a breakout 2023-24 season when he posted career highs across the board, the first player taken in the 2020 NHL Draft wasn’t able to take the next step in 2024-25. Despite suiting up in all 82 games and playing on the top line alongside Panarin and Vincent Trocheck for most of the season, Lafreniere’s production dipped to 17 goals and 45 points — down from 28 goals and 57 points just one season prior.
His expected goals fell from 26.9 to just 17, his shooting percentage dropped to a career-low 11.1 percent, and his power-play presence remained limited … all bad signs.
In our fan poll, voters expectations were fairly optimistic. In all, 38.2 percent projected Lafreniere to finish with 60 or more points, while another 36.1 percent expect him to finish with 50-59 points. Either way, it’s clear fans believe he will produce a better showing than last season, perhaps achieving career highs along the way.
Related: Vincent Trocheck viewed as most likely to slot in at 3C on Rangers roster: poll
Will Cuylle: 50-59 Points
Though the Rangers collectively underwhelmed in 2024-25, Cuylle put together his best NHL season yet. The 22-year-old wing emerged as one of New York’s few bright spots, finishing with 20 goals and 45 points.
Cuylle more than doubled his point total from the year prior and saw his expected goals spike from 13.6 to 22.9. His ice time climbed significantly — from around 11 minutes a game to just above 15. And he set a Rangers record with 301 hits, tied for third in the League.
Fan votes seem to reflect more optimism. In Forever Blueshirts’ poll, 43.5 percent of voters projected a 50-59 point season for Cuylle, while another 37 percent expected him to land in the 40-49 range. Only 10.4 percent of fans think he’ll drop below 40, a sign that Cuylle’s performance didn’t go unrecognized amid all the chaos of last season.
Adam Fox: 60-69 Points
Even in what most might call a “down” season, Fox still produced like one of the best defensemen in hockey. He tallied 61 points in 74 games, ranking ninth among NHL defensemen in scoring, and tied for sixth with 51 assists. It marked the fifth straight season Fox cracked the top 10 in scoring at his position, making him one of just two blueliners — along with Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche — to do so in every season since 2020-21.
Fox had 72 points in 2022-23 and followed that with 73 in 2023-24, before seeing a dip this past season. But considering the overall struggles of the Rangers, 61 points from Fox is far from a letdown.
His defensive play remains elite, despite a poor showing at the 4 Nations Face-Off. With a full season alongside Gavrikov, there’s reason to believe Fox can climb back toward that 70-point threshold.
In the fan poll, 41.6 percent of voters predicted Fox will finish with 60-69 points this season. Trailing slightly behind at 39 percent is the belief he’ll put up 70 or more. Just 19.5 percent project him to finish with less than 60 points, and a small but optimistic 19.1 percent believe Fox will break 80.
A season to prove something for Rangers
If there’s one theme that connects most every player in this poll series, it’s redemption. Nearly every core player on the Rangers’ roster is coming off a down year — whether it was a dip in production, inconsistency or just not living up to expectations.
With a new coach and a reshaped blue line, 2025-26 is shaping up to be a make-or-break season. Fans aren’t expecting perfection, but they are expecting major improvement. From Panarin to Zibanejad to Lafreniere, this team is loaded with talent — now it’s about showing it when it matters.
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