Why Rangers can’t be delusional about strong finish to lost season
Because the New York Rangers closed out this season playing some pretty good hockey, it’s easy to convince yourself that maybe things weren’t so bad for the Blueshirts in 2025-26. And maybe just maybe a quick fix here and there will set them up to be contenders once again next season.
That’s one thing if a contingent of fans perceive things that way. But Chris Drury and Co. cannot be duped into that way of thinking. The Rangers and their general manager must understand that there’s a boatload of work to be done this offseason, whether they call it a retool, rebuild, re-set, or anything else.
The Rangers (34-39-9) were actually pretty terrible this season. Even beyond finishing last in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers were exposed at all levels of the organization, one year after they became the fourth NHL team to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs the season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
So, despite closing out with six wins in their final 10 games, don’t forget what you saw most of the first 72 outings. The Rangers need more youth, more high-end skill, more two-way North-South commitment, more speed — they simply need more. And that’s not just at the NHL level. That’s throughout the entire organization. Their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford’s been a mess for the past two seasons, just the like the varsity in New York. Their prospect pool is shallow and not the envy of anyone around the League.
They need better players at every level of the food chain.
That doesn’t mean overpaying good-but-not-great players in their 30s or even late 20s in free agency. It’s about savvy trades and free-agent signings, and stringing together solid drafts, and properly developing prospects. This year. Next year. And consistently moving forward, striking for the big name when the timing is right.
Yes, Adam Sykora, Jaroslav Chmelar, Drew Fortescue, and Dylan Garand brought with them a breath of fresh air upon arriving on Broadway late last season. And that was a heckuva finish from Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault, after they joined Mika Zibanejad on the top line. And it sure was nice to have Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin healthy and stabilizing the lineup after missing so much time due to injury.
But heed these words from a veteran NHL scout, who told Forever Blueshirts, “Just watch the playoffs every night. The pace and skill and intensity that’s required to win even one game or one series, not to mention 16 games and a Stanley Cup. The Rangers don’t measure up in today’s NHL.”
He did add that the Rangers do have several “key pieces” to the puzzle, starting with Shesterkin in goal, a power play that can be downright lethal, especially with Fox running point, and 11 picks in this year’s NHL Draft. That’s a good starting point. But there’s not enough around them, or depth behind them, to make any success feel anything more than temporary.
“And I think ‘Sully’ [coach Mike Sullivan] is great. I just don’t really trust those above him making the decisions.”
So, this is the most important summer since Drury was named GM in 2021. Time to lay the foundation for the retool, not to think one or two good moves finishes it off already. This offseason should segue into the one next summer, as far as the organizational retool is concerned. And then into the next. Building blocks, if you will.
And nothing — nothing — should be off the table when it comes to considering possible moves. Considering, debating, discussing, inquiring, evaluating. Those are key words for the Rangers.
Only then will the Rangers be in position to transition back into a consistent playoff contender.
