2 Biggest Reasons Why Things Went Wrong for NY Rangers

The 2025-26 season was a struggle for the New York Rangers, with two reasons sticking out as to why.

Sep 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan looks on during the first period of a preseason game against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NHL regular season ended on a high note for the New York Rangers, who won their finale against the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-2.

Alas, the campaign as a whole was a disappointing one for the franchise. Head coach Mike Sullivan said as much following their final game, that the win was nice, but it doesn’t mask what a tough year it was.

The Rangers finished last in the Eastern Conference and will have a top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. They fell woefully short of expectations, and there were a few driving factors behind why that occurred.

Arguably, the biggest reason for their inability to consistently find success this season was their struggles at Madison Square Garden. There was no home ice advantage for New York, losing their first seven games in their arena.

Rangers struggled mightily at Madison Square Garden

Jan 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan coaches against the Seattle Kraken during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

By the time they were eliminated from playoff contention, the Rangers still hadn’t reached double-digit wins at MSG. Figuring out how to play better at home is a major priority heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Of course, some of those home ice struggles can be attributed to the injuries that the team had to deal with. It felt as if New York was never at full strength, always missing at least one key player from their lineup.

Goalie Igor Shesterkin was in the net for 51 games, the fewest he has played in an 82-game season in his career. That led to Jonathan Quick and Spencer Martin receiving more playing time, and they struggled to the tune of a combined record of 7-20-2.

If there was any doubt about Shesterkin still being an elite goaltender in the NHL, that certainly helps prove his case. Also, providing some optimism for the future was Dylan Garand, who went 2-0-1 in limited action.

Injuries proved too much to overcome for New York

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (8) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Captain J.T. Miller was in the lineup for only 68 games, and star defenseman Adam Fox played in only 55. Vincent Trocheck was available for 67 contests. Constantly having to shuffle the lineup and being without key contributors led to plenty of inconsistent performance and an inability to build chemistry and cohesion.

The final nail in the coffin for what was already an inconsistent offense was trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings ahead of the deadline. It was a move that fans didn’t love, but it was better to get something of value in return for him instead of watching him potentially leave as a free agent for nothing.

With some younger players emerging and a top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on the way, optimism is on the rise for the Rangers.