Breaking Down Biggest Question for NY Rangers Heading into 2026-27 Season

What is the biggest question for the New York Rangers heading into the campaign?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With training camp set to get underway for the New York Rangers, the team will be hoping that this year's version will be a much-improved group. 

Coming off one of the worst seasons in a while for the Rangers, the goal this offseason was to improve significantly. While it did appear like there were two paths New York could have chosen, the Rangers elected to go with a retool rather than a rebuild. 

With the team still having Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin in their primes, they felt like there was still time for them to be able to win with those two. Chris Drury got really aggressive this offseason to make some moves that not only will help them this coming season, but hopefully in the future as well. 

As the team gets set for camp and the preseason, there will be no shortage of things to watch and questions that will need to be answered. However, one thing does stand above the rest. 

Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about the biggest question for the Rangers being how all the new pieces they got this summer will fit together. 

New York Has Improved, But How Much Remains the Question

NY Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury speaks during a press conference to introduce new head coach Mike Sullivan at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York May 8, 2025. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Due to all of the changes, figuring out just how good this team might be if players gel will be the major question. Barring major injuries, the Rangers won’t be the last-place team in the Eastern Conference, but where they could end up in the standings is a great question. 

At forward, the team made some notable additions led by Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen. These three should help improve the top nine quite a bit, with Dorofeyev expected to be one of the best goal scorers on the team. 

Furthermore, the team also made some good additions to revamp the blueline with Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson coming over in trades. 

In the net, the team added Joonas Korpisalo, who will battle with Dylan Garand for the backup spot. 

Overall, there is a lot to like about the roster for the team, and being in the hunt for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs seems like a very realistic goal. The Rangers have a good mix of improvements on offense and defense, and with Shesterkin in the net, they can beat anyone on any given night if he is on. 

It will be key that the team is able to gel and the next two weeks with training camp and the preseason. If they can, they will be in excellent position to improve.