Grading Mike Sullivan’s First Year as NY Rangers Coach

Mike Sullivan had an up-and-down first year as New York Rangers head coach.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers made a huge splash ahead of the 2025-26 season, bringing in Mike Sullivan as the team’s head coach.

For years, the Rangers saw firsthand what he could do from the bench. He was the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 years, experiencing a ton of success along the way. Sullivan reached the pinnacle in his first two years at the helm, winning the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016 and 2017.

The Penguins made the playoffs for seven consecutive years, but the end of Sullivan’s tenure left a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh missed the postseason three straight years, and they moved in a different direction.

New York scooped him up, hoping he would provide a boost to the team coming off a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, which didn’t result in a playoff appearance. Alas, Year 1 certainly didn’t yield the results anyone wanted.

What grade did Mike Sullivan receive for 2025-26 season?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Rangers regressed during the 2025-26 regular season. They finished in last place in the Eastern Conference, with only the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks finishing with fewer points in the NHL.

It would be understandable if Sullivan drew some ire from fans for the team's performance. However, most of their disdain is currently directed at ownership, namely, James Dolan, and the front office, which is led by Chris Drury.

Despite that, a grade of C+ sounds appropriate for Sullivan. There are only so many positives that can be drawn from a team that finished last in the conference, but some of the shortcomings were outside of his control.

There is only so much a head coach can do to replace a star goalie, such as Igor Shesterkin, who missed time because of injury. Adam Fox, arguably the best player on the team, was also sidelined, and without him, the defensemen's depth chart was a mess.

Mike Sullivan had some positives in Year 1 with Rangers

Mar 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan coaches against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When both of them were healthy and in the lineup, New York was a completely different team. Sullivan also deserves some credit for coaxing a productive season out of Mika Zibanejad.

He recorded 78 points in 81 games, his most since the 2022-23 campaign, when he had 91 points in 82 games. Zibanejad scored 34 goals and handed out 88 assists this season, having a resurgence in his age-32 campaign.

It may have taken a little longer than some fans would have liked, but Sullivan also started using younger players more down the stretch. Gabe Perreault flourished, looking like a future top-six forward.

Depth options across the roster emerged with Adam Sykora, Drew Fortescue, Matthew Robertson, Jaroslav Chmelar and Will Cuylle all looking like future contributors.