Lack of High-End Talent Evident for NY Rangers in Top 100 List

The New York Rangers only have two players who made the top 100 player list.

Apr 21, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) and goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) congratulate each other after defeating the Washington Capitals 4-1 in game one of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers did a ton of work with their roster this offseason, greatly improving the overall depth and talent up and down the organizational pipeline.

For the first time in a few years, the Rangers had real money to spend over the summer. There were specific skills the team wanted to address, and they accomplished it by adding more speed to the group and offensive upside.

Through the first four games of the season, the results were much improved compared to the early part of the 2025-26 campaign. New York was 3-1-0 and found a lot of success at home, something that didn’t happen last season.

However, while the overall skill level of the team has improved, this is a group that is still missing high-end, elite talent. That is evident in the NHL top 100 player list put together by a panel at ESPN.

Which Rangers players made the top 100 list?

Nov 24, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates the 3-2 win against the St. Louis Blues with New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rangers have only two players featured on the list, but they are as good of franchise cornerstones as any team: goalie Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox.

Inexplicably, Shesterkin has dropped in the rankings coming into this season. He is ranked No. 35, a considerable drop from the No. 14 spot that he held at this point last year. As good as it gets between the pipes, it is certainly a surprise to see him fall so much in the rankings.

Equally as surprising is that there are three goalies ranked ahead of him on the list: Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, and Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders.

Shesterkin battled injuries last season, but proved he is still one of the best netminders in the world. When he was off the ice, the team’s performance went into a nosedive.

Fox also battled injuries last season, but it didn’t have nearly as big an impact on his ranking as it seemingly did for his teammate. The star defenseman is ranked No. 51, moving up one spot as he was No. 52 last season.

It is certainly an appropriate ranking for Fox, who is the No. 11-ranked defenseman in the NHL. An elite quarterback on the power play, he is as productive as any player at his position in the League.

As long as those two are healthy, the Rangers are going to have a chance to compete with any team, night in and night out. Both are playing great out of the gate to help the team to a strong start.