NY Rangers Coach Mike Sullivan Surprisingly Leaves Out One Area as a Need

What are the needs going into the offseason according to New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan?

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

With the offseason starting up for the New York Rangers, the team will be starting to game-plan what they want the summer to look like in terms of moves. Following a last-place finish, things will undoubtedly look different. 

For the second straight season, the Rangers missed the postseason, and things went very poorly with the team having the worst record in the Eastern Conference. With the terrible campaign, New York is now in a great position in terms of the NHL Draft Lottery, but they will have some work to do in order to become a contender for a playoff spot next season. 

Fortunately, the team does have a good amount of cap space that they should be able to be rather aggressive both in free agency and the trade market. With some veterans still on the roster who are key pieces and playing at a high level, there is reason to believe that this retool could result in success quickly. 

After the season finished, New York’s brain trust spoke about some of the areas they are seeking to improve. However, it was a bit puzzling based on what the anticipated needs would be. 

After the season came to a close, head coach Mike Sullivan spoke with Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required) about a couple of their needs for the offseason. 

Top 6 Forward Surprisingly Left Out

New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The two needs that Sullivan mentioned for the Rangers were to improve their puck-moving defenseman and also their bottom-six forwards. While getting some help on the blue line makes a lot of sense, they do have a lot of young forwards, and trying to improve the bottom six is a bit surprising. 

Due to their overall struggles offensively last year, the team figured to be in the market for an impact addition for the top six. This was a team that finished ranked in the bottom half of goals scored last year and was shut out 10 times. 

While the offense did get better toward the end of the year, adding another impact forward to help put the puck in the net seems like more of a pressing need than a bottom-six forward. Perhaps the young talent showcased enough that the Rangers believe they will be ok in the scoring department next year. 

If they choose not to upgrade at the forward spot for their top six, they will certainly be taking a major risk if scoring is once again an issue.