NY Rangers Could Have Wild Card Upside Following Multiple Moves

What is the ceiling for the New York Rangers after a busy offseason so far?

May 8, 2025; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York 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. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the dust starting to settle on the offseason and the team really starting to take shape, the New York Rangers look like an improved squad for next season. 

Coming into the summer, the Rangers were a team that was expected to be active, and that has certainly been the case so far. While New York likely isn’t done making moves, they have likely made a majority of them, and the roster looks a lot different. 

The Rangers and Chris Drury have been working on retooling this group, and that is certainly how the offseason is playing out. While the Rangers have added talent, they have also parted ways with some veterans of the team to get a bit younger and add some more draft capital. 

While the team will still have to make a decision soon about Braden Schneider and whether or not they will be signing him or trading him, the team looks pretty strong on paper. Now, while it is still early, based on the upgrades made this summer so far, the Rangers might have some upside. However, coming off a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, some things will have to go right for them to be a wild-card contender. 

Rangers Could Have Wild Card Upside 

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. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When looking at the roster as of now for New York, it is easy to be more excited about this coming season than what happened last year. While the team was impacted by injuries to Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin, they did struggle quite a bit and wouldn’t have been a playoff team even if both of them were healthy. 

As the team gets prepared for next season, health will of course be key, but there is a lot to like about the direction of the roster. While this free agency class wasn’t the best, the Rangers were able to add some impact players in trades. 

Up front, they acquired Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights. As a 37-goal scorer and just 25 years old, he is going to be a key part of the team for years to come. 

Furthermore, the team also made a couple of notable additions to their blueline. The second-pair for the group now looks really strong with Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi coming in from trades. 

With a strong blue line now in front of Shesterkin and Dorofeyev to help in the scoring department up front, the Rangers have been able to check a lot of boxes this summer so far. Now, it will be interesting to see if it will be enough to help them contend for a playoff spot.