NY Rangers Have a Looming Challenge to Address at Key Position

What is a looming challenge that the New York Rangers will have to address soon?

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. Mandatory Credit: Peter Carr/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are getting set for the upcoming season, and after a lot of moves this summer, hopes will be high that the team will be much better. 

Coming off a terrible campaign this past year, it was only up for New York this offseason. Chris Drury came into the summer with the goal of improving the roster, and he has certainly been able to accomplish that. 

The Rangers were one of the more aggressive teams on the trade market, with free agency being a bit of a lackluster class this offseason. However, while the team has improved quite a bit in multiple areas and should be better on the ice, they do have some looming concerns about a key position in the somewhat near future. 

Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about one of the biggest challenges for the Rangers going forward being to find who will be the future No.1 center for the team. 

Finding a Future No.1 Center Will Be Challenging

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) skates during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Due to both Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller entering their mid-30s, New York has to start to think about what the future of the position is going to look like on their top two lines. 

Noah Laba is expected to be the third-line center this coming year, but that might be his ceiling barring a big increase in production. Furthermore, in the trade for Vincent Trocheck, the team did acquire a good center prospect in Cole Beaudoin. However, he also projects as a middle-six center and likely wouldn’t be a top-line player. 

With that being said, how the Rangers look to address the future of the position is going to be key. Free agency will always be an option, but options at center aren’t expected to be great next summer. Furthermore, with the team also moving multiple draft picks this year to get better at other spots, that will limit what they can do in the NHL Draft the next few years. 

New York will have their first-round pick in 2027, and that is going to be key. The team might have to use that on the best center available, but the Rangers do seemingly have a wide range of where they might land in the draft next year. 

Overall, with strong play up the middle being key to being a real contender, New York has to figure out what the future of the position will be.