NY Rangers Have Great Duo to Anchor Team Next Season

Which duo can be an anchor for the New York Rangers going forward?

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on, the New York Rangers are at home watching after missing the postseason for the second straight year. 

Despite some high expectations coming into the year, the Rangers fell well short of them this year. New York was able to bring in head coach Mike Sullivan in a move that figured to help them bounce back after missing the playoffs in the 2024-25 campaign.

Unfortunately, the team did not play well right from the start, and they finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. With the team retooling, there are going to be a lot of moves made this summer, and there is reason to believe that they will be able to turn it around quickly. 

Even though they might not have had the year that they would have liked, one of their offseason moves from last year turned out to be a good one, and they do have a nice duo to build around. 

Rangers Have Great Duo on Blue Line 

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

While things might not have gone according to plan this year for the Rangers, they did have a really strong combination emerge for their first defensive line. While Adam Fox has been an excellent player for New York for many years, he was joined this year for the first time by Vladislav Gavrikov. 

The Rangers signed Gavrikov this past summer to a seven-year, $49 million deal. Locking up the talented defender long-term was obviously made with the thought that the team was going to be a contender this year. 

Unfortunately, Fox was injured for a good chunk of the season, and that played a part in the struggles of the team overall. Gavrikov was brought in to complement Fox’s, and when he went out, it was a bit too much for him to handle. However, when the two were on the ice together, they showcased quite a bit of chemistry. 

For Fox, he just missed averaging one point per game, showing that he is still one of the best players at the position in the league. Gavirkov totaled 35 points with 14 goals and 21 assists. It was arguably a career year for the 30-year-old in his first year with the franchise, and the 14 goals he scored were the most in a season by a large margin. 

Overall, while the season might have been a disappointment, they do have a great duo on their blue line. With both locked up long-term, the team should be pleased to have them to build around.