NY Rangers Have Shockingly High Chances of Making Playoffs Early On

The New York Rangers have a very high chance of making the playoffs early on.

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. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are approaching the quarter point of the season, and the team is hoping to continue to play good hockey. 

Coming off a year to forget during the 2025 campaign, the Rangers are certainly a better team so far. New York has had to deal with some adversity with a couple of major injuries, most notably to their star goalie Igor Shesterkin. 

As one of the best goalies in the league, losing Shesterkin for the rest of the year was a major blow for the team. 24-year-old Dylan Garand has had to play a lot of games in his absence, but the good news is that Joonas Korpisalo is back after missing the start of the year. 

Furthermore, both the forward and blueliners have been able to perform well for the most part, and New York has done well. Following their busy offseason, the goal was to be an improved team and make the playoffs. That is certainly looking to be a possibility, even without Shesterkin. While there is still a long season to go, the chances for New York to make the playoffs are shockingly strong. 

Rangers Have Surprisingly High Chance of Making Playoffs

Nov 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following a loss to the Oilers, New York has a record of 10-8-1 and currently stands in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Coming into the year, the Metropolitan was not expected to be strong, and so far that has been the case. 

The New Jersey Devils look much-improved, especially following the addition of Connor Hellebuyck, and obviously the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the top teams in the league. 

However, the top three in the division make the playoffs, and the Rangers could be the third-best team in the Metro when it's all said and done. According to MoneyPuck.com, New York has a 71.3 percent chance of making the playoffs right now. 

A big chunk of that percentage is them coming in third place in the division. Of all of the potential paths for them to make the playoffs, they have a 27.8% chance of being the third-place team. 

Overall, considering how the Rangers have played so far this year, these postseason chances seem a bit high at over 70%. However, when looking at some of the teams below them already in the division standings, there is reason to believe that it will indeed be New York who can make the playoffs.