NY Rangers' Mike Sullivan Wisely Believes the 2026-27 Team Can Compete

Will the New York Rangers be able to go from last place to being a playoff contender?

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

As training camp gets set to kick off with the preseason starting next week, hockey is officially back for the New York Rangers. 

Following a summer of retooling, the team is expected to be improved, but one of the biggest questions will be just how much. Going from last place in the conference to being a contender is not an easy task, but it will be one that the Rangers are going to try to achieve. 

When looking at all of the players that they added, the talent and the depth of the team have certainly improved. At forward, they signed free agents Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand to very team-friendly one-year deals. Furthermore, the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev was their big splash this summer. 

On the blueline, the team traded for Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, while adding Alberts Smits with the fifth overall pick. This all of a sudden has become a strength of the team not only from a talent perspective, but with their depth as well. 

Now, with a seemingly improved roster on paper, Mike Sullivan seems optimistic that this team can compete. 

Sullivan Wisely Believes Team Will Compete

Asked #NYR head coach Mike Sullivan what his expectations are for this team this season?

"My expectation is that we're going to compete. I think we have more depth than we had a year ago. I'm hopeful that our team can stay a little bit healthier this year, which should help us.…

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 16, 2026

Following all of the offseason moves made by the front office, the goal is clearly to be a playoff contender this year. Chris Drury moved three first-round picks in order to give this roster a jolt, and a team doesn’t do that unless they believe they can win. 

However, while the team has certainly improved and there is both a lot more talent and depth, just how good they can be is yet to be determined. If things go right and key players can stay healthy, this team figures to be one that can contend for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While making the playoffs might be their ceiling, it would be a major improvement based on last year’s performance. 

With a healthy Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin to go along with a plethora of new talent, the Rangers have reason to believe that they can be pretty good. This was certainly a team that was unable to overcome injuries last year, with the depth simply not being good enough. That was addressed this summer, and that will be a big help. 

Overall, unless something goes really wrong, the team should be much-improved and able to compete on a nightly basis. They have one of the best goalies in the league, a defense that has been revamped, and an offense that has improved. That is a recipe for success and one that Sullivan will be looking to get the most out of.