NY Rangers' Most Underrated Question Heading in 2026-27 Campaign

What is the most underrated question for the New York Rangers heading into the season?

NY 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. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are just about a month away from the start of the regular season, and with training camp right around the corner, there will be some questions that need to be answered. 

As New York gets set for camp, there are a lot of new faces, and how Mike Sullivan sets up the lines and who is on the roster will be interesting to see. Not too much appears to be set for the Rangers, as their first line could see some changes from last year, and that would create a ripple effect down the lines. 

While a lot of that will get sorted out during training camp, just how much New York improved is a fair question to ask. The Rangers were one of the most aggressive teams in their pursuit of talent and upgrades this summer, and that creates expectation. 

Generally, a team that is coming off a last-place finish doesn’t have too many expectations, but that isn’t the case for New York. While there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the outlook for the team, there also are some fair questions to ask if things don’t go according to plan. 

Biggest Question Should Be Regarding if Rangers Struggle

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

While the expectation for New York is going to be much better than they were last year, there is no guarantee they will be able to accomplish that. This was a team that just came in last place in the Eastern Conference. 

Going from last place to being in the playoffs is not going to be an easy task, but that will be the goal for New York. There is certainly reason to believe that they will be able to accomplish that, but as the team saw last year, a couple of injuries can change things quickly. 

If the team once again misses the playoffs, they are lucky that they have their first-round pick for 2027. However, the team has moved both their 2028 and 2030 picks, which do hold protections. 

Chris Drury’s seat would certainly get hot if the Rangers missed the playoffs for a third straight year, especially when he traded away three first-round picks this summer. 

Overall, the hope will be that New York is a playoff contender, and that would likely be seen as a successful campaign. However, if they fell into the top 5 of the NHL Draft, that would be a major problem for the franchise.