NY Rangers Must Change the Narrative in Order to Land Superstar

What can the New York Rangers do to help their chances of landing a superstar?

Nov 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; General view of a flag being waved by New York Rangers staff during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the offseason continuing for the New York Rangers, the team has to be pleased with what was a busy summer. However, there is still going to be a lot of work to accomplish for this team to complete their turnaround. 

Coming into the offseason, the Rangers were in a good position to improve their roster. This was a team with both cap space and draft capital to make additions. However, early on as the trade market was starting to take shape, New York was seemingly not in the mix for a couple of big names. 

This led to quite a bit of concern about how the Rangers were going to be able to make the splash to help start turning this thing around. Fortunately, they landed on 25-year-old Vegas Golden Knights star Pavel Dorofeyev, who can be the goal scorer that they were lacking. 

While Dorofeyev was an excellent addition and a rising star in the game, he isn’t considered to be a superstar, and the Rangers would love to add one sooner rather than later. However, in order to do so, things must change. 

New York Must Start To Change Narrative

Apr 20, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) comes off the ice after the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Due to the struggles of the last two years, which included a last-place finish in the East last season, the Rangers weren’t seen as a desirable destination by some of the top talent that was looking for a change of scenery this summer. 

A couple of notable players like Brady Tkachuk, who was dealt to the Florida Panthers to join his brother, didn't have New York as one of his preferred destinations. 

Furthermore, Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings, who has yet to be dealt, also didn’t have the Rangers as a preferred destination. While New York is an Original Six team and a great city to play in, the poor product on the ice clearly has deterred some of the best players from wanting to come here. 

Now, while the Rangers are still retooling, this offseason should be a step in the right direction for the team. New York improved quite a bit talent-wise, and there is reason to believe that they could be a playoff team if things go right. 

Furthermore, having USA Men’s Olympic coach Mike Sullivan on the bench with an improved roster should bode well in the pursuit of American players. 

Overall, turning the team into a competitive one will help fix a lot of things for New York, and star players will once again want to play for the Rangers.