NY Rangers Need To Figure Out Identity Under Mike Sullivan

Without an identity, the New York Rangers are going to struggle taking steps forward.

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 first season for the New York Rangers under head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t go according to plan.

They missed the postseason for a second straight year, finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference. While fans didn’t place much of the blame on the head coach for the team’s underwhelming performance, he will have to get more out of his team in Year 2 to avoid their ire for much longer.

That, in the opinion of a scout who spoke to Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required), is one of the biggest obstacles to the Rangers becoming a true contender again. Does New York have the right pieces in place for the style of play Sullivan and team president and general manager Chris Drury want?

The scout is skeptical that the hard-nosed, tenacious system they are looking to deploy fits the skill sets of the players they are building as the core of this roster.

Mike Sullivan, Chris Drury have preferred style of play for Rangers

May 8, 2025; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York 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. Mandatory Credit: Peter Carr/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think they need to kind of try and figure out what they are,” the scout said. “Are they going to play fast, hard and competitive? Or are they going to be more skilled, relying on the power play and relying on the goaltending?”

The team traded three draft picks to the Vegas Golden Knights to acquire Pavel Dorofeyev, who signed a seven-year extension worth $11 million annually right after the deal was done. The fast, hard and competitive style Sullivan wants doesn’t seem to be a great fit for the talented winger.

The same goes for defenseman Adam Fox and center Mika Zibanejad. That trio can be deadly on special teams as the No. 1 power play unit. However, as the driving force of offensive production, they may not be an ideal fit for Sullivan’s game plan.

Mike Sullivan needs to adjust to players on the roster

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

It is certainly a fair criticism to have, especially with the immediate turnaround the Pittsburgh Penguins had when moving on from Sullivan. After missing the postseason for three straight years, Dan Muse got them back into the playoffs in Year 1 of his tenure with the team.

Of course, a head coach can only do so much with the players he is given. The talent has been improved immensely on the Rangers’ roster this offseason, especially at the blueline, where the team struggled when Fox went down with an injury.

The pressure will be on Sullivan to put this team in a position to succeed more on the ice. It could mean adjusting his game plan to better fit the skills of the players he has, instead of trying to fit them into roles in his preferred system they may not be best equipped to handle.