NY Rangers' Pavel Dorofeyev Being Predicted to Regress Is Surprising

Will Pavel Dorofeyev see some regression in his first year with the New York Rangers?

Jun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) reacts during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers will be starting up the 2026-27 campaign very soon, and the team will be hoping to be much improved. In order for them to accomplish that, they will need one of their new additions to live up to expectations. 

This summer, there were few teams in the league that were more active than the Rangers in trying to improve. New York came in last place in the 2025-26 season, and getting out of the cellar and back into playoff contention is the goal. 

With a lot of moves made, the team does appear to be much better. The hope will be that all of the talent added will gel quickly and that this team can start this retooling process on a positive note. 

However, while the moves and the state of the roster got mostly good reviews, there are still some concerns about what this team might actually be able to accomplish. 

Contributors of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked some of the best players in the NHL into tier groups. For the Rangers, Pavel Dorofeyev made the list in tier five, but an analyst thinks some regression will be coming. 

"I think it’s fair to expect a regression now that he’s away from the Vegas system,” an analyst said.

Dorofeyev Regression Would Be Concerning

Jun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) defends against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) during the first period in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At 25 years old, the Rangers are certainly hoping that Dorofeyev is going to be a key piece for the team for many, many years. He is coming off of two straight years in which he has totaled at least 30 goals, and he is expected to provide a spark for the team in that area. 

However, even though he is still young, there are some who believe that he won’t be able to live up to those expectations after leaving the Vegas Golden Knights. The system and the talent around him were certainly good, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to have similar success with New York. 

It will be important to see where he fits best, whether it be with Mika Zibanejad or J.T. Miller, to get the most out of him. Mike Sullivan will certainly be testing him out with both at camp and in the preseason to see what works best. 

Overall, the talented winger is a great goal scorer, and while he might see a slight drop coming over from one of the best offenses in the league, he should still be a 30-goal scorer for the Rangers.