NY Rangers Rightfully Move Up in NHL Power Rankings Following Strong Stretch

With a recent strong stretch, how much did the New York Rangers move up in the NHL power rankings?

Apr 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates his goal with New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière (13) against the Buffalo Sabres during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

With just three games to go in the regular season for the New York Rangers, the team will be focused on trying to finish strong while getting prepared for what will be an important offseason. 

This year, things obviously didn’t go the way the team would have liked. They have been one of the worst teams in the league, and their struggles scoring and playing at home were a major reason for that. Furthermore, key players like Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin missing time played a major factor. 

However, while the overall record might not be good, they have been playing better of late, and there are some encouraging signs moving forward. The offense has been much better of late, with Adam Fox playing at an extremely high level right now. The star defenseman has an eight-game points streak going and has been a catalyst for the unit. 

Furthermore, the power play has been excellent for an extended stretch, too. Getting goals on the man-advantage certainly makes things easier on the team, and that has also contributed to their success. Even though the campaign will go down as a failure, their improvements haven’t gone unnoticed. 

Contributors to The Athletic (subscription required) recently released their NHL power rankings and had the Rangers moving up one spot from 29th to 28th with their improved play of late. 

New York Moving Up is the Right Move

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

While it might not be a massive rise in the rankings at this stage in the season, with things mostly set when it comes to the good and the bad teams, it is nice to see the Rangers get some recognition for their improved play. 

Even though they may have lost their most recent game to the Buffalo Sabres, New York has been the winner of five of their last seven games and has been able to play a bit of spoiler down the stretch. Picking up wins against the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals last weekend undoubtedly hurt both of their chances of making the playoffs, especially considering they were favored against New York. 

Now, with three games left on the road, the offseason will be quickly approaching for the Rangers. This is a team that is going to be in an excellent position to make some significant moves with the cap space that they have, and that will be an exciting thing to watch. A good offseason, paired with some of the young players improving, and New York could be right back in the playoff conversation next year.