NY Rangers Should Keep Successful Line Together to Start Next Year

Should the New York Rangers shake up a line that had success together?

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. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have had a really stellar offseason so far, and the team looks to be much improved heading into next season. However, what they do with their lines will be interesting to monitor. 

Coming off a terrible season, the Rangers were a team that was expected to be very aggressive this summer. While it might have turned out to be a bit slow early on, New York picked up steam during the NHL Draft and made some notable additions so far this summer. 

With the goal being to retool and not rebuild, the Rangers have done a good job of finding that balance. New York has made improvements that should help them this coming season, but there also seems to be a plan in place for the future. Finding that balance has been important for the Rangers, and they have done a nice job of it. 

Now, with a roster full of new players, how head coach Mike Sullivan will work the lines will be interesting. At the end of the season, he seemingly found something that worked with the combination of Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault and Alexis Lafreniere. However, with a player of the caliber of Pavel Dorofeyev coming in, that could result in things being shaken up. 

Rangers Should Consider Keeping First Line Together

Apr 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So far this offseason, the addition of Dorofeyev is the one that is going to likely be the most impactful for the team. Last year with the Vegas Golden Knights, he totaled 37 goals. 

That type of offensive production is something that the Rangers were desperately in need of, and getting the talented scorer will help the team. While he will undoubtedly be on the first power play unit, what line he will be on is up for discussion. 

Even though last season was not a good one for the Rangers, they did find some success toward the end of the campaign. Furthermore, a major reason for that was the success of their first line. 

Perreault was a young player who showed signs of breaking out and becoming a very good goal scorer in the league. Also, Lafreniere was able to play some of the best hockey of his career with this group. 

As the veteran, a lot of credit has to go to Zibanejad for playing so well up the middle for the young skaters. While lines will certainly be tweaked throughout the year, the team should try to keep this successful group together.