NY Rangers Still Have Time To Build Around Talented Duo

Do the New York Rangers still have an opportunity to win with their star duo?

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. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are heading into an offseason in which they need to get some things right to turn this team around. 

This season was an utter failure for the Rangers, who finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and third-worst record in the entire league. New York has now missed the playoffs for two straight years, and the hope will be to snap that streak this coming season. 

To accomplish that, following a last-place finish, the team will have to make several improvements. Fortunately, they did have some young players perform well after the Olympic break, and they will be relying on the developmental team to continue to help them improve. 

Furthermore, in terms of assets, they have two first-round picks that they can use to either try to bring in some veteran help or draft young players for the future. Also, with a plethora of cap space, New York will be positioned to be a player in free agency for talent. 

While improvements will have to be made, the team does have a couple of great players that they can build around. With the timing of things turning around being important because of age, New York’s duo on the back end will be key. 

Rangers Have Elite Duo to Build Around 

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Even though things might not have been great this season, New York does have a strong duo that are still in their prime to build around. It has been a philosophy and a luxury of the Rangers to have great goaltending, and Igor Shesterkin is still one of the best. 

This year, he totaled a 25-19-6 record, 2.50 GAA, and .912 save percentage. Him missing some time hurt New York, but when healthy, he is still one of the best in the game. At 30 years old, there should also be plenty of gas left in the tank for him to have many more good campaigns. 

Furthermore, while Shesterkin is the anchor of the team, Adam Fox is also an elite player in the league at his position. The star defenseman also missed a good amount of time this year, but when healthy, he was nearly a point per game player. 

Fox totaled 53 points in 55 games with nine goals and 44 assists. As a strong defender as well, he is the complete package on the blue line, and the Rangers really missed him when he was out. At just 28 years old, he is still very much in his prime. 

Now, New York will have to figure out the best path forward for surrounding this duo with some talent.