NY Rangers Understandably Not Seen as Stanley Cup Contender Right Now

Are the New York Rangers heading in the right direction?

NY 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. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As the offseason continues for the New York Rangers, the team has had a strong summer and should be a better unit. However, the big question is, just how good can they be?

Coming into the summer, the Rangers were expected to be one of the most active teams of the offseason, and that has certainly been the case. New York seemingly hit rock bottom last year, finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference. 

This was a team that was impacted by injuries, but the lack of depth and talent was certainly an issue. Chris Drury publicly stated that the team was going to be retooling and not rebuilding, which certainly could have been the plan following a last-place finish. 

However, Drury and the front office seemingly had a good plan in place and made a lot of impactful additions that can help both next season and for many years to come as well. 

With a lot of new players on the roster, it will take some time to gel, and what the lines will look like will be something for Mike Sullivan to work on. 

Sara Civian of Bleacher Report recently ranked the top Stanley Cup contenders as of now. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they weren’t in the top 10 as of now. 

New York Heading In the Right Direction

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though the Rangers are understandably not a Stanley Cup contender right now, they are heading in the right direction, and that is an encouraging sign. Of the moves made this summer, getting 25-year-old forward Pavel Dorofeyev was a major addition for a position of need. 

The Rangers did struggle at times scoring, and Dorofeyev is going to be a major boost in that area. He has totaled at least 30 goals in two straight seasons and, at just 25 years old, is going to be a building block for the team. 

Furthermore, with the second-pair on the blueline getting revamped with the additions of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, this duo will be much better than what New York had last season. 

Due to the team still having Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin in their prime, the Rangers believing that they can contend with the right pieces around these two is fair. 

Now, while this offseason was a strong one, work will still have to be done going forward. However, it is a major step in the right direction.