NY Rangers Understandably Receive Mediocre Grade for Pavel Dorofeyev Trade So Far

The New York Rangers didn't receive the best grade so far when it came to the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev.

Oct 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) controls the puck in the second period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are in a bit of a funk right now, and with a nice break, the team will be hoping to turn things around soon. 

Following a hot start to the season, the Rangers have had some struggles of late. The injury to Igor Shesterkin has seemingly caught up with New York a bit, and some issues defensively have not helped either. 

In their last six games, the Rangers have been on the losing end of it five times. For a team that invested a lot in the offseason to make this team and improved one for this season, the injury to Shesterkin was far from ideal. 

With the season now 14 games in, one offseason move has understandably received a mediocre grade. 

Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report recently re-graded some of the biggest offseason moves. For the Rangers, their trade and then signing of Pavel Dorofeyev yielded a mediocre grade of a “C”. 

Dorofeyev Hasn't Made a Major Impact Just Yet

Oct 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Nick Jensen (4) fights for the puck against New York Rangers right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) and left wing Tye Kartye (24) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With 14 games in the books for the Rangers, their big offseason acquisition hasn’t made the type of impact that the team was certainly hoping for. So far this season, he has totaled three goals and five assists for eight points overall. 

Compared to what he was able to accomplish the last two years with the Vegas Golden Knights, those numbers are a disappointment so far. Last season, he totaled 37 goals and 27 assists. Dorofeyev was one of the best snipers in the league and a major weapon for the team on the power play with 20 goals on the man-advantage.

However, despite the Rangers adding him to their power play, which was very good last year, he hasn’t been able to find similar success. One thing that doesn’t show up on the box score is how many posts Dorofeyev has hit this year. 

It feels like nearly every game he is hitting a post or crossbar, which indicates that he is right there. With some of the underlying metrics for him being strong, there is reason to believe that Dorofeyev is going to figure it out.  

Even though the Rangers have struggled a bit, Dorofeyev has seemingly been heating up a bit. The 25-year-old is on a four-game point streak and has points in five of the last six games. That is a pretty good stretch, and if he keeps that up, wins should start to follow. 

While the numbers aren’t great right now and the mediocre grade is fair, there is reason to believe that he is and will turn this around.