Why NY Rangers Can Pull Off Massive Turnaround This Season

Can the New York Rangers go from last place to being in the playoffs?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NHL will officially be back this month, with the season kicking off at the end of September for the New York Rangers. 

September will certainly be a busy month for the Rangers as they come up in preparation for the 2026-27 season. New York will be trying their best to snap a two-year playoff drought and get the franchise back on track. 

Things have not been great for the Rangers during that span, especially with the team seemingly hitting a new low last year. New York knew that they had a lot of work to do this summer, and they worked really hard to get better. 

Now, with the regular season this month, all of the changes will hopefully result in a lot more success for the franchise. Even though it won’t be an easy goal to achieve, making the playoffs is going to be what the Rangers seek to accomplish. 

Rangers Can Turn This Around 

May 8, 2025; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York 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. Mandatory Credit: Peter Carr/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though the last two years were forgettable for New York, there is reason to believe that they will be better this coming season. Firstly, the additions that they made to reshape the roster will be the top reason things could turn around. 

Up front, the Rangers most notably added Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand to their forward group. These two have the potential to add north of 50 goals for the team, with Dorofeyev being a 30-goal scorer each of the last two years. 

Furthermore, upgrades for the blueline were significant as well. Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson should be a much-better second pair than the team had last season. 

Also, while new additions will be key, the development of some of the younger talent will be as well. Seeing guys like Gabe Perreault and Noah Laba taking steps forward will also be key. 

As the retool continues for the Rangers, development of young players like Perreault and Laba into solid NHL players will be key for the long-term outlook of the team. Furthermore, another player they will be hoping can sustain what he did in the last quarter of the season is Alexis Lafreniere. 

The former first overall pick was a point-per-game player following the Olympic break, and that would be a massive boost if it is something he can sustain long-term. 

Overall, while there will undoubtedly be concerns that the Rangers might have a hard time going from last place to the playoffs, the possibility is certainly there that they can accomplish it.