Why NY Rangers' Power Play Could Be Their Biggest Weapon

Here's why the power play could be the biggest weapon for the New York Rangers this season.

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

With the preseason underway for the New York Rangers, the team is hoping that they will be a much-improved group this coming season. 

Following a busy summer, the Rangers appear to have a lot more talent and depth on their team than they did last season. This was a group that ultimately came in last place in the Eastern Conference, and the direction of the team was uncertain for a while. 

However, Chris Drury and the front office worked hard this offseason to start the retooling of the team, and there is reason to once again be optimistic about the group.   

With the start of the season right around the corner, the team will still have a couple of big roster decisions to make. One of them will be whether or not Alberts Smits is going to be playing alongside Branden Schneider on the third pair. So far, it appears like he is going to be the frontrunner, and that is exciting for New York. 

Furthermore, while the development of their young talent like Smits is important, this is a team that is hoping to be a playoff contender. When looking at what the strength might be for them, 

Power Play Unit Can Be Elite

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

Even though the Rangers might have struggled a bit last year scoring goals, one area that they were really good at was on the power play. New York ranked fifth in the league in power play percentage at 24.7%. 

The Rangers being in the top five with teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Carolina Hurricanes in this category is surprising to see. 

This summer, the team might have made the unit even better with the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev. The talented scorer was a force on the man-advantage with the Vegas Golden Knights, and he will be bringing that skill set to the Rangers. 

Furthermore, having a healthy Adam Fox for the entire season as the quarterback of the power play unit will only make it better. With Dorofeyev, Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, Mika Zibanejad, and likely J.T. Miller, this will be a group that has a lot of potential. 

If New York is going to have a bounce-back year, scoring goals on the man-advantage will certainly help. Even though the unit was great last year, there is reason to believe that they can be even better this coming season. If that ends up being the case, they will be in an excellent position to succeed.