Why Trading Draft Picks for Pavel Dorofeyev Won't Hurt NY Rangers

Will the New York Rangers regret moving draft picks for Pavel Dorofeyev?

Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) battles for the puck against Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) during the second period in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It has been a busy offseason for the New York Rangers, and this is a team that will be hoping to be much improved compared to last season. However, on one of their major moves, some might have seen it as risky. 

Coming into the summer, the Rangers had a clear goal to improve this team. New York has missed the playoffs for the last two years, and a last-place finish in the conference felt like rock bottom. 

However, while things didn’t seem great during the season or to start the offseason, actually, New York got rolling during the first night of the NHL Draft. Just before they were on the clock with the fifth overall pick, they were able to pull off a blockbuster deal for the talented young scorer Pavel Dorofeyev. 

In exchange for the 25-year-old, the Rangers sent the 26th overall pick in 2026, the 92nd overall pick in 2026, and a conditional 2028 first-round pick. While draft capital is important, getting a player as young and as talented as Dorofeyev should end up working out. 

Trading Picks for Dorofeyev Won’t Hurt Rangers 

Jun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) reacts during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there are some who are concerned about the draft capital that was given up for the talented scorer from the Vegas Golden Knights, the Rangers will be on the right side of this trade when it’s all said and done. 

It is easy to be concerned about moving three first-round picks overall this summer for a team that is coming off a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference. However, this was a team that likely would have been better if not for injuries to both Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin. 

These two can be two of the best in the game at their respective positions, and the team did not fare well without them. Furthermore, Dorofeyev wasn’t the only upgrade that the team made to improve. 

This is a roster that has the upside to be a playoff team, and that makes draft capital worth less. Furthermore, one of the picks that was dealt for Dorofeyev was already their later first-rounder from this year. 

Also, with the second first-round pick in the deal for 2028 being Top 10 protected, the Rangers really did a strong job thinking about a potential scenario in case things go wrong. 

Overall, while giving up draft capital is risky, Dorofeyev is a proven 30-goal scorer over the last two years and is locked up to a long-term deal at just 25 years old now. It might have been a risk, but it was a good one to take for New York.