The New York Rangers are used to being a good team. Making the playoffs is as common as putting the puck into the net. However, one year after winning the President's Trophy as the team with the most points at the end of the regular season, they would miss the playoffs. Everything went wrong and they could not find their game quickly enough to turn it around. Star players did not produce and teams above them did not hit any skids. This season, the Rangers are out to prove last season was a fluke.
Key additions, key losses
Last season New York finished 39-36-7 for 85 points finishing fifth in the Metropolitan Division. While some teams may favor this finish, the Rangers fell flat and did not perform to expectations. Every player on the team did not meet expectations and considering the power on this roster they should have had a better finish.
GM Chris Drury had a big task ahead of him: bring in additional talent and change the loom of the roster, and he did just that. The first bombshell to drop was the trade of longtime Rangers forward Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Carey Terrance and a 2025 third-round pick. His second big move was shipping out defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Scott Morrow and two draft picks.
Those two moves shook up the roster and shocked the fan base. The roster was going to have a new look and possibly a new motivation. Still having tons of talent, the Rangers signed the best defenseman available in free agency, Vladislav Gavrikov, to a seven-year, $49 million deal. Last season, Gavrikov played for the Los Angeles Kings and was arguably their best defenseman. He produced five goals and 25 assists for 30 points in 82 games, and will be an important piece for New York going forward.
Drury also signed forward Taylor Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million deal, a steal for the Rangers. While he might not be the top free agent to come to New York, he had a solid season with the Washington Capitals last season, scoring seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 80 games. He is a good depth player that the bottom six can rely on and will also be beneficial to the penalty kill. he has decent speed but a good defensive game and some offensive production. Good signing by Drury for only $3 million over two seasons.
Can prospects take the next step?
One big question heading into the 2025/26 season is will the prospects play a big role in the team's success? Forwards Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann will play key roles due to the loss of Kreider and Morrow looks to be a good fit on any top pairings on defense. Perreault and Othmann combined to record two assists in 25 games but will need to become regular contributors if New York has any chance of making a playoff run. Morrow will need to be solid in all three zones, using his big body defensivley and using his shot to get scoring chances. All of these players need to play a regular role to help this team be a better overall team.
The Rangers are still an extremely talented team that did not function as a group last season. With a bad season behind them, are they motivated to make a good run this season? Will the offensive players who struggled last season break out for a Rangers team that wants to be in contention again? New York is primed and ready to come out of the gates flying to show they belong.