It’s encouraging to see how the New York Rangers have played over the last month or so, for the most part, even if the results are meaningless.
Related: Rangers Can’t Take Adam Fox for Granted Ever Again
To recap in brief, when playing mediocre or near-the-bottom-of-the-standings teams, the Rangers are dominating them. The recent blowout wins against the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals exhibit that.
When it’s a team at the top of the standings, the result is usually competitive hockey, whether you want to talk about the 2-0 loss against the Dallas Stars on Saturday that was tied until the final minutes of the third period or the blown third-period lead last week to the Buffalo Sabres.
While some might be frustrated that the recent play is negatively impacting draft positioning, it’s a remarkable turnaround from just a couple of months ago, when you could have made an argument that the Blueshirts didn’t even look like a professional hockey team.
Return of Fox and Shesterkin
So, what’s driving it? To start with the obvious, superstars Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox have returned to the lineup and have made quite the impact since coming back from injury in late February.
Starting with Fox, he ranks 16th in the NHL (and second among defensemen) in points with 24 in 20 games since March 4. Plus, without question, the 28-year-old has had a big impact on why the Rangers have the fourth-best power play in the league, even without Artemi Panarin in the picture anymore.
Even in a lost season, Shesterkin continues to put up strong numbers. Along with his solid .912 save percentage, the Russian goalie has saved 21.3 goals above expected this season, for fifth in the NHL, according to MoneyPuck.
The Kids Are Alright
Then, you have an added boost, specifically coming from the 24-and-under players in the system.
For one, Alexis Lafrenière has benefited from getting more playing time since the Panarin trade. Lafrenière is just three points away from setting a new career high in points, with 55 now on the season and two games left to play. Outside of Mika Zibanejad, without question, the 24-year-old has been the team’s best forward.
Not too far behind Lafrenière has been linemate 20-year-old Gabe Perreault. Since March 1, he has posted 17 points in 21 games.
Tye Kartye has been remarkable since the moment President and General Manager Chris Drury put in a waiver claim for him. He’s been a force coming down the wing and on the rush and has worked well with Conor Sheary, notably. Kartye has registered an impressive 11 points as a Ranger so far in a mostly bottom-six role.
Then there’s Adam Sýkora, who apparently just needed a chance to prove himself in the big leagues. The 2022 second-round pick doesn’t overly wow with his skill, but he has clearly brought a lot of energy since his recall and can beat a goaltender clean with a shot when given time and space.
It’s also hard not to be impressed with Jaroslav Chmelar. Perhaps the Rangers have found a new young physical forward who can anchor the fourth line for years to come.
Work Remains Ahead Despite Late-Season Improvement
But don’t get it twisted—the Rangers remain a flawed team, and still much work lies ahead to complete the retool.
In the offseason, we’ll debate how many pieces the Blueshirts are away from returning to a true Stanley Cup contender. But figure at least one or two pieces and perhaps more. Luckily, the Rangers might have one of those lined up with the potential top-five pick they use in the 2026 Draft. The only problem? The player may not be ready to make a significant NHL impact until the 2027-28 season.
In the meantime, with a weak free agency class that will be headlined by Alex Tuch, the Rangers need to explore the trade market and potentially pull the trigger if a superstar becomes available. Is that Jason Robertson, whom the Dallas Stars may not want to re-sign due to the limited cap space?
Plus, the Rangers need to trade some of their own assets, including Braden Schneider and Vincent Trocheck. It’ll be interesting to see the draft capital, young players, and prospects Drury can snag in return.
On an encouraging note, the foundation is there for the Rangers. This isn’t the same scenario as 2018, when the organization decided to rebuild around an aging superstar goaltender (Henrik Lundqvist) and younger forwards (Pavel Buchnevich and Zibanejad) that had yet to hit stardom.
Now the organization has two players (Fox and Shesterkin) who are among the best at their positions, plus some encouraging younger players in the system.
Overall, the team structure looks strong, but more pieces are needed. Given the long-term contract commitments, a rebuild isn’t plausible. The Rangers must retool their way out of it. The potential top-five pick will help, along with young, promising players in the system. Next, Drury must figure out the hard part—hitting home runs in the trade market.
