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New York Rangers concern meter: Weighing potential issues for 2025-26 season
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- New York Rangers concern meter: Weighing potential issues for 2025-26 season
Danny Wild-Imagn Images Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Let's face it, even during the best of times, pessimism reigns supreme with the New York Rangers . That goes with the territory when you've won one Stanley Cup championship in 85 years, none since 1994.
Coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the Rangers seek to regroup under new coach Mike Sullivan with a somewhat revamped roster in 2025-26. Despite the changes, there are concerns ahead of training camp.
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But which potential issues are more concerning than others?
Using a 1-10 scale, with one being least concerning, let's break down how the Rangers should feel about potential important issues this coming season.
Related: How Chris Drury went from Little League World Series champion to Rangers general manager
Rangers will repeat last season's dysfunction: 1/10
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Highly unlikely. Management and the players learned a tough lesson from the dysfunction — on and off the ice — that submarined their 2024-25 season. If anything, last season's disaster should have the Rangers extremely motivated for a bounce-back year, especially with a new coaching staff in place.
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Mike Sullivan has lost his championship touch:2/10
Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It's difficult to imagine the Rangers won't have a significant first-year bounce under new coach Mike Sullivan. It's happened previously on Broadway with Gerard Gallant in 2021-22 and Peter Laviolette in 2023-24. Sully feels like the right coach at the right time for the Rangers. A return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs under the two-time Stanley Cup winner is more likely than not, though a deep run is more difficult to predict.
J.T. Miller won't meet high expectations:3/10
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J.T. Miller is 32 and remains capable of playing at an elite level in the NHL. He averaged better than a point per game (35 points in 32 games) after the Rangers acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31 and recorded a career-high 103 points just two seasons ago. Miller knows this is his team, and he's primed to play a big role in its resurgence, quite possibly as captain. The concern with Miller comes down the road bit as he and his contract likely won't age very well. Barring injury, though, Miller should have a big season in 2025-26.
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Mika Zibanejad 's downward trend continues:4/10
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Mika Zibanejad's production dropped noticeably the past two seasons. In 2022-23, Zibanejad had 39 goals and a career-best 91 points. He dipped to 26 goals and 72 points the following season. It was even worse last season, when he scored 20 goals and managed only 62 points, his fewest in a full non-COVID NHL season since 2017-18. He's 32 years old now and should have gas left in the tank. And Zibanejad will be quite motivated after an embarrassing 2024-25 campaign. It feels more likely his production will tick up some this coming season and not plummet a third straight year, especially after his strong finish last season showed he's still got what it takes, whether at center or on the wing.
New-look defense corps won't cut it:5/10
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Over the past nine months, the Rangers completely retooled their defense corps. The Rangers parted ways with Jacob Trouba , Ryan Lindgren , K'Andre Miller, Zac Jones and Victor Mancini . They replaced those d-men with Vladislav Gavrikov , Will Borgen , Urho Vaakanainen , Carson Soucy and Scott Morrow . Adam Fox and Braden Schneider remain as the last men left standing. So, after a nightmarish season for the defense corps in 2024-25, are the Rangers much better on the back end now? Gavrikov alone is a massive upgrade on the blue line, and Fox should be counted on for a significant rebound. Schneider is healthy after surgery to repair a torn labrum. Plus Sullivan and assistant David Quinn will bring a different defensive structure to the team. So, the defense corps should be better. But it's fair to question how much Borgen, Vaakanainen, Soucy and Morrow can be trusted.
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Alexis Lafreniere fails to break out, again:6/10
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Alexis Lafreniere failed to build on his "breakout" 2023-24 season (28 goals, 57 points) with an uneven campaign last season (17 goals, 45 points). He begins a seven-year, $52.15 million contract in 2025-26, so the heat will be turned up even more in the former No. 1 overall pick's age-24 season. He's the sixth-highest paid player on the Rangers and needs to produce like one of their best — say 30 goals and 70 points? He's not shown the consistency to be that player yet in the NHL, so it's fair to question him until he finally delivers.
Kids aren't ready for prime time:6/10
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This is a legit concern. Even though Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann are former first-round picks and New York's top two prospects, they're not slam dunks to make an immediate impact this season. Perreault is 20 with five games of NHL experience and plenty of high-end skill. But can he earn Sullivan's trust and thrive in a top-six role, or even land regular duty on the third line? Othmann is 22 and yet to score a goal in 25 NHL games. Perhaps a regular role on the third line is the perfect spot for him. Or perhaps one or both end up in Hartford of the American Hockey League. That's not the end of the world, but surely the Rangers want these forwards to impact the NHL roster sooner rather than later.
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Jonathan Quick is finished:8/10
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There's no doubt that both Rangers goalies, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick, were sabotaged by their own shoddy team defense last season. But it's also fair to say that Quick wasn't nearly as good as he was the season prior. He was not as sharp, and looked more like the subpar goalie he was in 2022-23 than the standout No. 2 he was with the Rangers in 2023-24. This will be his age-40 season. So, it's also fair to question what Quick has left in the tank or even if the three-time Stanley Cup winner is finished in the NHL. The Rangers likely need 25 or so quality starts from Quick this coming season to be a legit contender. Can he deliver that? We will find out soon enough.
The 3rd line will be a disaster:8/10
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This might be the most legitimate — and, ultimately, most damaging — potential issue the Rangers have heading into the 2025-26 season. If Zibanejad plays on the wing in the top six, the Rangers may turn to Juuso Parssinen to center the third line. The inconsistent 24-year-old has never earned any team's trust to be a regular in the lineup, so relying on him is a dicey option for the Rangers. Jonny Brodzinski , best suited as a 13th forward, could also man the middle. Newcomer Taylor Raddysh appears set at right wing on the third line. His track record is spotty, as well, though he did score 20 goals once and was a regular in the bottom six on a very good Washington Capitals team last season. The unproven Othmann and Perreault could play the left side, unless veteran Conor Sheary (in camp on a PTO) earns a contract and wins the job. The big concern here is that this line lacks a true identity and is full of question marks. That could change if Sullivan plays Zibanejad at center, and either he or Vincent Trocheck becomes the 3C. That lengthens the lineup and instantly gives the third line some cred. Perhaps playing Will Cuylle at wing on the third line (instead of in the top six) along with Raddysh is a good starting point for its identity, no matter who the center is. Still, the third line's makeup appears to be a bit of a mess and cause for worry heading into training camp.
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