Predicting how well the New York Rangers will play during the 2025-26 season is difficult.
Just one year removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy and making it to the Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers regressed and missed the playoffs, capping off a dreadful year for the organization.
Since winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has traded multiple members of the team’s core including, Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Lindgren, and Chris Kreider.
The Rangers enter the 2025-26 campaign with lower expectations given last year’s poor play, but the Blueshirts have the potential to bounce back in a major way.
What’s undeniable about this Rangers team is that they have multiple All-Star caliber players who can propel the franchise to great heights.
A core of Igor Shesterkin, Artemi Panarin, J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox, on top of their supporting pieces, should not be overlooked.
One NHL insider believes the Rangers will surprise a lot of people this upcoming season.
“I don’t think the Rangers should sell off and acquire valuable prospects and draft picks. I think the Rangers are a playoff team. I think they’re bouncing right back into it,” Seravalli said on Tuesday’s Insider Notebook for Bleacher Report.
The hiring of Mike Sullivan also adds a whole new dimension to the Rangers that the franchise didn’t have before.
“They’re going to have new blood with a new coach, new energy,” Seravalli said. “They have to defend better as a team, but maybe the coaching will help with some of that… I’m bullish on the Rangers. I think they’re in a prime spot to compete.”
The Rangers are not a slam-dunk pick to make the playoffs by any means, but the Blueshirts have the talent to blossom into a true contender in the Eastern Conference.
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