Today felt like one of those perfect fall days that sneaks up on you and makes everything look a little better, and somehow that mood fit the Rangers too. The idea here is simple: New York is actually fun, and maybe it’s time to stop treating that like some kind of trick.
That’s a pretty sharp turn from where a lot of people had this team pegged before the season. When summer gave way to hockey talk, plenty of analysts looked at the Rangers and saw another year stuck near the bottom or, at best, on the outside of the playoffs.
It wasn’t just the usual skeptics either. The doubters ranged from the eye-test crowd to the stat-heavy crowd, including people whose projections carry real weight.
One of those was Dom Luszczyszyn, who posted: "The Rangers spent a lot of future capital to improve dramatically this offseason, but it doesn't appear to be enough to get out of the mushy middle."
That’s why the shift feels so noticeable now. A year ago, when October rolled around, the mood around the team was far heavier. This time, the season has opened with a different energy, and a lot of that starts with the work Chris Drury did in the offseason.
The Rangers president and general manager made real changes, and the biggest one was on defense. That part of the story has already been covered plenty, but it matters because the blue line overhaul is a major reason the team has started the year successfully and, yes, with some actual joy attached to it. Moving on from Will Borgen and Carson Soucy and bringing in Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson looks like a clear upgrade.
Then there’s Alberts Smits, which is the kind of pick that can make a front office look very smart very fast. Drury and the Rangers took the Latvian defenseman, and at the time it was seen as the safer choice.
Smits was viewed as the defenseman with the shortest route to the NHL among the top names in the class, so the selection came with less risk. Some people were disappointed in the moment, especially with Viggo Bjorck still on the board in the minds of some fans.
But three months and change later, the picture looks a lot different. Smits is already on the team, and he has looked phenomenal.
That’s the point of all this: the Rangers have gone from a team many expected to drag through the year to one that’s making people rethink the whole outlook. The roster changes have mattered, the defense has been a big part of it, and Smits has only added to the sense that Drury’s offseason vision is working out better than plenty of people expected.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Face A Brutal Igor Shesterkin Question
Igor Shesterkins night against the Capitals ended abruptly when the Rangers No. 1 goaltender had to leave with a lower-body injury and did not return, a scary development for a team that has leaned heavily on him. Dylan Garand stepped in and handled the workload after Shesterkin exited, giving New York at least a steady stopgap while the bench waited for word on the starters condition.
The concern goes beyond one game because the Rangers are already dealing with injuries in goal, which has thinned out their options at a position that rarely allows for much margin. New York is still waiting for a fuller update on Shesterkin, and with another game looming, the teams depth chart could be pushed into uncomfortable territory if he is not available. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Affiliate Is Building Early Momentum Behind An Intriguing Goalie Start
The Hartford Wolf Pack kept their early-season roll going with a 2-0 win over the Providence Bruins, giving the Rangers AHL affiliate three straight victories to open the year. Glenn Gawdin supplied one of the goals, and the result continued a start that has put Hartford in a good place before the calendar really settles into the grind of the season.
Callum Tung was at the center of it, turning aside 28 shots to give Hartford the kind of steady goaltending every affiliate hopes to find early. The Wolf Pack now head toward their home opener against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 10, with the early question being whether this start is the beginning of something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Goalie Surge Suddenly Feels More Real Than Expected
The Hartford Wolf Packs fast start kept rolling with a 2-0 win over the Providence Bruins, another encouraging sign for a Rangers organization watching its goaltending depth closely. The Wolf Pack opened the 2026-27 season at 3-0-0-0, and the latest result came with the kind of steady, low-event hockey that can make an early run feel more legitimate than decorative.
Callum Tung was the biggest reason it held together, turning aside all 28 shots he faced for his first AHL shutout. In a development system, those are the kinds of nights that matter because they hint at more than a clean sheet in October, especially when the results keep stacking up and the crease picture in the organization starts to look a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]