The NHL Network’s latest positional rankings landed right where Rangers fans did not want them to: with New York still searching for a true center answer at the top of the lineup.
The network wrapped its center list on Sunday, and the top 20 only sharpened the same old issue for the Rangers. Elite centers matter - Mark Messier’s impact on the Blueshirts in the 1990s is proof enough - and the absence of a Ranger in that group says plenty about the task in front of Chris Drury.
For once, there isn’t much to argue with on the Rangers side. The list was packed with established stars, reliable veterans and younger names on the rise, and New York simply doesn’t have a center who belongs in the top 10. Even spots 11 through 20 feel like a stretch for the current group.
Dylan Larkin came in at No. 20, and even that final spot underscores the gap. He’s the kind of player who would look like an upgrade in New York, which makes it tough to champion either Mika Zibanejad or J.T. Miller as a true top-tier answer.
Zibanejad did bounce back after a frustrating 2024-25 season, and that mattered. But the rebound still didn’t reach the elite level he’s shown before.
Miller, meanwhile, had a strong run in Vancouver, including a season where he topped 100 points, but his first full year back on Broadway fell short after a training camp injury. Both players are on the wrong side of 30, and while they can still help, the Rangers would be in a better spot if they added a top-line center and pushed both down the depth chart.
If New York is serious about improving its Stanley Cup chances, this is the kind of move that changes everything. Jack Hughes checked in at No. 10, a reminder of the draft miss the Rangers lived through when they landed the No. 2 pick. Auston Matthews landed at No. 8, and if he ever reaches free agency, the Rangers would be ready to throw the Brinks truck at him.
Jack Eichel was even higher at No. 6, which brings back another familiar what-if for the Blueshirts. They tried to get him when he was still with the Buffalo Sabres, and they also hoped he might eventually hit the open market. Instead, he signed a new deal in Vegas and that door shut.
Then there’s the biggest name of all: Connor McDavid at No. 1.
He’s the league’s best center and best player, and his extension with the Oilers runs through the upcoming season and the year after. The next 24 months will tell a lot about where the Rangers stand, and if they get to a point where they look like a contender sooner than expected, maybe McDavid would think about New York - following the path once taken by Oilers legends Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Already Split On How Fast Alberts Smits Should Arrive
The debate around Alberts Smits has started almost as soon as the Rangers made him the No. 5 overall pick, and it is easy to see why. Many scouts believe the defenseman is already close to NHL-ready, but Chris Drury has made it clear the organization is not looking to force the issue. For a team trying to balance immediate help with long-term development, Smits has become one of the first real tests of how patient the Rangers want to be.
A recent fan poll only sharpened that split, with Matthew Robertson emerging as the preferred choice for the opening-night sixth defenseman role and Smits landing in the next tier of support. It is a snapshot of a fan base that seems to like the idea of Smits just as much as the player, but may still want the safer route when the season begins. The question now is whether the Rangers share that caution, or whether a strong camp changes the timing completely. [Read more 🡒]
Henrik Lundqvists Greatest Rangers Season Still Feels Like A What-If
Henrik Lundqvists 2011-12 season still sits near the top of any Rangers conversation about modern greatness, because it had the kind of steadiness and star power that defined his peak years. Over 62 games, he was the backbone of a team that leaned on him night after night, and the numbers matched the eye test: he looked like one of the leagues elite goaltenders, the type who could swing a game by himself and keep New York in contention no matter the opponent.
Even so, the season carries a little bit of what-if energy because the stretch came amid monthly swings that kept it from feeling like a perfect march from start to finish. Lundqvist earned the hardware that recognized how dominant he was, and he also landed in the mix for one of the leagues biggest individual honors, which only deepens the sense that this was a year good enough to be remembered alongside the best of that era. [Read more 🡒]