Rangers Face a Crucial Stretch Post-Olympic Break: Five Storylines to Watch
The Olympic break couldn’t have come at a better time for the New York Rangers. After a brutal 22-29-6 start to the 2025-26 season, the pause offers a much-needed breather-and a chance to regroup before what’s shaping up to be a pivotal final stretch.
When the Rangers return to the ice on February 26 against the Flyers, they’ll be staring down 25 games in just 49 days. But the real action begins three days earlier, when the NHL’s roster freeze lifts on February 23. From that point on, it’s a full sprint to the March 6 trade deadline.
Let’s be honest: with the Rangers sitting at the bottom of the standings and facing the likelihood of a second straight season without playoff hockey, it’s time to shift the focus. The front office has already started reshaping the roster, moving Artemi Panarin to Los Angeles for top prospect Liam Greentree and conditional picks, and sending Carson Soucy across town to the Islanders for a third-rounder.
But general manager Chris Drury’s work is far from over. Between now and April 15-when the season wraps up in Tampa-there are five key priorities the Rangers need to tackle if they want to chart a better course forward.
5. Get Healthy-and Let the Kids Play
Two of the Rangers’ biggest stars, defenseman Adam Fox and goaltender Igor Shesterkin, are eligible to return from long-term injured reserve once the break ends. While there’s no need to rush either player back into a lost season, both should see the ice if they’re healthy enough to go.
Fox was already skating with the team before the break and could be ready for the February 26 return after dealing with both upper- and lower-body injuries this season. Shesterkin’s status is murkier-he had been skating on his own prior to the break, but it’s unclear how close he is to returning from his lower-body issue.
The Rangers have gone just 2-12 since both players were injured on January 5. Their absence has been felt in every zone. Getting them back in the lineup should bring some much-needed stability, even if it doesn’t change the season’s outcome.
But just as critical is the opportunity to give meaningful ice time to the next generation. The Rangers haven’t exactly built a reputation for developing young talent, and this stretch run is the perfect time to flip that narrative.
That means calling up and testing out forwards like Brett Berard, Adam Sykora, and Jaroslav Chmelar. It means giving real minutes to players like Gabe Perreault, Scott Morrow, Noah Laba, Vincent Iorio, and Brennan Othmann. And it means making space for any NHL-ready prospects acquired at the deadline.
This is about more than just development-it’s about evaluation. The Rangers need to know what they have in these players, and there’s no better time to find out than now.
4. It’s Time to See What Dylan Garand Can Do
When Shesterkin went down, the Rangers had a golden opportunity to test their top goalie prospect, Dylan Garand. Instead, they stuck with veterans Jonathan Quick and Spencer Martin-and the results speak for themselves.
Garand, just shy of his 24th birthday, has remained in Hartford despite the team’s struggles in net. While he hasn’t had his best season, this is a guy who was an AHL All-Star last year, notching 20 wins, three shutouts, and a .913 save percentage in 39 starts. He’s earned a look.
Quick, at 40, is likely playing out the final days of his NHL career. Martin is a journeyman.
Neither should be standing in the way of Garand getting NHL reps. If the Rangers are serious about building for the future, they need to know if Garand can be part of it-especially since there’s no clear internal option to back up Shesterkin next season.
Drury may look to bring in a veteran backup this summer, but that shouldn’t stop the Rangers from giving Garand a shot now. There’s nothing to lose-and potentially a lot to gain.
3. Have the Tough Conversations About No-Move Clauses
No-move clauses exist for a reason, and players have every right to use them. Just ask Panarin, who dictated the terms of his trade to L.A.
But that doesn’t mean Drury shouldn’t be making calls.
Mika Zibanejad has been the Rangers’ best player this season, and his value may never be higher. He’s made it clear he wants to stay in New York, but after representing Sweden in the upcoming 2026 Olympics, he might be more open to chasing a Stanley Cup elsewhere. It’s a conversation worth having-both now and again in the offseason, if needed.
Then there’s Quick. A Connecticut native, he’s long made it known he’s happy in New York.
But with his play slipping and the Rangers heading toward a youth movement, it’s fair to ask whether a move could benefit both sides. His market may be limited, but Drury owes it to the organization to explore every option.
These are tough conversations, but they’re necessary ones if the Rangers want to reset the roster the right way.
2. Maximize the Return on Tradeable Assets
This is the big one. The Rangers have several players who could draw interest ahead of the deadline-Vincent Trocheck, Braden Schneider, Brennan Othmann, and maybe even Alexis Lafrenière, depending on what’s happening behind the scenes.
Drury’s trade record has been hit-or-miss, but the Panarin deal was a strong start. Greentree is a high-upside prospect and should be NHL-ready soon. That’s the blueprint: target young, skilled players who are either already contributing in the NHL or knocking on the door.
Draft picks are nice, but the Rangers need players who can help turn things around sooner rather than later. That means focusing on quality over quantity and prioritizing prospects with a clear path to the NHL.
And once they’re in the system, the development has to be there. That’s been a weak spot for the franchise in recent years, but it has to change if this retool is going to work.
1. One Last Chance to Celebrate the Centennial-And Get It Right
This one’s for the fans.
The Rangers’ 100th anniversary season has been, in a word, rough. What was supposed to be a celebration of a century of hockey at Madison Square Garden has instead turned into one of the most disappointing campaigns in franchise history.
But there’s one last chance to get it right: March 5, when the Rangers host the Maple Leafs in an Original Six showdown during the Modern Era celebration night.
The centennial uniforms are sharp, no doubt. The team’s play in them?
Not so much. Still, the March 5 game is a chance to honor the recent past and, maybe, offer a glimpse of a brighter future.
It’s been a tough year for the Blueshirts and their fans. But this night offers something more than nostalgia-it’s a reminder of what the Rangers can be again. With the right moves and the right vision, that future might not be as far off as it seems.
The road ahead is steep, and the clock is ticking. But if the Rangers use this final stretch wisely-getting healthy, evaluating youth, making smart trades, and having the hard conversations-they can lay the foundation for a turnaround.
There’s no shortcut back to contention. But there is a path. Now it’s up to the Rangers to walk it.