The Rangers are heading toward the 2026-2027 season with a roster that looks a lot different than it did before, and the changes have been most obvious in the forward group. Chris Drury spent the offseason reshaping the lineup, and while there’s still plenty of skepticism about where this team is headed, the one clear takeaway is that the positions groups have been upgraded. That may not be enough to call the Rangers a playoff team yet, but it is at least movement in the right direction.
Down the middle, New York now has Mika Zibanejad, JT Miller, Noah Laba, and Joe Veleno. Zibanejad is coming off a strong bounce-back season and won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, a sign that he still has something left to give.
Miller, though, is coming off a rough year and has done little to quiet concerns about age and effectiveness. Laba gave the Rangers a solid rookie season, while Veleno steps in for Sam Carrick as the club hopes for similar production.
The problem at center is the ceiling. Zibanejad can still function as a first-line center, but he’s more of a lower-tier one.
Miller has the talent to be a useful second-line center if he gets back to his career level, but that hasn’t shown up in New York. Laba is young and promising in the most basic sense, while Veleno projects as a dependable fourth-line center.
That mix leads to a position group that is serviceable, but not especially exciting, which is why it lands at a C+.
The wing picture has a little more intrigue, even if it comes with plenty of questions. The Rangers brought in Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand to join Gabe Perreault, Alexis Lafreniere, Will Cuylle, Tye Kartye, Jaro Chmelar, Matt Rempe, and Adam Sykora. Taylor Raddysh is part of the broader conversation, but this is the group expected to make the roster.
There’s upside here, but a lot has to break the Rangers’ way. Perreault has to keep developing.
Lafreniere has to prove he can truly handle top-line duty. Cuylle needs to show that last season’s dip was an outlier.
Bjorkstrand has to rebound. And Dorofeyev has to show he can create offense without star talent beside him.
The lower half of the wing depth chart brings its own set of unknowns. Kartye has to prove that his strong stint was more than a short burst, especially since he was on waivers for a reason.
Sykora plays a similar game with a bit more offense, but he carries the same uncertainty. Chmelar impressed in his call-up and looks locked into a fourth-line role, with a chance to move higher if he can chip in a goal or two.
Rempe remains Rempe - a fourth-line body and, at this point, still the team mascot.
There’s potential in this winger group, but nobody is handing it a league-best label. If the Rangers can settle in as an average scoring team, that would count as a real win.
In Other News...
Will Cuylle Faces A Rangers Role That Could Shape His Value
Will Cuylle spent much of the 2024-25 season in a familiar place on the Rangers third line, and that usage fit his game. His even-strength work stood out on the defensive side, where he looked more comfortable handling tougher minutes without the same offensive expectations that come with a top-six assignment. When he was pushed higher in the lineup, his production dipped, which only sharpened the conversation around where he can help this team most.
Next season, the Rangers appear set to keep Cuylle in that middle-six lane, even if he gets a look at one of the top spots in camp. Oliver Bjorkstrand is also in the mix for the last opening up front, and Cuylle should remain part of the penalty kill either way. If he lands back on the third line again, the matchups could be better for him and give him a cleaner path to building on the value he already showed. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Still Have One Big Problem After Their Offseason Reset
The Rangers spent the offseason taking a hard look at their roster and making major changes, dealing away Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck while bringing in Pavel Dorofeyev, Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson. It was the kind of reset that signaled a real attempt to reshape the group, and it also left one obvious hole that has not gone away. Even after all that movement, New York still appears to be searching for a top-six forward to round out the lineup.
One of the names that would have fit that need is now looking less available. Alex DeBrincat has been viewed as a potential free-agent target, but the latest reporting suggests he is inclined to remain with the Detroit Red Wings for personal and family reasons, which would narrow the Rangers options even further. If that holds, New York may be pushed toward an internal answer for now and a longer wait until next summers free-agent market opens up again. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Near Another Forward Move As Drury Reshapes The Top Nine
The Rangers offseason push to remake their forward depth appears to be continuing, with another experienced winger reportedly on the verge of joining the mix. Eeli Tolvanen, who has spent time with both the Predators and Kraken and also skated for Finlands bronze medal-winning Olympic team, would fit the profile of the kind of low-cost, useful addition New York has been targeting as president and general manager Chris Drury reshapes the top nine.
For a club that has already brought in several forwards this summer, the appeal is obvious: more options, more competition and more flexibility as camp approaches. Tolvanen has enough NHL experience to help stabilize a middle-six role, and if the fit works, the Rangers could get more than just another body in the room. [Read more 🡒]