The Hockey News sees plenty to like in the Rangers’ offseason, enough to slot New York at No. 7 in its rankings and call Chris Drury’s work a “great off-season.”
That praise centers on the kind of moves that can reshape a roster fast. Drury brought in high-scoring forward Pavel Dorofeyev, then added defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, and THN veteran Adam Proteau believes the Rangers did enough to put themselves on the brink of the top five.
“There’s no question the Rangers had a great off-season, and that’s why they’re nearly a top-five team on this list,” Proteau wrote.
Dorofeyev is the headliner. The Rangers acquired him from the cap-strapped Vegas Golden Knights and then locked him in on a seven-year, $77 million contract with an $11 million average annual value. Proteau called the 25-year-old “a legitimate difference-maker” after Dorofeyev scored 35 goals in 2024-25 and then a career-high 37 last season, helping Vegas get to the Stanley Cup Final.
“That’s one of the best acquisitions any team has made this summer,” Proteau said, adding, “As the Blueshirts build toward a new generation, he’ll be one of the franchise’s foundational pieces.”
The blue line also got a major facelift. Durzi and Pettersson were singled out as important additions because New York needed more help on defense if it wanted to avoid a third straight season without a playoff berth. Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov remain the top pair, but the new arrivals strengthen the bottom two groups, with Braden Schneider on the third pair and possibly Matthew Robertson or first-round pick Alberts Smits alongside him.
That should also make life easier for Igor Shesterkin. He’ll have a new backup, too, after Drury traded for Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins. Korpisalo is expected to have the inside track to replace Jonathan Quick, who retired in April.
Proteau also approved of the “nice acquisition” of Oliver Bjorkstrand, who joined as a free agent after posting 12 goals and 32 points in limited ice time with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Bjorkstrand averaged 13:38 of ice time in 80 games.
The biggest subtraction, though, is Vincent Trocheck. New York sent the veteran two-way center to Utah in the deal that brought back Durzi and center prospect Cole Beaudoin. Trocheck had 16 goals and 53 points in 67 games last season despite missing 15 games because of injuries and illness.
That loss matters because it leaves the Rangers thinner down the middle. As Proteau put it, “with how difficult it is to acquire elite centers, they’ll have to either develop a premier pivot or trade for one down the line.”
Still, the rest of the departures were more manageable. The Rangers traded bottom-four defenseman Will Borgen to the Bruins, while Conor Sheary and Jonny Brodzinski signed with the Buffalo Sabres and Capitals, respectively.
Proteau’s overall view is that New York is clearly better after the offseason, and that Drury delivered on his promise from last season.
“Drury has followed through with his words last season that this would be a retool and not a rebuild.”
The Rangers finished last in the Metro and the Eastern Conference and 30th overall last season, missed the playoffs for a second straight year, and still have plenty to prove. But Proteau also pointed to the weakness of the Metropolitan Division as a possible opening, saying the Rangers have “a great opportunity to step up in 2026-27.”
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