The Rangers’ offseason has been anything but quiet, and the latest wave of moves only added to the noise around a team that finished 34-39-9, good for eighth in the Metro and 30th in the NHL.
That’s the backdrop for this week’s fan confidence poll, and it comes after a stretch packed with draft talk, trade chatter, and a flurry of roster changes from Chris Drury. Between the 2026 NHL Draft and free agency, the Rangers kept popping up in rumors, including links to Ville Heinola and a substantial offer for Alexander Nikishin. There were also several teams involved before Will Borgen was eventually traded.
The week before free agency made one thing clear: the Rangers had real needs on defense, and they also needed to move Vincent Trocheck. They wound up addressing both areas, while also signaling that they believe they can contend again soon.
The moves came fast. The Rangers traded for Joonas Korpisalo from Boston, signed Joe Veleno to a one-year, $1.2 million deal, sent Vincent Trocheck to Utah, added Oliver Bjorkstrand on a one-year, $4.5 million contract, and brought in defenseman Marcus Pettersson. They also dealt Will Borgen to Boston.
Beyond the NHL roster, the Rangers added a few players for the AHL, including Dennis Cholowski and Marc Del Gaizo.
There was also a major organizational shakeup off the ice: James Dolan stepped down from day-to-day activities with the Rangers and handed control to his son Quentin.
All of it has made for a wild, wild offseason - and now the question is how fans feel about the direction of the team, the coaching, management, prospects, and the overall product on the ice.
In Other News...
Islanders Just Sent A Strong Message About Barzal And Horvat
The Rangers have made it clear they are not entertaining any noise around Adam Fox, even after other teams checked in on his availability. There had been some speculation that Fox might be carrying lingering frustration after being left off the U.S. Olympic roster, but that chatter does not appear to have much footing, and New Yorks stance only reinforces how central he remains to the blue line.
For the Islanders, the message is just as direct with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. Despite outside interest, they are not looking to move either center, a sign that the organization still sees both as core pieces rather than names to shop. In a division where rival teams are always probing for leverage, that kind of firm line matters, especially with the Devils also waiting on a separate roster decision elsewhere in the Metro. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Created A Tough Early Test For Alberts Smits
The Rangers spent the offseason reshaping their blue line in a way that gives them a much clearer top four, with Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson joining Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. That kind of depth is a good problem to have, but it also changes the early path for Alberts Smits, the fifth overall pick in the NHL Draft, who arrived with the kind of pedigree that usually points straight toward major minutes.
Elliotte Friedman noted that Smits can still work his way into the picture and that even a third-pairing role could be part of his development rather than a setback. For the Rangers, the real question is not whether Smits has long-term value, but how quickly he can force his way into a crowded defense group and whether he becomes part of the plan as soon as the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Kreider Could Be Pulled Back Into A Rangers Debate
Chris Kreiders first season in Anaheim went about as well as the Ducks could have hoped. After the Rangers moved him, he gave them a steady scoring presence, finished with 50 points in 75 games and was part of a team that not only made the playoffs but also won a first-round series. For a player who had been such a familiar figure in New York, it looked like a clean break that worked for everyone involved.
Now the Ducks roster math is getting tighter, and that is where Kreider could get pulled back into the conversation. After the Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Pavel Mintyukov extension, Anaheim may have to clear salary, and Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman suggested Pat Verbeek could be forced to move one or more veterans to make it work. Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are also in that mix, which leaves open the possibility that Kreider, once thought to be settled in Orange County, could become part of a new trade debate all over again. [Read more 🡒]