The New York Rangers are already a different-looking team than the one that came within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final in 2023-24, and if the 2026-27 season starts the wrong way, even more change could be coming.
That’s the read from insider David Pagnotta, who believes a rough opening quarter could push some of the Rangers’ biggest names into the trade conversation. Pagnotta specifically pointed to Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere and Igor Shesterkin as players who could surface in league chatter if New York stumbles early.
“I am very curious to see how the first quarter of the season goes for the New York Rangers. If it goes to dog crap, I fully expect - I’m not saying it’s gonna happen, I’m just saying if this were to happen at the quarter mark - I would expect names like Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, even Igor to be brought up amongst conversations around the league.
If they have a really bad first quarter of the season, then I think Drury and company, to salvage something, are going to start exploring some of those possibilities. Fox is an interesting one because he’s got his no-move, but it modifies next season. Lafreniere’s been out there for a while, and teams have had those conversations,”
Fox, 28, has three years left on the seven-year, $66.5 million extension he signed with the Rangers in 2021. Lafreniere, 24, and Shesterkin, 30, are both in the second year of their deals after signing long-term extensions in 2024. Lafreniere’s contract is seven years and $52.15 million, while Shesterkin’s runs eight years at $92.475 million.
Chris Drury has already spent the last year reshaping the roster, and the big question now is whether those moves can get the Rangers back into the playoff mix. If they don’t, the rest of the core from those recent contender teams may not be safe either.
In Other News...
Rangers New-Look Lineup Just Got An Early Reality Check Against Islanders
The Rangers second preseason game offered a decent snapshot of what their opening-night group might look like, and for a while it looked like the new-look lineup was handling the Islanders just fine. New faces made an early impression, the pace had some bite to it, and New York built a 3-1 lead behind goals from Cole Beaudoin, Pavel Dorofeyev and Taylor Raddysh, with Igor Shesterkin turning aside a few dangerous chances to keep things on track.
But preseason is often less about the scoreboard than the warning signs, and this one had plenty of those mixed in with the positives. There were penalties, a fight between Liam Greentree and Scott Mayfield, and enough momentum swings to remind the Rangers that even a dress rehearsal can get messy fast, especially when a roster still trying to settle into itself starts to lose a little control. [Read more 🡒]
Alexis Lafrenire Still Faces The Rangers Question He Hasn't Settled
Alexis Lafrenire has settled into an important place in the Rangers lineup, even if the broader conversation around him still carries the weight of his first-overall draft status. The 2020 pick has given New York solid production and visible growth in the underlying numbers, the kind of steady progress that matters in a league where not every young star arrives on schedule. Last season, he matched a career high in points and remained one of the clubs more effective forwards by the advanced metrics that track overall impact.
The next question is less about whether Lafrenire belongs and more about how far his role can still grow in New Yorks attack. Projections continue to slot him as a top-six winger who should stay involved on the power play, and the Rangers will keep looking for that next layer of offense to show up alongside teammates such as Gabe Perreault. For a player who has already moved past the skepticism that followed him early on, the open-ended part of his story is whether the production simply stays useful, or finally starts to look like the kind of ceiling the Rangers have been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Rookie Just Made The Opening Night Roster Debate Real
Alberts mits kept building his case in a preseason game against the Islanders, a night that gave the Rangers a closer look at what their 2026 fifth-overall pick can already bring. The 18-year-old logged 15:29 of ice time, flashed on both sides of the puck and looked right at home in the kind of setting young players usually need more time to adjust to, with the Garden spotlight and a veteran lineup on the other side.
Mike Sullivan liked what he saw from mits, especially the way he blended physical play with offensive awareness while showing he can handle NHL pace. The rookie said he felt comfortable with the speed of the game and valued the chance to play at Madison Square Garden, which only adds to the sense that the opening-night roster question is becoming more real by the day. [Read more 🡒]