The Rangers have made their offseason moves, but the biggest question hanging over the roster is the same one that’s followed this team for years: who, exactly, is the next guy who can score 50?
It’s a rare club, and the Rangers know it better than most. Chris Kreider was the last one to get there, doing it in 2021-22 and breaking through a ceiling that had defined much of his career.
He became the fourth Ranger to reach 50 in a season. Artemi Panarin came close in 2023-24 with 49, but close only counts in this chase.
That kind of production has never exactly been easy to find in New York. Vic Hadfield was the first Blueshirt to do it, scoring 50 in 1971-72 as part of the GAG “goal a game” line. His outburst ended a drought that stretched 45 years.
Then came Adam Graves, who gave the Rangers their second 50-goal season during the 1993-94 championship run. He finished with 52, setting a franchise record at the time.
Jaromir Jagr eventually raised the bar again. His 54 goals in 2005-06 still stand as the Rangers’ high-water mark, and Kreider came up just short of threatening it.
Across the league, the milestone remains elusive for plenty of teams, which is part of what makes it stand out. Eight teams are still waiting for their first 50-goal scorer.
For the current Rangers, though, there doesn’t appear to be an obvious answer. Pavel Dorofeyev was brought in to score in bunches, and he did reach a career high of 37 goals last season with the Vegas Golden Knights over a full 82-game schedule.
He’s young enough to keep climbing, but the setup around him is different now. After playing with Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, he’s expected to skate with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault.
Zibanejad is the next closest name on the list. He scored 41 goals in 2019-20, but his game has shifted more toward leadership than pure finishing punch, and Father Time may be starting to edge in. He has another franchise milestone in sight, just not this one.
Perreault could someday become the Rangers’ next true goal-scorer, but that feels like a project for later. For now, the search continues.
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The Rangers have largely wrapped up their offseason business, but one of the more interesting decisions on the horizon involves Gabe Perreault and when the team should lock him in on a new deal. Perreault is heading toward restricted free agency, and with New York already thinking ahead on extensions for its young core, his next contract has become part of a broader long-term puzzle.
Pittsburghs recent extension for Ville Koivunen only sharpened the attention around these kinds of deals, especially with the market about to shift. For the Rangers, the real question may be whether there is value in waiting, giving Perreault a chance to build on his stock with a strong upcoming season before talks get serious. For now, it remains one of those situations that feels inevitable without being close to settled. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge now is that his place on the roster may not be as secure as it once looked. With several younger players pushing for spots, the Rangers could soon find themselves weighing experience against upside, and Raddysh's contract only adds another layer to the decision. The long view on his future in New York remains unsettled, with the possibility of a move by the 2027 trade deadline hanging over the discussion. [Read more 🡒]