The New York Rangers spent the offseason reshaping their roster, but one of the most important moves may have come on defense.
After missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons, the Rangers are aiming to be more competitive in 2026-27, and their new additions are meant to give the roster more depth on paper. Among all the changes, Sean Durzi stands out as the player who could have the biggest impact on whether New York gets back to the postseason.
Durzi arrived as part of the trade that sent center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth. Trocheck was the headliner in that deal, but Durzi brings something the Rangers need: a defenseman with puck-moving skill and the chance to become a real difference-maker. On the current roster, he could line up on the second pairing with fellow newcomer Marcus Pettersson, and his style suggests he should log plenty of minutes.
That kind of role matters for a team trying to stabilize its blue line. If Durzi becomes a legitimate top-four option, the Rangers’ odds of making the playoffs next season would rise. New York is also looking for him to be a clear upgrade over Will Borgen, who was traded to the Boston Bruins earlier this summer.
There’s also a case that Durzi could unlock another gear in New York. He has already shown he can provide offense from the back end, and a fresh start with the Rangers might help him find that level again.
Last season, Durzi played 60 games for the Mammoth and finished with five goals and 27 points. Those are solid totals, but they don’t match what he produced in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes, when he scored nine goals and set career highs with 32 assists and 41 points.
If Durzi can get back to that range - or even top it - he may end up being the player who helps push the Rangers back into playoff position.
In Other News...
Rangers Offseason Praise Raises One Question Fans Care About Most
The Rangers entered the offseason with a clear mandate to get faster, deeper and tougher to handle across the lineup, and they made a series of moves that drew positive notice around the league. New forwards Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand, along with defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, gave the roster a different look, the kind of additions that make an already competitive team seem a little more complete on paper.
The praise, though, only goes so far for a fan base that still wants to know what happens in the middle of the ice. With Vincent Trocheck gone to Utah, the Rangers have opened up a real question about who anchors the center position going forward, and that is the part of the offseason that could end up mattering most once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Ivan Ryabkin Just Became A More Intriguing Hurricanes Watch
The Rangers training camp will go a long way toward determining Alberts Smits immediate future, with the club set to decide whether he sticks on the roster or heads back to Jukurit in Finland on loan. There is already a clear split in expectations around the young forward, too, since Jukurits head coach is anticipating Smits will be with New York right away.
Elsewhere in the prospect pipeline, Ivan Ryabkins situation has taken on extra weight for the Hurricanes after Dynamo Moscow asked to loan him back for the season and was turned down. It is another reminder of how these young players can become entangled in roster, development and contract decisions long before they ever settle into a regular NHL role. [Read more 🡒]
Mika Zibanejad Still Owns The Rangers Biggest Pressure Moments
Mika Zibanejad has made a habit of showing up when the Rangers need a finish, and the numbers back it up. He already owns the franchise records for career overtime goals and overtime points, while also sitting atop the team lists for empty-net points and empty-net assists, a pretty good reflection of how often he has been trusted in the games highest-leverage moments.
There are still a couple of marks out there for him to chase, though, which is part of what makes his Rangers rsum so interesting. The overtime column is not quite complete, and neither is the empty-net ledger, so even with his place already secure in the team record book, Zibanejad still has a few pressure-packed targets left in view. [Read more 🡒]