The Rangers are heading into next season with a different look, and that means the pressure is spread around in a new way. New York no longer has players like Will Borgen soaking up key defensive minutes, and the hope now is that the club finally has a real second pairing. That should help, but if the Rangers are going to push for the playoffs, they need contributions from everyone - just not all in the same way.
This is a ranking of the Rangers who need a career year to help the Blueshirts take a real step forward and turn heads. Here’s Part 3.
Sean Durzi lands at No. 5 because his role could be enormous. Acquired as a surprise piece in the Vincent Trocheck trade, Durzi is set to slide right into that second-pairing spot that was such a glaring issue last season.
The Rangers will ask him to log heavy minutes, sharpen his defensive play, and give them another defenseman who can handle zone exits and outlet passes behind Adam Fox. If Durzi breaks out, New York’s offense from the blue line could take off.
If he doesn’t, that weakness is going to keep showing up.
At No. 4 is Gabe Perreault, and the Rangers cannot afford a sophomore slump. A step backward from Perreault would hit hard, especially with the way Alexis Lafreniere’s career has played out and the way New York media tends to work.
Even a solid season would give the Rangers something to feel good about, but they need more than that. Perreault has to look like a top-six forward this year.
That’s the bar.
JT Miller comes in at No. 3, and last season left no room for debate. He was horrendous.
That said, there is still time for him to turn it around, and if he’s back at center, the Rangers need him to produce and actually lead. He’s already drawing plenty of frustration from Rangers fans, but a return to top form would go a long way toward changing that.
New York needs him to be a strong second-line center. Anything less, and the roster starts to look shaky fast.
Alexis Lafreniere is No. 2, which says plenty about how much the Rangers need him to keep building. He caught fire in the second half of last season, and expectations are high again.
Now he has to meet them. The Rangers need Lafreniere to spend the year as a top-line forward and a fixture on the top power-play unit, without disappearing for long stretches.
If he becomes the kind of top young forward New York has been waiting for, and if he and Perreault can become real cornerstones, the whole organization starts to look very different.
In Other News...
Trocheck Just Reopened A Painful Rangers Debate After That Presidents Trophy Run
Vincent Trochecks move from New York to Utah closes a notable chapter for a Rangers player who had become part of the fabric of the lineup over the past four years. Looking back on his time with the club, Trocheck pointed to the roster turnover that followed the Rangers 2024 Presidents Trophy season, a reminder of how quickly a team can shift from contender to a different kind of transition.
For the Rangers, his departure is another marker of an offseason and a stretch of change that has already forced plenty of reflection about what came after that regular-season run. Trocheck, for his part, spoke appreciatively about his experience in New York and said he is looking ahead to joining the Mammoth organization, leaving the bigger question of where the Rangers go from here to hang in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Are Trying To Matter Again In The East
Columbus spent another spring on the outside looking in, finishing with a 40-30-12 record and missing the Eastern Conference playoff cut by six points. It was the sixth straight season without a postseason berth, and the Blue Jackets spent the offseason trying to reshape the roster with additions such as Valeri Nichushkin and Ryan Lomberg while also watching key forwards walk in free agency.
For a team that has spent years trying to climb back into relevance, those are the kinds of moves that invite both hope and doubt. The Blue Jackets have clearly tried to add more bite and depth, but in a crowded East, the real question is whether this version of the roster is good enough to turn progress into a playoff return. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rempe Faces A Rangers Camp Battle That Just Got Real
Matt Rempes road back to the Rangers has not been a clean one, and this summer only adds another layer to it. The forward missed most of the 2025-26 season after a hand injury that required two surgeries, a setback that derailed what had already become a stop-and-start year. After trying to come back too soon last season, his campaign ended in early February, leaving him with plenty to prove before training camp opens.
Now the real work is less about recovery and more about earning a place in a crowded bottom-six picture. Rempe is set to compete for one of those limited spots against younger forwards such as Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora, which makes camp a meaningful test rather than a formality. For a player still trying to reestablish himself, the battle ahead feels like the sort that can shape not just his role, but his immediate future with the Rangers. [Read more 🡒]