The Rangers closed out the preseason with a win over the New York Islanders and a 2-2 record, and as they turn the page to the 2026-27 season, one of the clearest bright spots was Will Cuylle.
That’s saying something in a camp that was compressed from the start. After a busy summer, there wasn’t much time for experimentation, and head coach Mike Sullivan seemed to have a strong read on his lineup early. The roster picture settled quickly, with Alberts Smits appearing to have locked down the left side of the third pair and Matt Rempe making a solid case for the fourth line.
But Cuylle was the player who really jumped out.
The 24-year-old winger is projected to skate on the third line with Noah Laba and Eeli Tolvanen, and that combination has the look of a group that can do some damage. Cuylle has already shown he can score - he’s put up 20 goals in each of the last two seasons - and he brings the kind of physical edge that makes him more than just a finishing threat.
That two-way game was on display in the final two preseason outings. Against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Cuylle delivered two points, scoring once and adding an assist. He also finished the night by burying the game-winner in the shootout.
He carried that momentum into Friday’s matchup with the Islanders, where he added another goal in the Rangers’ 6-1 win.
For a team looking for more offense, Cuylle looks like a strong candidate to take another step. At 24, there’s still room for his game to grow, and with the talent around him, he could be in line for a 25-goal season.
In two preseason games, Cuylle finished with three points, two goals and one assist - a sharp way to head into the 2026-27 campaign.
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Rangers Gave Fans Real Reason To Feel Good Before Bruins Opener
A strong night against the Islanders gave the Rangers a little preseason momentum as they headed toward the Boston Bruins and the start of games that count. New York jumped early and kept pouring it on in a 6-1 win, with Oliver Bjorkstrand, J.T. Miller, Tye Kartye, Will Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad all getting on the scoresheet while Adam Fox set the tone with three assists.
For a team trying to build some early confidence, it was the kind of performance that checked a lot of boxes without asking the staff to read too much into the result. The Rangers have now strung together two straight preseason wins, and after the offensive showing on Long Island, they have at least given their fans a reason to feel better about where things stand before the opener in Boston. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Still Have One Roster Decision Hanging Before Opening Night
The preseason ended on a high note for the Rangers, who rolled past the Islanders 6-1 with a lineup that looked awfully close to what they expect to roll out on opening night. Even with the win serving as a tidy finishing touch, the final roster remains unfinished, with two spots still open as the club heads into the last stretch before the regular season begins.
What makes the wait interesting is the shape of the roster itself. New York has already trimmed its camp group and is still staring at a shortage of clear center options, which has fueled the idea that the answer could come from outside the organization. The waiver wire is part of the conversation now, and the next move may say as much about the teams depth concerns as the preseason finale did about its top-end readiness. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Face One Season-Defining Question Heading Into 2026-27
The Rangers head toward 2026-27 with a much cleaner-looking backbone than they have had in recent seasons. Between Adam Fox, Vlad Gavrikov and Igor Shesterkin, the club has the kind of defensive and goaltending structure that can keep games manageable, and that is usually the starting point for any team trying to steady itself in the East.
Still, the real question is whether the rest of the roster can do enough to turn that stability into wins. New Yorks season could swing quickly depending on health and the growth of its younger forwards, with the gap between a playoff berth and a frustrating year likely resting on whether the offense finds enough consistency to support the pieces already in place. [Read more 🡒]