Winning the offseason isn’t the goal for the New York Rangers. Winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994 is. But the main objective certainly isn’t hurt if the Rangers nailed their recent offseason moves either.
So, acquiring a young proven sniper like Pavel Dorofeyev and taking a flyer on six-time 20-goal scorer Oliver Bjorkstrand on a one-year deal to bolster the top-six forward group is a good start. Revamping the second defense pairing with veteran newcomers Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi is another vital upgrade.
Nobody here is saying the Rangers are a true Stanley Cup contender heading into the 2026-27 season. Certainly not after failing to even qualify for the playoffs the past two years, including a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26, when only two teams had worse records in the entire NHL.
However, they do better resemble a team capable of contending for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Sportsnet recently handed the Rangers an “A” when grading their offseason. That was tied with the Washington Capitals for best offseason grade in the Metropolitan Division.
“With a fortified blue line, a punch up front, and room for some of the young guys to step up, this is indeed a retooled Rangers roster — and one that should have the Blueshirts back in contention,” Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler wrote.
Then she added this not-so-insignificant line: “With the first-rounders he spent, [general manager Chris] Drury is counting on it.”
The Rangers traded away three first-round draft picks in order to beef up their current roster. They sent a pair of first-rounders — No. 26 overall this year and a top-10 protected pick in 2028 — along with a third-round selection in the 2026 draft to the Vegas Golden Knights to land Dorofeyev. New York also traded a conditional first-round pick in 2030 to the Vancouver Canucks for Pettersson.
For an organization looking to build up its prospect pipeline, it’s risky dealing away first-round picks. But you need to give to get, and the Rangers absolutely needed to upgrade their current roster, especially considering their stated retool plan.
“This time, it’s a retool, not a rebuild,” Sadler emphasized, comparing the 2026 Letter to Blueshirts fans and the original one back in 2018. “And [Drury’s] actions since then have followed that line of thinking.”
Rangers hope to build on strong offseason to make playoff push in 2026-27
Sean Durzi — Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The other fair concern here is that the Rangers didn’t adequately replace Vincent Trocheck, who was an invaluable do-it-all center that averaged more than 21 minutes TOI during his four seasons on Broadway. Of course, you need to give to get, remember? And the Rangers traded Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth on July 1 in order to get Durzi and center prospect Cole Beaudoin.
“Trading Vincent Trocheck to Utah opens a hole at center, but the addition of winger Pavel Dorofeyev makes up for a talent deficiency up front enough to say the Rangers got better,” Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press wrote in a recent story, where AP listed the Blueshirts as an offseason winner.
As for the Rangers receiving an “A” grade from Sportsnet, that might be a bit on the liberal side. No doubt the Rangers had a strong offseason and appear worthy to battle for a playoff berth, all things considered. But not sure it was an “A” offseason, especially in light of dealing away Trocheck.
B+ sounds about right, and that grade includes the selection of defenseman Alberts Smits with the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft. If the 18-year-old makes the team at any point this season and contributes in a positive way, that offseason grade should look even better.
The Rangers also added fourth-line center Joe Veleno and veteran backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo this summer. Though panned by many hockey experts and Rangers fans, Sadler referred to the Korpisalo trade with the Boston Bruins as “a smart piece of business, too.”
As for New York’s Metro rivals, Sadler called the Capitals “a retooled team that is suddenly one of the most intriguing in the East.” That after they added forwards Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, and Boone Jenner this summer following their failure to make the playoffs last season.
After the Rangers and Capitals, Sportsnet listed (in order of grade) the New Jersey Devils (B+), Pittsburgh Penguins (B), Columbus Blue Jackets (B), Philadelphia Flyers (B-), Carolina Hurricanes (C), and New York Islanders (D) in the Metropolitan Division.
That grading seems quite kind to the Blue Jackets, probably too generous for the Devils, and pretty spot on for the Islanders.
And though the Hurricanes didn’t make any significant addition this summer and failed to sign John Carlson, they are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and bring back pretty much their entire roster in 2026-27. So, a “C” grade this offseason is what it is, but they easily remain the team to beat in the Metro, likely the only one guaranteed to land a playoff berth.
The Rangers are right there with the rest. Let’s see how they grade out once games are actually played.
Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut, with more than 30 years of … More about Jim Cerny
