{"id":149867,"date":"2025-09-11T21:18:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T21:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/149867\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T21:18:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T21:18:16","slug":"ten-bold-predictions-about-the-2025-26-new-york-rangers-from-our-beat-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/149867\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten bold predictions about the 2025-26 New York Rangers from our beat writers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rookie camp began Wednesday, so the likes of Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann and newcomer Scott Morrow are already on the ice in an organized setting. Training camp starts next week. After a far longer summer than the Rangers wanted, hockey is almost back.<\/p>\n

Every new season marks an opportunity for new opinions and prognostications. We wanted to get the ball rolling with several bold ones regarding the Rangers, who are coming off a 39-36-7 season that was disappointing both on and off the ice. Both of us came up with five predictions, then responded to each other\u2019s thoughts.<\/p>\n

1. Chris Kreider will have a multi-goal game at Madison Square Garden. \u2014 Peter Baugh<\/p>\n

Reasoning: This wouldn\u2019t have been a bold prediction going into the 2024-25 season, but now Kreider \u2014 one of the most beloved Rangers of his generation \u2014 is on Anaheim. The Ducks come to town Dec. 15. It\u2019ll mark the return of Kreider and former captain Jacob Trouba, both of whom will surely have plenty of motivation. For good measure, I\u2019ll say Trouba picks up a secondary assist on one of Kreider\u2019s goals that night.<\/p>\n

Mercogliano\u2019s response: Yeah, I can see it. Ex-Rangers always seem to score at MSG. Just ask the fans!<\/p>\n

2. Adam Fox will establish a new career high in points (and make the final Olympic roster for Team USA). \u2014 Vincent Mercogliano<\/p>\n

Reasoning: The 2021 Norris Trophy winner has taken some public lumps coming off a subpar season (by his lofty standards) and an underwhelming 4 Nations performance that brought his future role with Team USA into question. There\u2019s no doubt that we\u2019ve seen better versions of Fox than the 2024-25 edition, but anyone dropping him out of the NHL\u2019s top tier of defensemen is overreaching.<\/p>\n

Fox\u2019s 55.7% xGF ranked 12th among 190 defensemen who logged 700 minutes or more at five-on-five last season, according to Natural Stat Trick \u2014 0.01% less than his probable new partner, Vladislav Gavrikov, and 6.82% better than any other Rangers\u2019 D. He\u2019s asked to shoulder a heavy load for a bad defensive team and it\u2019s worn him down at times, but word is he\u2019s intensified his offseason training regimen and highly motivated to silence the critics.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old has never eclipsed 74 points in a season, but my hunch is he\u2019ll get to 75-plus under new coach Mike Sullivan and solidify his place as one of the top-six defensemen in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Baugh\u2019s response: I could see it, but it\u2019s entirely reliant on the power play\u2019s production. Fox actually tied his career high in even-strength points last season (40). The Rangers\u2019 power play, though, slipped from one of the league\u2019s best to its fifth-worst. That took a huge bite out of Fox\u2019s total numbers. He had only 18 power play points, down from 33 the year before.<\/p>\n

If I were Team USA general manager Bill Guerin, I\u2019d have Fox on the Olympic team in a heartbeat, but my sense is it\u2019s not a lock<\/a>. Colleague Michael Russo, who covers the Wild and Team USA, wrote after 4 Nations<\/a> that Fox\u2019s status with the team could be in jeopardy. He listed Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy, Brock Faber, Jaccob Slavin and Jake Sanderson as likely shoo-ins, leaving only two spots open. If Guerin is down on Fox after his last international showcase, the Rangers\u2019 defenseman will likely need to have a strong start to the year to sway him.<\/p>\n

3. The Rangers\u2019 playoff fate comes down to Game 82. \u2014 Baugh<\/p>\n

Reasoning: The Rangers were eliminated after Game 80 last season, but their season was already in a dire situation well before that. I predict New York will have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs going into their final game of the year at Tampa Bay. The East has six teams I consider good bets to make the playoffs this year, assuming relative health: Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina, New Jersey and Washington, though I expect the Capitals will regress from last year. The Rangers will be in the next clump of teams, which includes Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, Columbus and maybe even the Islanders or Flyers. It will lead to a crazy last day of the season conference-wide.<\/p>\n

Mercogliano\u2019s response: I\u2019m not so sure if it\u2019ll come down to the last game, but I agree it\u2019ll be tight and the Rangers will fall in the bucket of teams competing for the last few spots. I\u2019m on board with Peter\u2019s top six, and I really like what they\u2019re building in Columbus and Montreal. Ottawa has proved it\u2019s a team to be reckoned with, as well, and I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if the Islanders are sneaky competitive. I do believe the Rangers will win more \u2014 they can\u2019t have another 4-15-0 stretch, can they? \u2014 but there are a few glaring holes on this roster. Ultimately, it will come down to how quickly Sullivan can improve what was one of the NHL\u2019s worst defenses last season.<\/p>\n

4. Vincent Trocheck will be named the 29th captain in franchise history. \u2014 Mercogliano<\/p>\n

Reasoning: One of the fallouts from last season\u2019s debacle was a turnover in leadership, with Trouba and Kreider both landing in Anaheim in separate trades, among several other moves. They weren\u2019t seeing eye-to-eye with team president Chris Drury, so he\u2019s turning over the reins to players that do.<\/p>\n

The J.T. Miller trade signaled a clear shift in how the locker room will be policed, with his demanding \u2014 and, at times, abrasive \u2014 style intended to push the Rangers in the tough-minded direction Drury prefers. And while Miller is garnering consideration to replace Trouba and become the 29th captain in franchise history, the stronger winds seem to be blowing toward veteran center Vincent Trocheck.<\/p>\n

The 32-year-old has deeper ties to the current roster, having been here the past three seasons while serving as a mentor for young players such as Brett Berard and Will Cuylle, who lived with the Trochecks throughout his rookie season. He\u2019s also extremely close with Miller from their days growing up in the Pittsburgh area, which should create a unified front in the room.<\/p>\n

Trocheck assumed the role without the title following the Trouba trade last season, but an official announcement could be coming soon.<\/p>\n

Baugh\u2019s response: If Drury and Sullivan decide to have a captain, Trocheck certainly is a leading candidate. I\u2019ll second you on this one. I assume Miller will also receive one of the alternate captain positions.<\/p>\n

5. Sam Carrick \u2014 not Matt Rempe \u2014 leads the Rangers in fights. \u2014 Baugh<\/p>\n

Reasoning: Rempe is the Rangers\u2019 most famous fighter, but Carrick actually had as many (four) as him last season. Fighting is obviously part of Rempe\u2019s job, but the Rangers want him to be a complete player beyond it. He\u2019s learning when to pick his spots. Carrick, meanwhile, is a hard-nosed skater willing to stick up for his teammates, and at 6-foot he has more opponents in his weight class than the giant Rempe.<\/p>\n

Mercogliano\u2019s response: Eh, I\u2019m calling the bluff on this one. Rempe\u2019s determined to prove he\u2019s more than just a fighter, and he made positive strides in that regard last season. Everyone knew the 6-foot-9 forward couldn\u2019t continue to drop the gloves at the pace as we saw when he debuted in February 2024, but he remains a huge presence who will be expected to answer the bell when the situation calls for it. I believe Rempe will be a lineup regular this season, which will lead to more fighting opportunities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Multiple scouts and college coaches have said that Rangers top prospect Gabe Perreault would benefit from playing in the AHL before being thrown into the NHL fire. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)6. Gabe Perreault will begin the season in the AHL. \u2014 Mercogliano<\/p>\n

Reasoning: Perreault is widely considered the top prospect in the organization \u2014 although colleague Corey Pronman drifted from the consensus<\/a> in his most recent rankings \u2014 but the 20-year-old may not be the most NHL-ready.<\/p>\n

There may be only one available lineup spot for a young winger to seize at camp, and while Perreault possesses the highest upside of any in the organization, both Berard and Brennan Othmann are ahead of him in terms of age (Berard turned 23 on Tuesday, while Othmann will hit that milestone on Jan. 5) and physical maturity.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve spoken to multiple scouts and college coaches who feel that Perreault would benefit from a little AHL time before being thrown into the NHL fire. And while he could change the narrative with a strong showing at camp, the belief is that the Rangers won\u2019t rush the process.<\/p>\n

Baugh\u2019s response: I\u2019ll agree with you here, and I\u2019ll add that if only one of those three young wingers makes the team out of camp, it will be Berard. That said, I expect Perreault to get plenty of opportunity as the season goes, especially if the Rangers deal with injuries in their top six.<\/p>\n

7. The Rangers have a top-three penalty kill in the league. \u2014 Baugh<\/p>\n

Reasoning: New assistant Joe Sacco led strong penalty kill units throughout his tenure as an assistant in Boston. The Rangers had a fine PK in 2024-25 \u2014 80.3 percent, good for 11th in the league \u2014 but like most aspects of their team, it was worse than 2023-24. They were third-best in the league that season. They seem primed for a bounce back.<\/p>\n

Mercogliano\u2019s response: I\u2019m not so sure about this one, either. The Rangers have lost several of their go-to PK guys in the last year and a half \u2014 Kreider, Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey among the forwards, plus Trouba, Ryan Lindgren and K\u2019Andre Miller on D. Gavrikov will help fill one of those voids and young players such as Cuylle and Braden Schneider may be ready to take on more responsibility, but top three is a lofty goal.<\/p>\n

8. Will Cuylle will score 30 goals. \u2014 Mercogliano<\/p>\n

Reasoning: Cuylle may be the only Ranger who can claim his 2024-25 season was an improvement from 2023-24, and I think it\u2019ll get even better in Year 3.<\/p>\n

His two-year, $7.8 million extension represents the highest average annual value New York has ever awarded a forward on their second contract ($3.9 million), but it still looks like a bargain. The 23-year-old should elevate to the top-line LW position vacated by Kreider and play alongside J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, where his heavy left-handed shot and straight-ahead play style will lead to ample scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n

I expect him to live in the high-danger areas and make a jump from last year\u2019s career-high 20 goals.<\/p>\n

Baugh\u2019s response: I\u2019m going to disagree. I think Cuylle\u2019s point production will be around the same as it was last year, but I don\u2019t see him jumping up 10 goals. After a fast start playing with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko last year, he had only nine in the final 52 games of the season (14-goal pace). My guess is he scores in the low 20s and continues to earn opportunities on the penalty kill and second power play unit.<\/p>\n

9. Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov both average career highs in ice time. \u2014 Baugh<\/p>\n

Reasoning: For the Rangers to have success, Mike Sullivan will likely need to lean heavily on his top defensemen, especially given the question marks in the bottom four. Aside from Fox and Gavrikov, none of the other defensemen have averaged more than 18 minutes in any season. Sullivan showed a willingness to constantly send Kris Letang over the boards in Pittsburgh; Letang averaged more than 25 minutes six times under the coach. Fox\u2019s previous career high was 24:42 per game in his Norris Trophy season, which came with David Quinn as head coach. Quinn is now on Sullivan\u2019s staff as an assistant. I think he plays on both special teams units and blows past that, especially if Sullivan pairs him with Gavrikov at five-on-five. Gavrikov, meanwhile, played a career-high 23:05 a game last season. The Rangers will need him to replicate that.<\/p>\n

Mercogliano\u2019s response: As a counterpoint, I wonder if the Rangers will try to find ways to keep Fox fresher and avoid some of the wear and tear we previously discussed, maybe by shaving off some PK shifts. But I agree that Sullivan is going to rely heavily on his top-two D given the question marks behind them, which is why I could see this prediction coming true.<\/p>\n

10. Carson Soucy will receive more minutes than many are expecting. \u2014 Mercogliano<\/p>\n

Reasoning: This may not be the most popular prediction among the Blueshirts faithful, but the reality is the Rangers don\u2019t have a ton of great options. As Peter alluded to, Fox is expected to team with Gavrikov on what has the makings of an elite top pair, but there\u2019s a significant drop-off from there.<\/p>\n

We can safely assume that Will Borgen will occupy the right side on the second pair, and it\u2019s likely that Sullivan will experiment with Schneider, a natural righty, on the left during camp. But despite last season\u2019s struggles, my sense is that the Rangers intend to give Soucy a chance to bounce back.<\/p>\n

They acquired him from Vancouver at the deadline because they wanted to add size to their back end and preferred a defenseman with term. The 6-foot-5, 208-pounder, who\u2019s entering the final year of a deal that carries a $3.25 million AAV, was part of the 2025-26 plans from the moment the trade went down.<\/p>\n

The metrics didn\u2019t look as bad as the eye test \u2014 the 31-year-old registered a 53.1% xGF in 16 games with New York \u2014 and he has a history with Borgen from their days in Seattle. And while a 48.05% xGF across 581:31 time on ice together doesn\u2019t jump off the page (how much credit do they receive for a 54.17% goal share?), it\u2019s also not as alarming as some have made it out to be.<\/p>\n

Baugh\u2019s response: Someone has to play after Fox and Gavrikov, right? The Rangers gave up a decent pick to get Soucy (the No. 65 pick in the 2025 draft) and he will certainly get an opportunity to make that trade look better than it did in 2024-25.<\/p>\n

(Top photo: Ethan Miller \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rookie camp began Wednesday, so the likes of Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann and newcomer Scott Morrow are already…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":149868,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[4823,385,99],"class_list":["post-149867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-new-york-rangers","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}