Rangers Bet Big on Dorofeyev to End a Lost Season

The Rangers finished 34-39-9 last season, eighth in the Metropolitan Division, and missed the playoffs by a significant margin. The front office responded with genuine urgency, landing a proven goal-scorer in Pavel Dorofeyev and addressing defensive depth, but the sheer volume of new faces heading into camp creates real chemistry questions.

Last season in review

The numbers were ugly in a specific, telling way. New York was minus-14 in goal differential overall, a mark that reflected a team that could generate offence but could not hold leads or win close games. They were tied for 20th in first-period goal differential at minus-11, and they went 5-22-5 in games where they trailed after one period. The home record was historically bad: the Rangers lost their first seven games at Madison Square Garden (0-6-1) and won just six of their first 25 at home.

Artemi Panarin posted 84 points before being traded to Los Angeles in February, and Mika Zibanejad contributed 78. Once Panarin left, the offence had no clear second engine. Igor Shesterkin went 25-19-6 with a .912 save percentage, numbers that were fine but well short of the Vezina-calibre play the Rangers need from him to be a contender.

Ins and outs

• In: Pavel Dorofeyev (acquired from Vegas Golden Knights, signed 7-year, $77M contract)
• In: Sean Durzi (acquired from Utah Mammoth in trade for Vincent Trocheck)
• In: Marcus Pettersson (acquired from Vancouver Canucks)
• In: Oliver Bjorkstrand (signed as a free agent)
• In: Joe Veleno (signed as a free agent)
• In: Joonas Korpisalo (acquired from Boston Bruins)
• In: Eeli Tolvanen (agreed to terms)
• In: Alberts Smits (agreed to terms)
• In: Jonathan Quick (hired as Director of Goaltending Development)
• In: Quentin Dolan (named President, COO, and Alternate Governor)
• Out: Artemi Panarin (traded to Los Angeles Kings, February)
• Out: Vincent Trocheck (traded to Utah Mammoth)
• Out: Will Borgen (traded to Boston Bruins)
• Out: Conor Sheary (signed with Buffalo Sabres)
• Out: Jonny Brodzinski (signed with Washington Capitals)
• Out: Adam Edstrom (traded to Nashville Predators)
• Out: Jonathan Quick (retired as a player after last season)

The big question

Can seven new faces find chemistry fast enough to avoid another slow start? The Rangers play ten of their first 17 games at home, and their season effectively cratered last year before December arrived. Getting Dorofeyev, Durzi, Pettersson, and the rest integrated quickly is not just a nice-to-have; it is the whole ballgame.

X-factor

Gabe Perreault is the name to watch. The 2023 first-round pick had 19 points in his final 23 games last season, including nine goals, and he enters 2026-27 with a chance at a defined top-six role. If he builds on that stretch rather than regressing to his inconsistent early-season form, he gives the Rangers a cheap, high-upside piece alongside Zibanejad and Dorofeyev on the top line.

Bold prediction

Dorofeyev scores at least 35 goals in his first Rangers season, and New York returns to the playoffs as a wild card after finishing no better than fifth in the Metropolitan Division.

The outlook

This is a team that has patched real holes but has not solved all of them. The defence behind Adam Fox is better on paper with Durzi and Pettersson, and Dorofeyev gives them a finisher they desperately lacked after the Panarin trade. The opener comes September 29 in Boston. How they handle the first month at Madison Square Garden will tell you everything about whether this rebuild-on-the-fly actually worked.