The New York Rangers have earned recognition as the most improved team in the Eastern Conference following an aggressive offseason that reshaped nearly every area of the roster, according to a new league-wide analysis by The Athletic. While the franchise paid a significant price in future draft assets to acquire established NHL talent, hockey analysts believe the moves have dramatically strengthened the Rangers’ chances of returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after consecutive postseason absences.
In the latest rankings by The Athletic‘s NHL analyst Dom Luszczyszyn, the Rangers finished as the No. 1 most improved team in the Eastern Conference and second overall in the NHL, trailing only the Nashville Predators. Luszczyszyn evaluated all 32 NHL teams by comparing each club’s projected Net Rating entering the 2026-27 season against the roster they finished the 2025-26 campaign with, including players acquired at last season’s trade deadline.
New York posted an impressive plus-26 improvement, narrowly behind Nashville’s plus-27, while Metropolitan Division rival Washington Capitals ranked third with a plus-23 rating.
Rangers embrace bold offseason strategy
The ranking reflects a dramatic offseason in which general manager Chris Drury aggressively addressed weaknesses that contributed to the Rangers missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Rather than making minor roster adjustments, New York pursued significant upgrades through trades and free agency, targeting scoring depth, defensive stability and overall roster balance.
Although several popular veterans departed, the organization prioritized adding younger offensive weapons and improving the blue line to better complement franchise stars Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox.
Pavel Dorofeyev headlines offensive upgrades
Perhaps the biggest offensive addition came through a blockbuster trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, bringing prolific winger Pavel Dorofeyev to New York.
The acquisition required the Rangers to part with veteran center Vincent Trocheck, whose departure created both on-ice and leadership questions.
Trocheck had long been regarded as one of New York’s most dependable two-way forwards and a respected voice inside the locker room. Losing a player with his experience and leadership qualities naturally created concerns, particularly for a team attempting to re-establish itself as a playoff contender.
However, Luszczyszyn believes Dorofeyev’s offensive upside more than compensates for Trocheck’s departure.
After scoring 35 goals and 37 goals over the past two NHL seasons, Dorofeyev arrives in New York as one of the league’s emerging goal scorers. His ability to finish around the net should provide an immediate boost to a Rangers power play that already ranks among the NHL’s most dangerous.
Last season alone, Dorofeyev scored 20 power-play goals for Vegas, demonstrating an elite finishing ability that could elevate New York’s special teams even further.
Beyond the man advantage, the Rangers also expect him to improve their even-strength offense.
Five-on-five scoring represented one of New York’s biggest weaknesses last season, with the Rangers producing only 153 goals at even strength, tying the Seattle Kraken for 23rd in the NHL.
Dorofeyev’s offensive production is expected to help solve that issue.
Oliver Bjorkstrand could revive secondary scoring
The Rangers also strengthened their forward depth by signing veteran winger Oliver Bjorkstrand in free agency.
Although the 31-year-old experienced a disappointing 2025-26 campaign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring only 12 goals in 80 games, the Rangers remain confident that his recent struggles were an exception rather than a trend.
Before last season, Bjorkstrand had recorded 20 or more goals in four consecutive seasons, establishing himself as one of the league’s more consistent secondary scorers.
His offensive numbers also suffered because he managed only three even-strength goals, a figure many analysts believe is unlikely to be repeated given his career track record.
Early projections suggest Bjorkstrand could begin the season alongside Dorofeyev and veteran center J.T. Miller, forming a line capable of providing consistent secondary scoring while creating additional matchup problems for opposing defenses.
If Bjorkstrand returns to his previous scoring level, New York’s forward group could become significantly deeper than it was a season ago.
Defensive improvements may be biggest offseason victory
While the Rangers’ offensive additions have attracted considerable attention, Luszczyszyn believes the organization’s most meaningful improvements occurred on the blue line.
One of New York’s primary objectives entering the offseason was strengthening its second defensive pairing behind perennial Norris Trophy contender Adam Fox.
That effort began with the trade that sent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth, bringing back right-shot defenseman Sean Durzi.
Durzi is widely recognized for his skating ability, puck movement and offensive instincts from the back end. He is expected to quarterback New York’s second power-play unit while adding another transition specialist capable of generating offense from the defensive zone.
Drury continued rebuilding the defense by acquiring veteran left-shot defenseman Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks.
The addition carries extra significance because new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan coached Pettersson for seven seasons during their time together with the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving the coaching staff a thorough understanding of how best to utilize the dependable defenseman.
Stronger second pairing reshapes entire defense
Pettersson and Durzi are projected to form the Rangers’ second defensive pairing behind the established top duo of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov.
The improved depth should allow New York to reduce the responsibilities placed on younger defensemen such as Braden Schneider and Matthew Robertson, both of whom could now move into more favorable roles.
The added competition could also create additional trade flexibility should Drury choose to pursue further roster improvements later in the season.
The organization further strengthened its defensive pipeline during the 2026 NHL Draft by selecting five defensemen, including highly regarded first-round pick Alberts Smits.
Smits was widely considered one of the draft’s most NHL-ready blueliners and officially signed his entry-level contract this week. Depending on his training camp performance, he could challenge for NHL ice time during the upcoming season.
Rangers paid significant price for upgrades
Despite widespread praise for New York’s offseason, the improvements came at a considerable cost.
To acquire Dorofeyev, the Rangers surrendered their 2026 first-round pick (No. 26 overall), another first-round selection in 2028, and a third-round pick (No. 92) in this year’s draft.
The trade for Pettersson also required New York to part with a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2030, further reducing the organization’s future draft capital.
Those transactions represent a substantial investment and illustrate the front office’s willingness to prioritize immediate contention over long-term asset accumulation.
Rangers maximizing championship window
According to Luszczyszyn, the Rangers’ aggressive strategy reflects the realities of their current roster.
Elite goaltender Igor Shesterkin recently turned 30 and remains under contract for six more seasons at an average annual value exceeding $11.5 million.
Meanwhile, franchise defenseman Adam Fox, widely regarded as one of the NHL’s premier blueliners, is now 28 years old with three years remaining on his contract carrying a $9.5 million average annual salary.
With two franchise cornerstones currently in their prime, management believes delaying major roster improvements could waste one of the organization’s best opportunities to compete for a Stanley Cup.
Risk remains despite optimism
While the Rangers’ offseason has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, Luszczyszyn cautioned that the aggressive approach carries considerable long-term risk.
Trading multiple future first-round draft picks significantly reduces organizational flexibility if the roster fails to develop into a legitimate championship contender.
“There’s real blow-up potential given what the Rangers paid to make all that happen with several future firsts on the line,” Luszczyszyn wrote.
However, he also argued that the gamble was justified.
“But it’s a price the team probably had to pay with Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin on the roster—two elite players worth trying to contend with even if the odds of contention are slight.”
Ultimately, Luszczyszyn believes the Rangers have accomplished their primary offseason objective.
“The Rangers did enough to get back in the playoff mix next season,” he concluded. “Time will tell if they can go beyond that.”
As training camp approaches, expectations surrounding the Rangers have risen considerably. After one of the NHL’s busiest and boldest offseasons, New York enters the 2026-27 campaign viewed by many analysts as one of the league’s most improved teams and a legitimate contender to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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