The New York Rangers entered training camp with plenty to prove after missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, but general manager Chris Drury offered a noticeably optimistic assessment of the club’s direction. During his opening media availability, one word repeatedly surfaced in Drury’s answers: “excited.”
Drury used the term several times while discussing the Rangers’ offseason, their roster construction, J.T. Miller’s second season as captain, the organization’s improved depth and changes throughout the front office and player-development structure. While his understated delivery did not necessarily convey the emotion behind the word, the message was clear: Drury believes the Rangers enter the 2026-27 season in a better position than they were a year ago.
The biggest reason for that optimism appears to be depth. Last season exposed how vulnerable the Rangers could become when major pieces were unavailable. Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin both missed significant portions of the campaign, and the team struggled to compensate when injuries hit multiple areas of the lineup. Drury acknowledged that the Rangers performed reasonably well when healthy but were unable to maintain that level when important players went down.
That issue became a major focus of the offseason. Rather than simply adding star power, New York worked to strengthen its organizational depth, giving coach Mike Sullivan more options both at the NHL level and within the development system. Drury pointed specifically to improvements in New York and Hartford as evidence that the organization addressed several of the weaknesses exposed last season.
The Rangers now have less than two weeks to turn that revamped roster into a functioning team before opening the regular season against the Boston Bruins on Sept. 29. The compressed preparation period makes Sullivan’s training-camp decisions particularly important, especially with several intriguing battles developing throughout the roster.
Sullivan Faces Major Decisions as Competition Intensifies
One of the most interesting competitions involves the backup goaltending position. With Shesterkin firmly established as the No. 1 option, Joonas Korpisalo and Dylan Garand are competing for the opportunity to serve as his primary understudy. Sullivan described the battle as a “furious internal competition,” emphasizing that both goaltenders have an opportunity to establish themselves during camp.
The Rangers also have an important decision to make concerning Pavel Dorofeyev. The offseason acquisition arrives in New York after a highly productive season with Vegas and is expected to provide another major scoring option. Sullivan has indicated that Dorofeyev will receive opportunities on both the left and right wings during the preseason, allowing the coaching staff to determine where he fits most naturally and which linemates can maximize his offensive abilities.
Dorofeyev’s arrival is one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Rangers because the club needs more production at five-on-five while also possessing the potential to make its already dangerous power play even more difficult to defend. Finding the right combination around the 25-year-old could therefore have an immediate impact on the team’s offensive identity.
Another player attracting significant attention is 18-year-old prospect Alberts Smits. Sullivan confirmed that the young forward has a legitimate opportunity to make the Rangers’ roster, although earning a spot will require him to demonstrate that he can handle the pace and physical demands of the NHL. His performance throughout camp could become one of the organization’s most closely watched developments.
Meanwhile, the Rangers continue to place considerable importance on Miller’s leadership. The veteran forward is entering his second season wearing the captain’s “C,” and Drury expressed confidence in his progression in that role. Miller has also received strong public backing from people familiar with his game, including former Vancouver Canucks teammate Nikita Zadorov, who recently praised the Rangers captain during a podcast appearance.
Together, those developments point toward a Rangers team attempting to establish a deeper and more competitive internal structure. The organization knows that simply remaining healthy will not be enough after two straight seasons without postseason hockey, but improved depth could give Sullivan significantly more flexibility when injuries inevitably arise.
Rival Injury News Adds More Uncertainty Around the NHL
While the Rangers were beginning their preparations, several other NHL teams received difficult news as training camps opened across the league.
The New York Islanders are facing uncertainty surrounding star forward Mathew Barzal, who aggravated a previous injury and is expected to remain off the ice for approximately two weeks. The timing could put his availability for the beginning of the regular season in question, creating an early challenge for an Islanders team that relies heavily on his offensive creativity.
The Winnipeg Jets also made headlines after suspending star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp. The development follows Hellebuyck’s public trade request and adds another layer of uncertainty to Winnipeg’s situation. With one of the league’s premier goaltenders involved in a contract and trade-related dispute, the Jets now have a significant situation to manage before the regular season begins.
The Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with their own contract-related issue involving restricted free-agent defenseman Alexander Nikishin. Because Nikishin remains unsigned, he will not participate in practice as Carolina begins camp, leaving his short-term status unresolved.
Detroit also received disappointing news involving captaincy and injury developments surrounding Dylan Larkin. After being stripped of the captaincy and publicly indicating that he intended to attend training camp despite his trade request, Larkin is now expected to miss the beginning of camp because of an upper-body injury sustained while training.
The Florida Panthers, meanwhile, will begin the season without veteran forward Brad Marchand, who underwent offseason surgery. Marchand’s absence removes an experienced and disruptive presence from Florida’s lineup at the start of the campaign.
Another major name dealing with an injury is Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. The star defenseman is expected to miss the opening portion of training camp because of a lower-body issue, although Colorado coach Jared Bednar has indicated that the absence is precautionary and that Makar is expected to become a full participant during camp.
Buffalo will also start the season with forward Jason Zucker sidelined following offseason sports-hernia surgery, while defenseman Louis Crevier remains questionable after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Rangers Enter Camp With Pressure Building
The Rangers are therefore entering a training camp filled with both optimism and pressure. Drury believes the organization has addressed many of the weaknesses that contributed to last season’s struggles, particularly its lack of depth when key players were unavailable. Sullivan now has the responsibility of translating those improvements into effective line combinations, defensive pairings and special-teams units.
The addition of Dorofeyev could be particularly important. His scoring ability gives the Rangers another legitimate offensive weapon, while the presence of Miller, Zibanejad, Lafreniere and other established forwards provides Sullivan with several possible combinations. The coaching staff will spend the preseason determining how those pieces fit together.
The organization also needs its young players to push established veterans. Smits’ opportunity is one example of that competition, while the battle between Korpisalo and Garand gives the Rangers another position where training-camp performances could directly influence the opening-night roster.
At the same time, the Rangers cannot ignore the larger challenge facing them. Two consecutive playoff absences have increased the importance of the upcoming season, and the club’s improved depth will ultimately be judged by whether it can translate into consistent results over an 82-game schedule.
For now, however, Drury’s message is one of confidence rather than concern. The Rangers believe the offseason accomplished many of the objectives they identified, and the organization is entering camp with a deeper roster, new additions and several internal competitions that could raise the overall level of the team.
With opening night against Boston rapidly approaching, the next phase begins with Sullivan determining which combinations can turn that optimism into actual production. The Rangers have made the changes; now training camp will begin revealing whether those changes can reshape their season.
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