Blue Line Station

The main storyline that dominated the summer of 2021 was the Jack Eichel saga. The Sabres had not allowed him to get the neck surgery he wanted, and he wanted out of Buffalo. The New York Rangers were a team that had a lot of interest in the star center. All the rumors and speculation made it feel like Eichel going to the Rangers was inevitable. But multiple factors prevented the two teams from agreeing to a deal. But what if they had?

The New York Rangers will have a new look, roster wise, heading into next season. General manager Chris Drury spent this offseason retooling the team and bringing in more players to help bring them back into playoff contention. His main focus was building up the defensive depth, which he did so by acquiring Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in tradees, while getting a legitimate goal scorer in Pavel Dorofeyev.

The New York Rangers completed a plethora of moves this offseason in an effort to put forth a more competitive team. Their biggest splash arrived on the first night of the NHL Draft when they acquired winger Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for multiple draft picks, and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract. While they added Dorofeyev, they did trade away Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth.

Remember when NHL fans thought this offseason would be boring due to the lackluster free agency class? Good times. This offseason has not been short on storylines, and just when you thought things on the NHL side were slowing down, the league received some gigantic news. On Wednesday, the Detroit Red Wings announced that Steve Yzerman was stepping down as executive vice president and general manager.

The NHL has released the full schedule for the 2026-27 NHL season, and each team and their fans now has a chance to get excited for the upcoming season by taking a look at the 84-game slate per team. The New York Rangers have an interesting schedule to start the season, and the month of November will present the team a challenge, but also an opportunity for a new group to grow together. Is it September yet?

Whether it's an established veteran protecting their ice time, a bubble player fighting to stay in the NHL, or a young player facing a make-or-break development year, these five Rangers have zero room for error this season. Mar 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider (4) defends against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period at Madison Square Garden.

Some looked destined for successful NHL careers, while others barely had a chance. Years later, these once-promising Rangers names have become forgotten chapters in franchise history. February 25, 2011; Washington, DC, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Michael Sauer (38) fights with Washington Capitals left wing Jason Chimera (25) in the first period at Verizon Center. The Rangers won 6-0.

Gabe Perreault has done some amazing things in his career in hockey thus far, and during a recent podcast going over Scott Wheeler of The Athletic's top prospects list, he received the ultimate compliment by being compared to Nikita Kucherov. This wasn't a universal take, as other analysts likened him to some lesser players, but the debate raises an important question regarding what his immediate and long-term potential could look like Could Perreault be as good as Nikita Kucherov?

Following a strong impression at development camp, the Rangers have officially signed No. 5 overall pick Alberts Smits to his first NHL deal, paving his way to a highly anticipated rookie season. NY Rangers prospect, and first round draft pick, Alberts Šmits (63) works against Felix Farhammar (56) during a prospect development camp at the NY Rangers practice facility in Elmsford on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

New York Rangers fans waited for months after the season to see who they would draft with the fifth overall pick. With the forwards likely off the board, it looked highly likely it would be a defenseman being selected. For the Rangers, they had their choice of the top four defenseman once they were on the clock, including Chase Reid, who was seen as the best of the bunch. Instead, the Rangers used their pick on Latvia's Alberts Smits.