BEANTOWN RIVALRIES
New York. Boston. Tonight.
For some reason, the NHL decided to counterprogram MLB’s Wild Card Round with their first five games of the 2026-27 season. As luck would have it, the Yankees/BoSox game at Yankee Stadium, and the Rangers/Bruins game at TD Garden, both start at 8p ET.
Considering the way the last two seasons went for the Blueshirts, perhaps starting under the radar might not be a bad thing?
As I wrote in “4 Things Rangers: Training Camp Brings Letter 2.0 Into Focus”, GM Chris Drury has had eight productive months since the letter dropped. That doesn’t mean I’m advocating for you to forgive him for his past sins, but it does mean I urge you to give him, and his team, a fair chance.
On paper, their defense and bottom six forwards look much stronger than they did last season. Their captain JT Miller is more comfortable in his leadership role. More importantly, he is healthy again, as are the Blueshirts’ most important players Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin.
October baseball is tough to beat, so I won’t blame you if the big TV is watching the pinstripes. But just know that when you are ready, it’ll be safe to turn on the Rangers game again.
HARDWARE PREDICTIONS
Speaking of Fox and Shesterkin, both players were frustrated last season by injuries and the Olympics. Fox was snubbed by Team USA despite impressing across the first three months of the season. Due to the Russian ban on playing in international events, Shesterkin didn’t have a chance.
I believe both players are primed to enter the national conversation again. I’m predicting both players will be finalists for their respective positional awards — the Norris and Vezina trophies.
Meanwhile, if Tye Kartye plays with the same intensity and physicality across 84 games as he did at the end of last season, he’ll become a fan favorite and win the 2026-27 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
PP1
Pavel Dorofeyev was the crown jewel acquisition over the summer. The 25-year-old has scored 72 regular-season and 13 playoff goals for the Vegas Golden Knights over the last two seasons. He scored 20 power-play goals last season.
As a left-handed shot, he’ll be positioned in the right-hand faceoff circle on the opposite flank of Mika Zibanejad, who scored 16 PPGs a year ago. The Rangers hope the two will form a lethal combination with Adam Fox on the point and JT Miller playing the bumper and rover positions.
Chris Kreider’s old office in front of the net will now be occupied by Alexis Lafreniere — who amazingly doesn’t turn 25 until October 11. This is the opportunity fans of #13 have been waiting for, as he’ll be starting the year on the first line and PP1. My Real Take is that he’s going to set a career high with 70+ points.
RETOOLED DEFENSE
Drury and Mike Sullivan telegraphed what they were looking for during their exit meetings in April. They wanted to add defenders who could move the puck. Mission accomplished.
For those casual fans reading about these players for the first time, I’m going to bring up familiar comparisons.
- Marcus Pettersson, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks, will give off Marc Staal vibes due to his big body, good stick, and steady defensive zone play.
- Sean Durzi, imported from the Utah Mammoth, brings PP2-level offense with a sandpaper game. Think Tony DeAngelo, but only if DeAngelo played more like Anton Stralman in his own end.
- The Rangers #5 overall first round pick, Alberts Smits, is just 18-year-old. Despite Matthew Schaefer’s success last season, it’s hard for 18-year-olds to make a major impact, especially on defense. But once he matures, we are hoping Smits will play an all-around game similar to Ryan McDonagh.
Pettersson and Durzi will be the Rangers’ second pair behind Fox and Vladimir Gavrikov. Smits will be thrust into lower-leverage situations while playing with Braden Schneider on the third pair.
SEASON PREDICTION
The defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and the also-retooled Washington Capitals are the favorites to battle for the top of the Metropolitan Division. I think the Rangers will outlast the New Jersey Devils to take home third.
Season Record: 44-30-10
Points: 98
Metropolitan Division Finish: 3rd
ICYMI “4 Things Rangers: NHL Schedule Drops; Summer Hockey on Sale”