Having signed the biggest contract among all New York Rangers skaters, Pavel Dorofeyev hasn’t had the start to the 2026-27 NHL season many hoped for. Still, two things can be true: it’s not about how you start, but rather how you finish, and stats aren’t the only thing that matters in hockey.
Dorofeyev, who inked a seven-year, $77 million contract in The Big Apple after a tremendous scoring performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, has struggled to find his footing. Although the Rangers have enjoyed a red-hot start to the campaign, they are still wary of their forward’s wet gunpowder.
Dorofeyev can sense the eyes across Manhattan staring at him, but he is unfazed. Instead, he made a bold statement about how he views his performance through the first few games of the season.
“I’m not focused on that stuff at all,” Dorofeyev admitted, via The Athletic. “Just trying to be myself and trying to help the team win the games. Sometimes you just have to play another way. It’s not always (about) the goals.”
Head coach Mike Sullivan of the New York Rangers.
NY Rangers have moved Dorofeyev around
Whether Dorofeyev cares or simply doesn’t want to admit it, it’s clear Mike Sullivan has taken notice of the Russian winger’s early struggles. New York’s head coach has made changes to the lineup, moving Alexis Lafreniere from the top unit to the second line.
Rather than serving as a punishment for Lafreniere or a reward for Dorofeyev, the move was intended to allow the former first overall pick to inject some life and scoring into the bottom half of the top six. Lafreniere did just that, but Dorofeyev, meanwhile, hasn’t benefited much from his top-line ice time. If this concerning trend continues, one can only assume Sullivan will keep throwing stuff at the wall and see what sticks. Clearly, Lafreniere can make do wherever he plays.
No reason to panic—yet
It’s still very early in the season, so the Broadway Blueshirts have no reason to panic. However, the fact that Dorofeyev, New York’s highest-paid player not named Igor Shesterkin, has just three points (one goal and two assists) and a minus-4 rating through his first eight games in New York City is hardly encouraging.
Key takeaways
- Pavel Dorofeyev signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with the New York Rangers.
- Alexis Lafreniere was moved to the Rangers’ second line by head coach Mike Sullivan.
- Pavel Dorofeyev has only three points and a minus-4 rating through eight games.
