Chief among the assets New York would have to part with might be Alexis Lafreniere. The former first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has yet to meet the expectations set for him upon his arrival in the Big Apple, but he’s still an intriguing talent many franchises would like to acquire. Regardless, a one-for-one player exchange would be utopian. In addition to Lafreniere, the Rangers will have to make their offer worth the Senators’ while.

“Alexis Lafreniere would almost surely have to be included in a hypothetical trade package for Tkachuk. As would at least one first-round pick and other roster pieces or prospects,” Vince Mercogliano stated on The New York Times.

Tkachuk brushed off the trade rumors, but as long as it remains verbal and no long-term extension is signed in Bytown, it’s still fair game for any team to test the waters around the Senators. That includes the Rangers, who have rated Tkachuk since before he was even drafted into the NHL and have only marveled at the kind of player and leader he’s become.

Lafreniere’s stats

Coming off back-to-back 100-plus point seasons in the QMJHL for the Rimouski Océanic, some analysts went as far as to dub Lafreniere a generational prospect entering the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. That was a stretch, but it still felt like the Rangers found their savior after winning the draft lottery and coming away with the No. 1 selection in the draft.

However, it took a while before Lafreniere started playing up to the standard he set in the QMJHL. His best hockey in Manhattan was seen during the 2023–24 campaign (57 points in 82 games), including a great run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Although the Blueshirts fell in the Eastern Conference Final to the Florida Panthers, Lafreniere stole the show with 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in 16 outings.

After a troubling start to the past campaign, Lafreniere ended the season on a heater, including a 19-point tally in March (a career best in a single month). As a result, Lafreniere actually matched his career high of 57 points in the 2025–26 campaign.

NY Rangers must make decision

Perhaps it’s just the kind of production that gives Rangers fans hope that Lafreniere might be the answer after all. Or maybe it’s the growth spurt needed for New York to shop him and actually have a market for the former No. 1 pick.

Although Tkachuk and Ottawa have made it clear there’s been no internal conversation about a fresh start, fans across the NHL know anything can happen. For the Rangers, they are entering the homestretch of the free-for-all Lafreniere sweepstakes.

Lafreniere’s contract with NY Rangers

Lafreniere is signed to a seven-year, $52.1 million contract that runs through the 2031–32 NHL season. However, the 2026–27 campaign will be crucial. Next season will be the last year Lafreniere is without a no-trade clause.

Starting in the summer of 2027, his contract will include a modified no-trade clause in the form of an eight-team no-trade list. It still leaves New York with over 20 teams to talk business with, but it makes trading Lafreniere prior to that deadline much more sensible.

“I feel like I’ve never shown, never said, none of those things have ever come out of my mouth, and quite honestly it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction,” Tkachuk said during his end-of-season availability in Ottawa, per NHL.com. “I have been fully committed to this team, to this city. Frustrating to deal with.”

Tkachuk—who missed the Senators‘ end-of-season media day to welcome his daughter Lyla into the world—made his commitment to the organization and the city of Ottawa clear. As Rangers fans have been paying close attention to his situation, hearing Tkachuk show no signs of giving up on the Sens may not be an encouraging sign heading into the long NHL offseason. Regardless, anything can happen, and the fanbase in the Big Apple will still hold onto a thread of hope.

NY Rangers growing obsessed with Tkachuk

Fans in the Big Apple believe the Rangers can save Tkachuk. Back in Canada, he’s constantly under the microscope, and his national team history does him no favors with the Canadian fanbase. In New York, the story could be much different for him. Obviously, Manhattan is still a tough market to navigate, but Tkachuk is already battle-tested.

Regardless, it may all be empty talk if Tkachuk is serious about changing the tune in Ottawa and the front office in Bytown isn’t blown away by any offer during the summer. Still, it may do Chris Drury and company no harm to knock on the Sens’ door every once in a while.

Tkachuk had a rough ending to the season

The 2026 Olympics may have been a breaking point between Tkachuk and the fanbase in Canada’s capital. Watching Tkachuk and Team USA take down Canada in the gold medal game left its mark, and it seemed like the die was cast in the relationship between the organization’s captain and the fans.

Tkachuk did quiet much of the noise as he and his teammates turned the NHL season around and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, nothing good came of it. The Sens were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, and their captain was held scoreless through all four games.

To make matters worse, Tkachuk was assessed 13 penalty minutes (PIM), an average of 3.25 PIM per outing. The captain’s scoring woes weren’t exclusive to him, though, as Ottawa scored just five goals in the entire series. With an average of 1.25 goals per game in the postseason, it was clear the Senators wouldn’t last long.

Tkachuk’s contract with Senators

Tkachuk has two seasons left on his seven-year, $57.5 million contract with the Senators. The former fourth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft put pen to paper on that extension back in 2021. As it stands, he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the summer of 2028 at the age of 28.

Since the 2025–26 campaign, Tkachuk’s contract includes a full no-movement clause (NMC). Thus, the captain will have the final say on whatever decision his team lands on. If the Sens want to trade him, Tkachuk will be able to handpick his next destination.

Teams to watch in potential Tkachuk trade

The Rangers are considered heavy favorites, but so could the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues (Tkachuk’s hometown club). Though more difficult from a money standpoint, if the Senators announce the Tkachuk sweepstakes are open, the Florida Panthers may chime in and look for a way to reunite the brothers in the Sunshine State. After all, Brady has seen more playoff success from the stands in Sunrise than on the ice in the suburb of Kanata.

Back in February, the Rangers put an end to the speculation around Panarin and traded “The Breadman” to the Kings. Essentially, it was Panarin (signed to a full no movement clause) who chose Los Angeles, and left New York with no choice but to work out a deal with the organization in the City of Angels. The Kings sent prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round selection in 2026.

As reported by Peter Baugh of The Athletic, the conditional third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft would have become a second-rounder had the Kings won one round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Avalanche made sure that didn’t happen. As a result, the Rangers own the 81st overall pick in this year’s draft, courtesy of the Panarin trade with the Kings.

How many picks will NY Rangers have in 2026?

As the Kings’ conditional selection sent to the Rangers is confirmed to be a third-round pick, 81st overall, the Blueshirts have a better understanding of where they will operate in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

As it stands, New York owns 11 draft picks in 2026—7 of which are in the top 100, including two first-rounders. The Rangers’ own pick in the first round is a lottery pick, meaning they have an 11.5% chance of coming away with the No. 1 selection, which is projected to be Penn State star Gavin McKenna.

Kings’ elimination also costs NY Rangers a 4th rounder

Under the terms agreed upon by both sides in the Panarin trade, New York would have received a second-round pick instead of a third-rounder had Los Angeles won a single playoff round. Moreover, if the Kings had made it past two rounds and reached the Western Conference Final, the Rangers would have been handed an extra fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft.

Realistically, the odds were never on the Kings’ side to make it that far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The fact they entered the postseason as the lowest seed in the entire bracket only made things that much harder. For the Rangers, the fact their draft capital was in the hands of a weak Kings side is only another bad look for Chris Drury and company.

Rangers were left no choice but to trade with Kings

However, the front office had its hands tied, as Panarin made it clear he’d only waive his NMC for a move to Hollywood. Needless to say, Los Angeles was never going to pay a king’s ransom for the “Breadman,” and even if it wanted to go on a deep run, the Wild West’s playoff picture made it clear the Kings were in for a steep climb and an improbable run.

After all, there’s a reason the Kings couldn’t even secure one postseason victory in the 2025–26 NHL season. For the fifth straight year, Los Angeles suffered a first-round exit. The last time it won a playoff series? Back in 2014, when the Kings went all the way to hoist Lord Stanley. Perhaps the Rangers should have known better than to leave trade details up to chance and in the hands of a franchise that can’t shake its postseason woes.

According to a report from Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, the Rangers are after a scoring forward in return for Schneider. The Sharks have a surplus of young forwards in their system but are quite thin on the blue line. It’s a match made in heaven, if such a thing even exists in the NHL.

If New York indeed gives up on its former first-round selection (19th overall) in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, San Jose could be among the first to knock on the Blueshirts’ door—or vice versa—and it might not take long before the two sides work something out.

Trade between NY Rangers and Sharks makes sense

Whether the Rangers go after the Sharks as they shop Schneider or the Sharks call the Blueshirts as they search for a blue-liner matters little. What’s clear is that there is a very real business opportunity for both organizations as they come off postseason absences.

The Rangers are well aware of that, and both organizations could reach an agreement at some point of the offseason. After all, it seems the two sides have an interesting trade chip the other may covet. Trades in the NHL are rarely that simple, but it looks like New York and San Jose could help each other out.

Can NHL teams make trades?

Following the NHL’s trade deadline in March, players, draft picks, or future considerations can still be moved in the league. However, any player traded after the deadline cannot participate in the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoffs. That means the Rangers and Sharks—neither of which made the postseason—could work out a trade involving Schneider at any given moment.

However, with the rising salary cap in the 2026–27 NHL season, both teams may wait for the new league year (July 1) before making such an impactful exchange. Moreover, both organizations may wait to test out free agency before engaging in a trade. Schneider’s contract situation adds even more layers to this situation.

Schneider set to be an RFA

Playing on a contract year, Schneider is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) in the summer. Before making a move for him, the Sharks would likely hope to learn where things stand between Schneider and the Rangers. Perhaps they ask New York to pull off a sign-and-trade with the 24-year-old defenseman. Schneider is eligible for arbitration, which grants him leverage in case his camp and the Blueshirts can’t reach an agreement.

Acquiring Schneider without a trade seems an unlikely alternative for San Jose. In order to do so, it must extend an offer sheet to Schneider, which New York can match and retain its former first-round pick. If the Rangers pass on that chance, they receive a compensatory draft selection. Based on the fact that the Rangers are hoping to receive an NHL-level forward in return for Schneider, it’s virtually impossible they are content to receive a compensation pick instead.

In more ways than one, all roads lead to a trade if Schneider is to leave the Big Apple. The Rangers are shopping him, and they are tossing their bait into shark-infested waters. Whatever happens next can’t catch them by surprise.

The Rangers’ price for Trocheck has reportedly risen as trade talks around him heat up. With the 2026 free agency class set to be a rather shallow one, there may be no player gaining more traction than Trocheck. New York has great use for prospects and draft picks, so it all makes too much sense. Moreover, the longer the Blueshirts keep Trocheck in town, the more risk they will be running.

“The Rangers are going to be highly motivated to trade [Trocheck] this summer,” Vince Mercogliano stated on the Flying V podcast. “They know that this lingering into next season will not be a good thing for anyone and the longer they wait his value is likely only going to go down from there.”

Why waiting does New York no good

Though strongly criticized and constantly called into question—oftentimes rightfully so—all signs suggest president and general manager Chris Drury did the right thing by holding on to Trocheck past the March 6 trade deadline in the 2025–26 NHL campaign.

By doing so, the Rangers proved they wouldn’t simply trade Trocheck for the sake of making a move. New York held its ground and stood by its asking price. Nobody met it, so Trocheck remained a Blueshirt.

If the Rangers were to start the 2026–27 NHL season with Trocheck on the roster, that would erase all the progress Drury and the front office made. Trocheck has nothing else to prove. Teams have seen enough of him to know his value. Playing him is more likely to depreciate it rather than cause it to skyrocket. Thus, the Blueshirts will make it their goal to trade Trocheck during the summer.

Trocheck may be No. 1 candidate in offseason

Things have changed—and will continue to change—to favor the Rangers heading into the offseason. The lack of bona fide options in free agency will lure clubs into the trade market, and there may not be a stronger chip out there than Trocheck. There are great players rumored to be traded, but Trocheck’s buzz is no fugazi.

New York really wants to trade him, he is open to change, and there is no full no-movement clause (NMC) throwing a wrench in the works. Trocheck’s modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) should present no trouble, as it gives New York dozens of teams to work with on a potential trade.

Potential suitors for Trocheck

The most likely suitor will be a team coming off an early playoff exit and whose fans demand immediate action. Teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, and Minnesota Wild came really close to acquiring Trocheck during March’s deadline.

After missing the playoffs for the 10th straight season, and as Steve Yzerman admitted the team “needs better players,” fans can expect Detroit to be back in the race for Trocheck—this time with a bigger wallet (the NHL’s salary cap will go up to $104 million in 2026–27) and even more urgency to build a winning team.

The Canes and Wild could be in on Trocheck again, too, if they suffer crushing playoff eliminations yet again. With the opposite of buyers’ remorse, these three sides could all make a splash, and frankly, the suitors are limitless for Trocheck—aside from the vetoed teams on his list.

The psychology behind Trocheck’s trade buzz

Acquiring a seasoned centerman like Trocheck is the kind of move fans expect after such heartbreak, and the kind that gives executives breathing room to work with some peace and quiet before it’s October and the mayhem starts all over again. The NHL’s offseason is short—unless you miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With little time to work with and pressing fanbases stirring the pot behind the scenes, franchises can be rushed into crucial decisions.

New York has a lot to work on itself, but it could use this to its advantage and finally trade Trocheck without abandoning its own terms and demands. Fans in the Big Apple have been put on notice that the Blueshirts are retooling, and they know better than to expect immediate results.

Other teams aren’t in such situations, and the Rangers may benefit by pulling off the trade that could make or break their reconstruction. For Drury, it’s the kind of move that could salvage his reputation in the City That Never Sleeps.

Following a dramatic 2025–26 NHL campaign, New York is hoping for peace and quiet in the offseason. Still, it must take care of crucial pieces of business, such as Trocheck’s future. The Rangers have reportedly set their price, and a trade could finally materialize. However, that price may have gone up, which would reflect well on GM Chris Drury and company for holding on to Trocheck just a little bit longer.

“The Rangers believe they will be able to get more [for Trocheck] this summer,” as reported by Vince Mercogliano on The Flying V podcast. “I’ve talked to people around the league who think the logic is there because of the rising cap and the weak free agent class.”

Weak free agency helps out NY Rangers

There are a couple of intriguing names in the upcoming free-agent class, but none of the centers available match Trocheck’s résumé when taking into account his age, production, adaptability, and cap hit. Thus, any team in need of a veteran centerman may as well knock on New York’s door.

When there are many potential buyers but a lone seller, prices skyrocket, and the Blueshirts in the Big Apple may be the latest to benefit from that well-known rule of thumb. Trocheck will turn 33 before the 2026–27 season and will be under contract for the next three seasons. Thus, he makes for a very interesting option for any team.

Moreover, Trocheck has proven he can contribute even when things go south—like they did for the Rangers—and he will have a chip on his shoulder to chase his first Stanley Cup with whichever team he joins. There is only one condition: Trocheck wants to live on the East Coast—or as close to it as possible.

Trocheck’s modified no trade clause

By waiting until the offseason to move Trocheck, the Rangers will see his modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) shift. During the 2025–26 NHL season, Trocheck had a 12-team no-trade list. Two teams will come off that list when the new league year begins on July 1.

It’s not a huge difference, but it might be just enough for the Rangers to find a sweet spot with a team that meets their asking price (which likely includes—at a minimum—a first-round pick and a prospect) and isn’t vetoed by Trocheck. The veteran center wants to play in the East—where most of his family lives—and his no-trade list is believed to be made up entirely of West Coast organizations.

However, Trocheck can veto 10 teams, and there are 16 in the Western Conference—though some are closer to the Mississippi River than the Colorado River. Whether geography outweighs conference alignment on Trocheck’s M-NTC is a different question. If the Rangers want to end things on a good note with Trocheck, they’d be wise to send him somewhere in the East—or to Minnesota, which falls into a gray area and seems to be a place he’s particularly fond of.

An early postseason elimination may be all a team needs to be convinced never to experience such heartbreak again, and one might think Trocheck is the kind of seasoned player who can help prevent that. After all, the Rangers made their asking price for Trocheck clear. Even accounting for NHL inflation, teams may already know what the Rangers want, and a trade for Trocheck could finally materialize.

“Teams know what the Rangers want,” Elliotte Friedman stated on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I always assume after the playoffs are over, someone who loses early is going to say ‘you know what? We could use Vincent Trocheck.'”

Has Rangers’ asking price changed?

Two things must be considered. On the one hand, that the 2025–26 NHL season will be over, meaning New York will be under no sense of urgency. Secondly, the Rangers will reportedly reject draft picks in return for a potential Braden Schneider trade, so it’s reasonable to believe the Blueshirts’ price may have changed for Vincent Trocheck as well.

Perhaps, not even a first-round pick is going to cut it to acquire Trocheck. New York is under no obligation or huge rush to move on from Trocheck, so it can afford to engage in long, drawn-out trade conversations. It’s not like the Rangers will lose Trocheck anytime soon.

Trocheck’s contract on NY Rangers

Vincent Trocheck signed a seven-year, $39.38 million contract ($5.6 million AAV) with the New York Rangers in July 2022. Thus, he remains under contract through the 2028–29 NHL season. Following that campaign, he will become an unrestricted free agent before turning 36 in July 2029.

New York can still take its time before trading Trocheck, but the Rangers are also aware he could soon age past his prime. His value may have already peaked, and a rough start to the 2026–27 campaign could cause his price to plummet. That’s part of the reason why many viewed the Blueshirts keeping Trocheck past March’s deadline as a burden rather than a blessing for the organization in Manhattan.

Even if the Rangers have set their price for Trocheck, the market itself may force it down, and—sooner or later—the Blueshirts will have to accept whatever return is available. If not, they may simply hold on to their asset long enough to watch it depreciate. Business isn’t booming in The Big Apple, and the Rangers might be wise to take whatever they can get before it’s too late.

Rangers could speed up rebuild

Moreover, the sooner the Rangers can trade Trocheck, the faster their rebuild—or retool, as New Yorkers like to call it—might yield results. Trocheck—whose modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) shrinks from a 12-team no-trade list to a 10-team list—is the biggest trading chip New York possesses. Every other star on the team is either signed to a full no-movement clause (NMC) or is too valuable for the Rangers to consider dealing.

Alexis Lafreniere is the lone exception, as he falls into a gray area. Signed through the 2029-30 season, his contract will include an 8-team no-trade list after the 2026–27 campaign. If the Blueshirts want to give up on their former first overall pick in 2020, this next year will be their best window to do so.

New York has several decisions to make, and none of them are easy. For a front office that’s been through the wringer like Chris Drury and company, they better hope for some divine help—or it might be all she wrote for their time in the City That Never Sleeps.

“I don’t see the Rangers trading Schneider for futures and draft picks,” reporter Vince Mercogliano stated. “They’re only going to trade him if they can get someone back who they can slot into the lineup immediately or close to immediately.”

The Rangers want certainties. If they part ways with the former first-round selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Blueshirts will demand a player who can immediately step in and be inserted into the lineup. Schneider may be in the spotlight in Manhattan, but he still played in all 82 games last season.

New York’s prospect pipeline isn’t exactly stacked with talents ready to jump into the big leagues. Thus, the Rangers’ front office is reportedly favoring a player-for-player move rather than one involving future draft picks. Fans may approve, especially considering how the organization has missed on several drafts over the years.

Schneider’s stats in New York

So far in his career, Schneider has appeared in 368 games, putting up 20 goals, 67 assists, and 87 points. His numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, and the fact he had his worst statistical season in 2025–26 does little to help his case or win him any fans among the Rangers’ fanbase.

Still, teams around the league may remain interested. After all, Schneider is still a young, 6-foot-3, right-handed defenseman. Moreover, New York doesn’t have a strong recent track record of developing talent, and organizations may believe Schneider’s numbers are a consequence of his surroundings, not the main cause of the Rangers’ struggles.

Thus, if they can get him for a reasonable price, more than one team will knock on Chris Drury’s door. Schneider is far from a lost cause—he can still become a reliable NHL defenseman. Schneider will enter the 2026–27 campaign at 25 years of age with over 350 NHL games under his belt—a combination not many teams would pass up. He might only be a change of scenery away from establishing himself.

Schneider’s contract

Timing couldn’t be worse for Schneider to post career-worst numbers in goals (2), points (18), penalty minutes (26), plus/minus (-5), and shooting percentage (2.0%) over a full NHL season. Schneider had entered the 2025–26 campaign on an expiring contract. As he is set to become a restricted free agent (RFA), he leaves a dismaying impression in the minds of Rangers fans. That may play a big role if New York decides to move on from Schneider.

The Rangers won’t run the risk of losing Schneider to free agency, but the situation is made more complex because he is eligible for arbitration. If he can’t reach an agreement with the Blueshirts, then a third party will intervene and determine a fair one- or two-year deal for the pending RFA.

Whether the Rangers will be the ones to sit down and negotiate with Schneider—or if they trade the blueliner or his rights—remains to be seen. Perhaps Schneider has already played his final game for Mike Sullivan’s Rangers.

“I want to be here. I want to be here to turn this around,” Mika Zibanejad said during the Rangers’ clean-out day after the 2025-26 NHL season, via The Athletic. “I think I proved what I can do and what I’m still capable of doing.”

Zibanejad’s statement is just what Sullivan and the Rangers needed after a crushing campaign. Nothing went the Blueshirts’ way in the 2025-26 NHL campaign, but their biggest star is showing no signs of giving up. Sullivan, who was torn about his first year in New York, recorded the worst single-season record of his career, as the Blueshirts finished 34–39–9 in 2025–26.

For the Rangers, their 77-point finish was their lowest total in an 82-game season since 2017–18, when they finished with the exact same record. This time, however, the Blueshirts finished dead last in the Eastern Conference—for the first time in franchise history. Though the Rangers were always confident they can turn things around, hearing Zibanejad’s firm commitment definitely helps.

Zibanejad could’ve requested a trade

With the Rangers headed for some more rough years and Zibanejad turning 33 on April 18, it was plausible he didn’t see a future in the Big Apple anymore. However, Zibanejad isn’t jumping ship. If there’s a solution to the crisis in Manhattan, Zibanejad wants to help the Rangers figure it out.

Needless to say, 30-plus-goal seasons like the one he had last campaign will definitely come in handy for a team whose goal production came in fits and starts. Zibanejad believes there’s more where his latest 78-point season came from—and Sullivan’s Rangers can only hope that’s true.

Zibanejad’s contract

Zibanejad is under contract through the 2029–30 season (eight-year, $68 million deal). Signed to a full no-movement clause (NMC), he has full control of his future. If he wants out, he can request a trade and virtually decide where he’d like to play next. However, that isn’t the case. Zibanejad wants to be a Blueshirt; his NMC only guarantees he can’t be caught by surprise by GM Chris Drury and a front office that often takes the “team over players” mantra to a dangerous level.

Speaking after the campaign, Miller pointed to his commitment to the organization despite outside opportunities and experiences. “The Olympics were great, but my job is to be here. I haven’t thought about it a whole lot since it happened. The priority is your team here and the responsibility you have to represent the Rangers,” he said according to SNY.

The numbers underline just how difficult things became. The Rangers finished with 77 points, the lowest total in the Eastern Conference, missing the NHL playoffs for a second straight year.

It was not just a team‑wide issue. Miller himself experienced a dip in production, posting 17 goals and 53 points in 53 games, a step back compared to his previous standards. Injuries and inconsistency played a role, but the broader struggles across the roster made it harder to find rhythm, even as Miller salvaged his individual performance despite a rough season.

Despite that, Miller remained a central figure in the locker room, carrying leadership responsibilities during a period where results did not follow.

Offseason brings pressure and uncertainty

Now, attention shifts to what comes next. The Rangers face an important offseason that could reshape the roster, with decisions looming around veteran pieces and the integration of younger talent.

Recent changes already suggest a transition phase, with the organization moving toward a younger core. That places added importance on experienced players like Miller, who could help guide the team through a reset while still contributing on the ice.

The Rangers are not simply looking to improve; they are searching for answers after consecutive disappointing seasons. For Miller, the objective is clear: help bring stability back to a franchise that expects far more than what it has delivered.

“(My emotions) are mixed right now,” Sullivan said after the Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, via NHL.com. “Obviously, we’re not in the position that we had hoped to be or where we want to be. From that standpoint, we’re all disappointed and we all have to take ownership for it, myself included.”

The Rangers have few silver linings to find. If there even is one, it might be Mika Zibanejad’s performance. The Swede closed out his strong NHL season with a two-point night against the Lightning. Zibanejad earned double honors as the Rangers’ best player, but it might still not be enough for Sullivan to take anything positive away from this disheartening campaign. Perhaps the beacon of hope lies in the up-and-coming youth on Broadway.

Rangers finish last for the first time

The Rangers went through ups and downs—mostly downs—in the 2025–26 NHL campaign. As a result, the Blueshirts finished last in the Eastern Conference during Sullivan’s first year in Manhattan.

Since the NHL adopted a conference system, the Rangers had never finished at the bottom. There’s always a first for everything, and Sullivan learned that quickly in The Big Apple.

Sullivan’s worst season

Sullivan may have been spoiled to start his head coaching career. In his first two seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, he won back-to-back Stanley Cups. Since then, his teams have been on a downward trend. With the Rangers, Sullivan just recorded the worst record of his career in a single season.

Sullivan’s Penguins finished 34–36–12 (80 points) in 2024–25, just barely surpassing New York’s 34–39–9 (77 points) mark in 2025–26. Needless to say, coming off consecutive rough years, Sullivan knows he has much work to do.

The Rangers must help him out, but he also has to take a look in the mirror. As Sullivan admitted in his final postgame availability of the season, he isn’t shying away from the responsibility.