As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue to surprise and entertain us, it is time to take a step back toward the NHL season at hand and focus on the New York Rangers. When this team gets back together to endure the final 25-game sprint towards the end of the season, there are a lot of interesting things that are going to happen.
At 22-29-6 for 50 points, the Rangers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They are 19 points back of a wildcard spot, currently held by Boston. The Letter 2.0 stated that this team has accepted its fate, and is ready to waive the white flag on the 2025-26 season and begin to re-tool. As evident in the Artemi Panarin trade to Los Angeles, nobody on this team is safe.
There are three Rangers who have the most to play for following these Olympic Games. As each are younger players that have yet to fully reach their true potential, each can use these last remaining games to play a little more freely and openly, which could give them some pep in their step come the 2026-27 season.
Alexis Lafrenière
It is starting to feel like the Rangers might have failed another highly anticipated draft pick. This time, it was a first overall pick, and with how well each of the other first selections is doing at the Olympics, Alexis Lafrenière is on the cusp of "bust" territory.
This season was a step back for a lot of Rangers players, which cannot be denied. But Lafrenière has not pushed the needle at all, and another underwhelming performance this season has really put a strain on fans.
Why is he not an X-factor like a Jack Hughes, or a Macklin Celebrini? How much longer is the Rangers front office going to give him to develop, when he has played nearly through his sixth season in the NHL?
Lafreniere has to really put on a show in these last 25 games, or it could be time to move on from him.
Braden Schneider
With defenseman Adam Fox nearing a return, via a full-contact practice just before the Olympic Break, the time for Braden Schneider as a top-pair blueliner is coming to an end. Now, it is time to see if all of that time and all of those minutes he was given will help him lead the second-defensive pairing to more success.
The 24-year-old blueliner is due to become an RFA at the end of this season, and it could go either way. The Rangers could deal him at the trade deadline on March 6, as his value is pretty high right now since he was able to step up and become a replacement first-pair right defenseman. Or, the Rangers could give him one more chance with a one-year deal to see where they are at come next season with the re-tool.
Matthew Robertson
Speaking of that second-pairing for defense, Matthew Robertson has to be a stud over the remaining 25 games. He has shown some glimpses of excellence and some instances of growing pains in his first full go-around of the NHL. Locking it down and using this final sprint toward the offseason is crucial for his development.
The Rangers' defensive core is going to be one of the things that President and General Manager Chris Drury is going to really switch around for next season. Vladislav Gavrikov and Fox are safe, but everyone else is really up in the air in terms of their future with the Rangers. Everyone has to be trying to put their best effort on the ice to avoid being moved down to Hartford or sent to another team entirely.
Robertson can wow you with his speed, but he also has to develop a more complete game. These last 25 games can really help him, and his future could be impacted by them.