The New York Rangers entered the summer needing an offensive facelift. Rather than relying on their existing core to bounce back, general manager Chris Drury made some significant changes to the forward group, bringing in Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen.
These three forwards have a good chance of locking up three of the six spots in the Rangers' top six as we head into the 2026-27 season.
Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand & Eeli Tolvanen are underrated additions
The biggest addition of the summer, Dorofeyev was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade. The 25-year-old gives the Rangers another legitimate goal scorer who can create his own shot and doesn't need much room to get it off.
Putting him alongside a playmaker like Mika Zibanejad or J.T. Miller could give New York another dangerous option in the top six and take some pressure off the rest of the group. The addition of Dorofeyev has the potential to be one of the best trades in Rangers history down the road. He is a very good player with a high hockey IQ and can score 35 goals.
Next, Bjorkstrand, who was brought in on a one-year deal, gives the Rangers some much-needed experience and flexibility in the middle of the lineup. He is known to be a shooter; he loves to get the puck on the net. Which is good, especially for a rebuilding team. However, he also can slot in on the second line and put up 30 goals and 30 assists. Bjorkstrand’s career has fallen off a bit after joining the Tampa Bay Lightning, but if you look at this past season's stats, he has the skill to fit into the Rangers’ top six nicely
Tolvanen rounds out the group after recently signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal. The 27-year-old brings another legit scorer to the lineup. He is known for having a very dangerous shot, and he is coming off a 23-goal season. Although he may not crack the top six based on talent, Tolvanen is a very good under-the-radar pickup that many teams will regret not signing.
As previously mentioned, the Rangers desperately needed to reshape their top six. After they traded Vincent Trochek, it didn’t look likely. However, Drury did his due diligence and gave the Rangers fan base something to look forward to. He quietly managed to add three very skilled forwards that could slot into their top six alongside Miller, Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafreniere. This will provide even more depth to their lineup.
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