It is obvious that the 2025-26 campaign for the New York Rangers was underwhelming. Amazingly, it was even more shocking and surprisingly awful than the 2024-25 season, which completely blew our minds following the Presidents' Trophy run.
What went wrong with the Blueshirts? A quick turnaround was not to be expected, but in many aspects, this season was worse considering the expectations that came with Mike Sullivan stepping behind the bench as head coach. From start to finish, this team did not excite or entice the conversation of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and has spent the better part of the the season playing meaningless hockey.
Let's go over a couple things that really ailed this team this season.
InjuriesÂ
Injuries are not always a direct reason for a team's failure, but if you have enough of them, they are definitely a factor. Matt Rempe found himself on the injured list a few times this season, as well as Adam Edstrom. Conor Sheary, brought in to be a solid veteran presence, also missed 15 games in a row. The fourth-line really took a beating which created some opportunities for other youngsters that can help in the future, but that does very little for the immediate impact of the team.
J.T. Miller also injured his groin toward the end of training camp, missed the entire preseason, got off to a slow start in the regular season, and suffered several injuries in November and December which resulted in missed games. He was healthy enough to play a major role for Team USA at the Olympics, and was injured again in March and ended back on injured reserve. He's been limited to 66 games this season, and has just 51 points which is a drop-off in his production from last season.
However, the real calamity when it comes to injuries on Broadway was when both Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin went down, at the same time. On January 5, against Utah, both players suffered lower body injuries and missed 13 games. They both returned on February 26, when the regular season resumed play following the Olympics.
Over those 13 games, the Rangers went 2-11-0, and allowed 60 goals over that stretch. That should sum up how injuries affect your season.
Home woesÂ
The Rangers set a record by being shutout in all of the first three home games of the season. They also didn't win a game at home until November 10. From November 24 to March 5 they did not win in regulation, something that feels hard to believe. Over the entire the season, the Blueshirts were 14-20-7 at Madison Square Garden. That is not ideal whatsoever. For a while it looked like they'd challenge for the worst overall home record in team history, but that distinction will remain with the cursed 2003-04 squad. Not being able to secure your own ice throughout the season makes it that much harder to get wins on the road.
Locker room is still lost
After the drama ensuing with the Jacob Trouba and his exit from New York, the Rangers brought in J.T. Miller and named him as the captain. As the leader of the locker room, he had a tall order to try and fix the mess that was left over.
He did not do so this season, but it was a bit better. Miller still had his moments in the media, expressing his disappointment with the fans treatment of their play. Both sides were right on that one, the players should not have been booed as they were trying to win every game and stay competitive, but the fans should also let out their frustration for an lackluster performance. Miller remains searching for answers, and as the state of the team has changed from win now to win later, it will be an interesting situation to monitor.