The New York Rangers have spent the offseason retooling the roster. After falling short of expectations during the 2024-25 season, Chris Drury spent the offseason trying to turn the roster back into a Cup contender. While he was successful on paper, there are still lingering questions. The biggest one is whether the roster is good enough to compete with the favorites in the Eastern Conference? Here's how the Rangers stack up against the teams favored to win the Prince of Wales Trophy.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are the team everyone in the NHL is chasing, and they remain the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, everyone is trying to close the gap between them. The Rangers are no different, as they have been chasing the Panthers since losing to them in the 2023-24 Eastern Conference Finals. However, the Rangers and Panthers are not too far apart. Both teams have a top-five goaltender and have a top-six that should have no problem getting the puck into the back of the net.
The Rangers have also closed the gap between the two teams' blue lines. The signing of Vladislav Gavrikov gives the Rangers a great top pairing with Adam Fox. One that can compete with the Panthers' top pairing. However, there are many questions surrounding the other Rangers pairings that the Panthers do not have. There is also a question of whether the Rangers can counter the Panthers' physical playstyle, the most significant factor that cost them the ECF two years ago.
Overall the Rangers have the talent to compete with the Panthers. It's just a questions if they can give the Panthers a taste of their own medicine. It also remains to be seen if the Panthers will have enough gas left in the tank, and a team like New York will be much fresher given the early start to the offseason.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have the second-best odds at this moment in time to win the Stanley Cup, and the next four teams are all in the Western Conference. If there is one team that the Rangers have taken care of, it is Carolina. The Rangers have beaten the Hurricanes the past two times they've faced off in the playoffs. The reason for this is that the Rangers are perfectly built to counter the Hurricanes' style of offense. The Hurricanes try to overwhelm the goaltender with shots to score. However, when you have Igor Shesterkin, that style of offense is ineffective. Even with the addition of Nikolaj Ehlers, as long as Shesterkin has a typical season, he'll continue to stump the Hurricanes' offense.
It does not matter that the Hurricanes' forward core is better than the Rangers' because it's much easier to get the puck past Frederik Anderson than it is Shesterkin. The only advantage the Canes have over the Rangers is their defensive core. No matter who Carolina has on the blue lines, head coach Rod Brind'Amour always gets the most out of his defense. It's the one area where the Rangers seemed to have a disadvantage.
Out of all the favorites in the East, the Rangers have the best chance of beating the Hurricanes. It's a team that matches up very well against the Rangers. It's clear on paper that the Rangers have what it takes to go up against the best teams in the league. Now they have to prove it on the ice.