The New York Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the equally lowly Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night officially ended the team’s chances of making the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Of course, that has seemed like a fait accompli for weeks now. But the Rangers’ mathematical elimination adds a sense of finality to the situation.
So, what now?
As my colleague Justin Bonhard noted, the focus now moves towards the 2026 NHL Draft. The Rangers are on track for the second-overall pick. Of course, that situation can drastically change after the NHL Draft Lottery.
With 10 games to go, the club will likely go through the motions. There’s really no incentive to go through walls at this point. If anything, the time may have come for the Rangers to shut down most of their main stars.
For instance, Igor Shesterkin should not play again this season. Yes, there’s an element of pride in wanting to go out there and see what you can do. But why risk a potential injury? At most, Shesterkin should get a couple of starts just to keep the wheels moving.
Other key pieces like J.T. Miller and Adam Fox shouldn’t play anymore. Miller has been banged up leading up to, during, and after the Olympics. So, why risk a further injury?
Similarly, it’s been a tough injury-filled season for Fox. That’s why giving him some time off makes sense.
Then, there’s Vincent Trocheck. The 32-year-old should not see any action, particularly if the play is to trade him in the offseason. Heaven forbid Trocheck sustains a major injury during meaningless games. That situation would not only jeopardize his trade value, but also his role with the team should he remain.
But there’s one silver lining for the Rangers moving forward.
Final 10 games should focus on Rangers’ youth
With nothing more to play for except pride and bragging rights, the time has come for the Rangers to give young players an opportunity to show what they can do.
For instance, Dylan Garand should get the lion’s share of the starts moving forward. Other younger players, like defensemen Vincent Iorio and Matthew Robertson, should get much more ice time.
Meanwhile, forwards like Gabe Tye Kartye, Adam Sykora, and Jaroslav Chmelar should get more prominent roles. While they’re at it, why not give Carey Terrance and Brett Berard some ice time?
Sure, Berard didn’t have a good first engagement with the Rangers earlier this season. But that’s all moot now. The purpose moving forward is to see what the team has as it makes decisions about its roster construction.
The focus now should be on the future, not just next season, but well beyond 2026.