Predicting point totals for the Rangers top six stars entering the 2026-27 season

There’s been plenty of shakeup this offseason and expectations for the Rangers are seemingly all over the place. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at individual players and project what their stat lines could look like in 2026-27.

We’ll start with the players who could make up the top line.

There are a few different combinations Mike Sullivan could roll with, including some mix of Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexis Lafrenière and Gabe Perreault. For the sake of these projections, we’ll assume Sullivan wants to build on the chemistry we saw down the stretch last season, with Perreault and Lafrenière flanking Zibanejad.

Mika Zibanejad

Patience was running thin among the fan base heading into last season when it came to Zibanejad. After a down year, he found himself at the center of criticism surrounding the Rangers’ struggles. However, Zibanejad answered the bell. 

He finished the 2025-26 season with 78 points, scoring 34 goals and adding 44 assists, while also becoming more of a leader for a young Rangers team. He rediscovered some of the power-play success that made him lethal in previous years, particularly from his familiar spot in the left circle.

Now, at 33 years old, Zibanejad will once again be asked to carry a significant load as the team’s top-line center. He’ll play heavy minutes at five-on-five and on special teams, while returning to the first power-play unit with even more offensive firepower around him.

There’s no reason to expect a drop in production yet. If anything, another year with his young linemates could help Zibanejad put together another strong offensive season.

He’ll lead the Rangers in goals and will once again flirt with the 80-point mark.

Prediction: 36 goals, 45 assists, 81 points

Alexis Lafrenière

The former No. 1 overall pick has left plenty on the bone throughout his Rangers career compared to the expectations that followed him into the league.

However, after Artemi Panarin’s departure last season, Lafrenière showed more of what the Rangers hoped they would eventually see from him.

Over the final 29 games of the season, Lafrenière recorded 28 points with 14 goals and 14 assists. He also developed a strong connection with Zibanejad and Perreault that could carry into this season.

Lafrenière also began to establish himself as more of a play-driver rather than deferring so much. His ability to find space around the net became a consistent weapon and he seemed to gain confidence as the season progressed.

His increased role on the first power play after Panarin left town should also benefit his production, and I expect Sullivan to give him a full run there this season.

This will be an important year for Lafrenière. Is he suddenly going to become the franchise player many expected when he was drafted first overall? Probably not.

He can establish himself as a legitimate top-six forward and prove that last year’s late-season heater was more than a small sample size by eclipsing a new career high in all three scoring categories.

Prediction: 30 goals, 36 assists, 66 points

Gabe Perreault

My message to Rangers fans heading into last season was to set realistic expectations for Perreault.

I’m walking that back…  at least a little.

Perreault showed he has the potential to become one of the better playmakers in the league, showcasing vision where you would think he has eyes in the back of his head. The comparisons to players like Nikita Kucherov are certainly aggressive at this stage, but there is no denying that Perreault has the tools to become a dynamic offensive player.

His chemistry with Lafrenière became one of the more encouraging developments of the Rangers’ late-season stretch, and there’s no reason to think that can’t continue into 2026-27.

After a strong rookie campaign, Perreault should take another significant step forward and establish himself as a top-line option.

The biggest question is how much power-play time he receives. Breaking into the first unit could be difficult, especially with some of the vets ahead of him, and that will put a ceiling on his overall production.

But at five-on-five, Perreault should find himself on the scoresheet more times than not.

Prediction: 17 goals, 33 assists, 50 points

Pavel Dorofeyev

I’m including the newly acquired sniper in this group because there is a possibility that Dorofeyev finds himself on the top line, potentially bumping Lafrenière out of the mix.

I'm still betting Sullivan wants to see more of the Lafrenière and Perreault duo, though.

Dorofeyev is coming from a situation where he benefited from playing alongside some of hockey’s most elite talent. He was being fed opportunities by Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore in Vegas. In New York this year, he’ll be asked to become one of the Rangers’ biggest offensive threats, if not the biggest.

Dorofeyev has shown that he can wire a puck, but there are questions about how much he can consistently create at five-on-five without elite playmakers around him. If he struggles at even strength, the pressure will likely grow throughout the season.

The good news is that he will have opportunities on the first power play unit where he should find his spots. 

I expect Dorofeyev to score at a respectable clip, but will fall short of the enormous expectations that surround him. The talent around him in Sin City is just miles above what the Rangers will be icing come September. 

Prediction: 25 goals, 18 assists, 43 points

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow