The New York Rangers are getting set to have a potentially great or catastrophically horrifying season in 2026-27. There is no in-between.
With some new pieces in play, via both drafting at the NHL Draft and making trades there, along with an emphasis on the youth group, this is going to be a different roster. But what does opening night look like for the Rangers?
Let’s make a very early, pre-training camp projection.
Forward group
Gabe Perreault | Mika Zibanejad | Pavel Dorofeyev |
|---|---|---|
Oliver Bjorkstrand | J.T. Miller | Alexis Lafreniere |
Tye Kartye | Noah Laba | Will Cuylle |
Matt Rempe | Joe Veleno | Taylor Raddysh |
With this forward group, the main highlight here is that the top six is not going to move more than the bottom six will. Rangers President and General Manager is not going to give Gabe Perreault anything less than first line minutes to see if he really has what it takes to man that spot in the future. The only real maybe here is if Noah Laba starts to come into his own and knocks captain J.T. Miller down a peg, which is unlikely, but still a possibility with this wild ride of a season ahead of us.
Defensive unit
Marcus Petterson | Adam Fox |
|---|---|
Vladislav Gavrikov | Sean Durzi |
Alberts Smits | Braden Schneider |
If this is the opening night lineup for the Rangers blueline, expect it not to stick for very long. The only player that is staying completely still and in his usual spot is superstar defenseman Adam Fox. The player with the most to gain in this potential lineup is newcomer Alberts Smits, as his ceiling suggests that the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft has that same superstar potential as Fox. Sean Durzi and Marcus Petterson enter a new group and the brightest of lights in NYC, but should both be very solid additions.
Obvious choice in net
Joonas Korpisalo as backup is a near guarantee, although it is not ethically right. Dylan Garand went out there and played really well last season in his very small sample size of three games, but if this is a retooling year, why not give the kid a shot? Nevertheless, Korpisalo has been a successful goalie in his career and is the obvious choice.
Shesterkin is in the net and I expect this to be a complete turnaround from last season. He is going to be much better with a better-looking defensive core in front of him, and a somewhat improved offensive unit. "The Prince" is going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2026-27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google