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The Rangers should be considered a lock at the top-three of the Metro in 2025-26

The 2024-25 season was a challenging one for the New York Rangers. Brighter days should, and hopefully, are ahead for the 2025-26 campaign.
ByJustin Bonhard|
Apr 17, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) celebrates with left wing Will Cuylle (50) after scoring a goal in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Apr 17, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) celebrates with left wing Will Cuylle (50) after scoring a goal in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers had a season filled with turmoil and anguish, and with it came a valuable lesson. There is only up from here.

The 2025-26 season is already showing a lot of promise, with an emphasis on the new pieces being the key difference. It should not be too far-fetched that the Rangers find themselves in the top three of the Metropolitan Division.

Here's why.

New coach, no new distractions

Last season was a circus on Broadway. President and General Manager Chris Drury and the New York media led a witch hunt that resulted in a bunch of players being moved to other teams and breaking the locker room into a million tiny pieces. If you could put a label on last year's Blueshirts, it was fragile.

Despite ex-head coach Peter Laviollete leading the Rangers to the 2023-24 Presidents' Trophy, he was another reason why the wheels fell off. His lack of rebuilding the locker room and leaning on veteran leadership to mend the weak areas of this team, he seemingly sat back and, for lack of a better word, gave up.

That will not be the case with the 2025-26 Rangers, with a new head coach at the helm and a seemingly fresher locker room. Mike Sullivan has the highest expectation of any new head coach next season in the NHL, but he also has one of the better core groups to work with. The team that led the league two years ago is very much still a part of the team today.

Aside from the drama still revolving around Mika Zibanejad and the possibility of his no-movement clause being waived, this team is seemingly in better spirits as the calendar slowly switches to August.

Tough Division, but doable

The Metropolitan Division is a tough division. The Washington Capitals were an electric factory last season, Carolina has a solid chance to win the Stanley Cup, the New Jersey Devils are always a sneaky team, the New York Islanders just got a stud with the first overall pick in Matthew Schaefer, and Columbus will likely join Philadelphia at the bottom of the barrel.

That leaves the Rangers with a new purpose and a mentality that last season was just a fluke, aiming for a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It is going to be a tough road, but it is certainly doable.