New York Rangers center J.T. Miller during a matchup against the Seattle Kraken on November 17, 2024. Photo by Jenn G.
Written by Ryan McAvoy
NEW YORK – Ever since the New York Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers in the 2023-24 Eastern Conference Final, the organization has struggled to return to its once-competitive position within the NHL. While the Rangers haven’t won a Stanley Cup championship in 32 years, they have consistently remained a strong playoff contender over the last two decades. As New York enters its second season under head coach Mike Sullivan, there are high hopes that the two-time Stanley Cup winner can be the driving force behind a return to glory for the Rangers.
Captain J.T. Miller got a glimpse of Sullivan’s winning ability this past February when he and the U.S. men's hockey team, under Sullivan's guidance, won the gold medal in a thrilling overtime victory against Team Canada. A triumph like that is bound to motivate both the Rangers' head coach and their captain, who returned to New York in 2024 after six seasons away from the organization. However, the Rangers are now 15 games into the season with a record of 7-7-1, which is not the start they had hoped for. Still, there is plenty of time for Sullivan to turn things around.
Since his hiring, Sullivan has attempted to implement several changes within the Rangers organization. His efforts off the ice have focused on establishing greater accountability within the team. This shift has taken place in multiple stages, with the first arguably beginning when Rangers GM Chris Drury completely overhauled New York’s roster ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Notable departures included veteran Chris Kreider and defenseman K'Andre Miller. Both were major contributors to the Rangers’ Eastern Conference Final run, but after New York came away without a championship, changes to the roster clearly had to be made. One possible takeaway is that Sullivan and Drury are sending an important message to the current roster: no one is safe.
That willingness to move on from established players became even more apparent in February 2026, when the Rangers traded star forward Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. Panarin excelled for New York during the 2023-24 season, scoring 49 goals and recording 120 points.
While his production didn't exactly decline over his subsequent two seasons with the Rangers, Panarin was entering the final year of his contract, and Sullivan and Drury felt it was time to part ways with the 34-year-old forward. He had been the Rangers’ highest-paid player for nearly seven seasons, departing New York without a Stanley Cup championship to show for it.
"Chris and I have had a lot of conversations around this and what the gameplan is moving forward to try to reshape the organization to be as competitive as it can be in the most expeditious fashion, and this is part of the process," Sullivan said in an interview with NHL.com.
The roster shakeup has not been the only change Sullivan has brought to New York. Under their former head coach, Peter Laviolette, the Rangers played a tight, aggressive man-to-man defensive system, emphasizing quick turnovers to generate offense and attack the offensive zone. Since Sullivan took over, they have transitioned to a more structured, zone-based defensive approach, along with an emphasis on north-south puck movement.
Unfortunately, the results have been less than stellar. The Rangers struggled to adjust to Sullivan's new system throughout the 2025-26 season, finishing with a 34-39-9 record. Not only did they miss the playoffs, but they also finished last in the Metropolitan Division. Throughout that season, Drury and Sullivan continued their major retooling of the roster, entering 2026-27 with high expectations for the year ahead.
New York started the season strong, winning four of its first five games before dropping to fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Sullivan's plans for the Rangers have been further complicated by Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury and second-string goaltender Joonas Korpisalo's upper-body injury, which has also left him sidelined.
“Let’s just acknowledge we’re in a difficult circumstance when our top two goalies are injured,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers’ 6-3 loss to Los Angeles on October 26. “We’re trying to find a way to shore this thing up as best we can.”
While this is undoubtedly a difficult situation for the Rangers, it also presents an opportunity to put Sullivan's new system to the test. He has spent the last two years establishing standards, reshaping the roster, and introducing a new identity to the organization. The next challenge is getting the players to consistently execute that vision, particularly when circumstances are working against them. For Sullivan, the goal is not simply to return the Rangers to the playoffs, but to build a team capable of remaining competitive. How New York responds to its current struggles could offer a clearer picture of whether the changes are beginning to take hold.
