3 Keys to the Rangers Having a Successful 2026 Offseason

Luck was not on the side of the New York Rangers during the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. They fell from third to fifth overall after the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks jumped to first and second overall, respectively. With the Rangers now knowing where they are picking in the draft, they can turn their attention to other areas of need. In this piece, we are going to go over three keys to a successful offseason for the Rangers.

Convincing Adam Fox to Stay for the Retool

When the Rangers released the letter stating they were heading into a retool, some players immediately made it clear they wanted to stick around, but one player was not clear in his answer. That player is Adam Fox, who is far and away the best defenseman on the team and the only true puck-moving defenseman the team has on the current roster.

While Fox never specifically said he wanted off the team, he also never said that he wanted to see this retool through till the end. If the Rangers want to get back to contention quickly, they need to convince Fox to stick around.

One positive that could help convince Fox to stay was that the team played more competitively after the Olympic break, and that some of the younger players were a big part in making them more competitive.

A big knock on the Rangers was that even though they wanted to go into a retool, they didn’t have young players already on the team that could be seen as part of the future. However, players like Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, and Adam Sykora all showed they could play at the NHL level and could be parts for the future. If these young players can continue to develop and management makes smart moves this offseason, it could convince Fox to see this rebuild through.

Adding a Top-Six Forward Should Be a Priority

One major area of need the Rangers need to address this offseason is their top-six forward group. After the trade of Artemi Panarin, it became clear that this team lacks one, if not two, top-six forwards, and they are going to need those kinds of players if they want to get back to being a contender. Four players who will likely be in the top six to start next season are Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere, and Gabe Perreault.

That leaves two open spots that need to be filled either by players they already have or players they need to sign or trade for this offseason. If the Rangers can bring in at least one top-six forward this offseason, that should be seen as a success.

When it comes to players they could sign, one name is Alex Tuch, who is now the biggest forward left on the free agent market. However, with the way the Buffalo Sabres are playing and him being a hometown boy playing for his childhood team, why would he want to leave?

On the trade front, there are some big names out there in rumors. Some of these names include Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars, Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators, and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. All of these names would immediately be a major upgrade to the Rangers’ current forward core, but what would it cost, and are these players actually going to be available? Only time will tell.

Adding a Top-Four Left-Handed Defenseman

Outside of the top defensive pairing of Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, the Rangers’ defense was below average this season, especially the left side of the defense. They do not have a true top-four left-handed defenseman who can play behind Gavrikov, so that is an area they need to address this summer.

While players like Matthew Robertson and Drew Fortescue played well, they are not ready for a top-four role going into next season. The Rangers are going to need to get creative and either trade for a defenseman or sign one in free agency.

The free agent market is very slim on left-handed defensemen this offseason. Some of the names on the free agent list include Mario Ferraro, Jamie Oleksiak, Carson Soucy, and Logan Stanley. But none of these names truly jump out as players you would want to have in the top four of your team’s defense.

When it comes to the trade market, there have not been many names mentioned. The Rangers are going to have to keep an eye on the market to see who becomes available because this is an area of need they must address this offseason.

The Rangers are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch this offseason. They have a top-five pick in the draft, almost $27 million in cap space to work with, and they have players they want to move out and players they need to bring in.

With it seeming like management does not want this retool to be a long process, the Rangers could be one of the more aggressive teams this offseason when it comes to trades and free agent signings. While they have more areas of need they could address, these three areas are going to be key for the Rangers to address this offseason.