5 Bright Spots of the Rangers’ 2025-26 Season

Not that 2025-26 will be one to remember for the New York Rangers, but some bright spots did emerge. In fact, several players stood out, and it was a big reason why the team was able to finish the season on a high note, going 12-10-3 after the Olympic break and winning six of their last 10.

Despite trading their best scorer, Artemi Panarin, ahead of the Olympic break, the Rangers managed to get contributions through the lineup. Below, we list the players who were the bright spots for the team in 2025-26.

Adam Fox

The first mention has to go to Adam Fox. Without playing the remainder of the season, the Rangers would almost certainly have finished with the second-worst record in the NHL.

When Fox first returned to the lineup after the Olympic break, the impact was immediate. All of a sudden, the Rangers were back to playing structured hockey and keeping more of the play out of the defensive zone. Also, not many can quarterback a power play like Fox, as the Rangers unit finished the season inside the top five in the NHL.

From March 4 to the end of the Rangers’ season, the Jericho, New York native ranked 22nd in the league in scoring with 22 points in 25 games.

Mika Zibanejad

Meanwhile, the argument can be made that Mika Zibanejad deserves the most credit. The 33-year-old was consistent all season long, even when the Rangers were playing non-competitive hockey in January and most of February and after Panarin was traded.

In 81 games, Zibanejad posted 78 points. The almost point per game production under the circumstances is hard not to be impressed by. As a result, the Swede earned a much-deserved 2025-26 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, which is given annually to the Ranger who “goes above and beyond the call of duty,” as selected by the fans.

Alexis Lafrenière

After breaking out in 2023-24, Alexis Lafrenière was on track for yet another disappointing season. But then he flipped the script after the Olympic break.

From late February until the end of the season, Lafrenière posted a point per game pace, with 25 points in 25 games. Additionally, the 24-year-old tied a career high, finishing the season with 57 points.

The trade of Panarin definitely helped free up more playing time, but Lafrenière simultaneously loosened up his play at the end of the season with no playoffs on the line – letting his skill dictate his performance. You have to be encouraged by what was seen by the 2020 first-overall pick and hope that it will translate to a more consistent 2026-27 season.

Gabriel Perreault

When the season first started, it was unclear if Gabriel Perreault was quite ready for the NHL. That turned out to be true, and instead of the Rangers forcing him to eke out a top-nine role at the beginning of the season, the organization gave him top-line minutes with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Clearly, the son of former NHLer Yanic Perreault benefited in his development, where he was able to still play pro hockey and posted 17 points in 20 games. Eventually, the Rangers were given no choice but to give an opportunity to the 20-year-old in the new year due to their struggle to score goals and the loss of Panarin.

Head coach Mike Sullivan was able to put Perreault in a strong position to succeed, playing him on a line with Zibanejad and Lafrenière. And did he ever impress? In Perreault’s last 23 games with the Rangers, he put up 19 points.

Matthew Robertson

Along with Zibanejad, there was another who played well consistently all season – Matthew Robertson. To be frank, it was an unbelievable turnaround from just 12 months ago, when the 2020 second-round pick was thought of as a lost cause in the organization and one that was failing to impress in the American Hockey League (AHL).

But Robertson got his opportunity with a new coaching staff, and he ran with it. In 72 games, the rookie posted a 49.79 percent expected goal share at five-on-five, which was third among Rangers defensemen who appeared in at least 30 games, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Robertson, even during the lifeless product the Rangers produced in January and February, provided stability on the blue line. It looks like the organization might have found itself a shutdown top four defenseman at least in the medium term, and that’s to the credit of the coaching staff.

Other Honorable Mentions

Other players worthy of recognition are Noah Laba and Jaroslav Chmelar.

In particular, Laba, after impressing in training camp, secured a role on the Rangers’ third line, where he was featured for most of the season. While his minutes became more limited toward the end of last season, and skating isn’t his best attribute, it was encouraging that Laba was able to at least stick around in the big leagues. The 22-year-old has enough upside to turn into a second-line center.

Chmelar was somebody that I had low expectations for coming into 2025-26. But he’s another example of getting an opportunity with the coaching staff and taking advantage of it. In 28 games with the Rangers, the Czech native posted a 50.41 expected goals share.

While 2025-26 will go down as one of the worst seasons that the Rangers have played this century, standings–wise, some trends provide at least some level of confidence for the future. Fox and Zibanejad remain elite players, while Perreault and Lafrenière will likely only get better. The Rangers should take those positives into account for the offseason plan and build off the momentum.