NHL Network analyst likes Rangers future, unsure of present: ‘don’t know that it happens overnight’

The New York Rangers are entering the 2025-26 season looking to bounce back after failing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. With a new coach, a key addition on defense, and a roster reshaped over the past year, there’s cautious optimism for a Rangers revival. But there’s also plenty of uncertainty.

NHL Network analyst Stu Grimson recently weighed in on where he believes things stand with the Rangers, pointing out the potential but warning that it may take time for everything to come together.

“I think there are better days ahead,” Grimson said. “I just don’t know that it happens overnight.”

That thought sums up the feelings of many. The Rangers may have the right pieces, but it remains to be seen whether they can turn the corner quickly in the competitive Metropolitan Division.

On paper vs. reality

On paper, the Rangers look like a team built for the postseason. Of course, they did last season, too, and we all know how that turned out.

Led by a star-studded top-six group of forwards, the 2021 Norris Trophy winner in Adam Fox, a star goalie who won the Vezina Trophy three years ago, and a potential Hart Trophy candidate in Artemi Panarin, the roster checks many boxes.

Grimson echoed that belief. “They’ve got the personnel on paper,” he said. “You might look at this roster and say, ‘That’s a lock for a playoff spot,’ even in a competitive Metro.”

But last season’s embarrassment proved that what looks great on paper doesn’t always translate into results. Despite the big contracts and high-profile names, the Rangers struggled to find any sense of consistency and ultimately fell short of what many believed was a guaranteed playoff spot. The pieces were there, but the chemistry was out the door.

That gap between potential and execution remains the biggest question heading into 2025-26.

A new voice

The Rangers hired Mike Sullivan as coach this offseason to get them back on course. For a team in need of a culture reset, structure, and accountability, the fit makes perfect sense.

Grimson praised the move, calling Sullivan “a fabulous choice” and “a better fit for this roster” than any available candidate. With two Stanley Cup championships, Sullivan is highly respected and brings instant credibility to the Rangers after 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But even with a proven coach, success might not come right away.

Grimson emphasized that the coaching change alone won’t solve everything. Like the roster, Sullivan and his staff must prove themselves in reality, not on paper.

“I just don’t know that it coalesces this quick,” Grimson said.

Blueshirts blue line anchors

If Sullivan is expected to bring structure behind the bench, Vladislav Gavrikov is being counted on to bring it to the ice. The 29-year-old defenseman was New York’s biggest offseason addition to the roster, a player who Grimson believes adds much-needed “stability” and “identity.”

Gavrikov doesn’t light up the score sheet, but he’s steady and reliable — exactly the type of defenseman the Rangers sorely lacked in recent years. He appeared in all 82 games last season with the Los Angeles Kings, logging 1,893 minutes of ice time, and had 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) and 140 blocked shots.

Gavrikov started over 61 percent of his shifts on the fly, often in neutral or defensive zone situations, per MoneyPuck.com. With just 6.2 percent of his shifts beginning in the offensive zone, Gavrikov was leaned on heavily in tough, top-line matchups and penalty-kill minutes — and helped make the Kings one of the best defensive teams in the NHL.

Common thinking is that Gavrikov should team seamlessly with Fox on the top defense pair. But to do that, Gavrikov must be comfortable with more offensive-zone starts. That’s a must if he’s to be partnered with Fox, who brings elite offensive ability.

Fox finished 2024-25 with 61 points in 74 games — a strong season for any NHL defenseman, but a slight dip by his standards. He’s proven capable of tipping 70 points, something he’s done three times already, and his totals last season reflected a team-wide step back more than a personal decline.

In theory, while Fox drives the offense and transition, Gavrikov can handle the grind. One leans on finesse, the other on physicality. Together, they give the Rangers one of the most balanced top pairings. On paper. They still have to prove they’re a fit in reality, or else Gavrikov could end up on the second pair with Will Borgen in a complete shutdown role. Time will tell.

So many questions with Rangers defense corps

The defense corps has undergone a complete transformation during the past year, one that extends well beyond adding Gavrikov. Since the end of their Presidents’ Trophy-winning season in 2023-24, the Rangers have parted ways with defensemen Erik Gustafsson, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, Victor Mancini and Zac Jones.

They added Gavrikov, Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen, Carson Soucy and Scott Morrow. Only Fox and Braden Schneider remain from 2023-24.

This group needs to prove that it is better than its predecessor. There are plenty of questions to be answered, though.

Will Gavrikov partner with Fox, as expected, on the top pair? Will Schneider slide over to his off (left) side and move up to the second pair with Borgen? Will Schneider thrive if given more tough minutes after he was largely sheltered during his first four seasons? Is Morrow ready for full-time NHL duty on the third pair after he was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes this summer in the Miller trade? Will Soucy or Vaakanainen emerge as a third-pair regular? Or will both be lineup regulars with one on the second pair and the other on the third while Morrow winds up as the odd-man out?

You get the idea. There are plenty of options and a fresh look with the Rangers defense corps. But a lot of questions, too.

Rangers must figure out bottom-six forward group

For all the focus on New York’s stars and offseason moves, a major part of their success or failure will hinge on a bottom-six forward group that looks anything but stable. As it stands, the projected group features question marks at nearly every position. Sam Carrick, Brett Berard, Adam Edstrom, Taylor Raddysh, and Matt Rempe are projected to take five of the projected six sorts — and none is a proven full-time contributor on a playoff-caliber roster.

That changes a bit if Vincent Trocheck or Mika Zibanejad slides down to the 3C role, creating an opening for a forward in the top six. Or perhaps Sullivan likes Will Cuylle best as a third-line wing to make the forward group less top-heavy.

The equation also changes should one of the younger players pop in a middle-six role in training camp and regular season. The Rangers certainly will give long looks to first-round picks Gabe Perreault (2023) and Brennan Othmann (2021), as well as 24-year-old Juuso Parssinen. Continued growth and maturity from Berard, Rempe and Edstrom would go a long way, as well, to solidify the bottom six.

But as it stands today, it’s not a group to get very excited about. Carrick was an excellent veteran value signing a year ago and Raddysh once scored 20 goals in the NHL, though that appears to be a positive outlier.

Carrick and Raddysh are the only likely bottom-six forwards who’ve been NHL regulars. That creates opportunity and a level of excitement if some of the kids break through. It also generates quite a bit of angst, especially if top-six forwards like Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere don’t bounce back with solid seasons.

It’s no wonder why Grimson has his doubts about the Rangers making the playoffs next season.

His appraisal: “Put them in [the] bubble [tier].”