NHL X divided over New York Rangers' Stanley Cup playoff chances next season: "Old & washed up", "Absolutely will"

The New York Rangers missed the Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2024-25 NHL season after finishing 5th in the Metropolitan division with 85 points from a 39-36-7 record. The last time they missed the playoffs was the 2020-21 COVID season, and In the three seasons between, the Rangers lost in the first round once and were also defeated two times in the Conference Finals.

Before the start of free agency, New York Rangers GM Chris Drury made a blockbuster trade which sent Chris Kreider and a fourth-round draft pick to the Anaheim Ducks in return for prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick. On July 1, the Rangers sent K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Scott Morrow and a first and second-round pick. The New York franchise also locked in then-free agent Vladislav Gavrikov to a 7-year/$49 million contract.

Despite departures of Jacob Trouba, Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Lindgren, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil earlier in the season, and other big names that left before and during NHL free agency, NHL X remains divided over New York Rangers' chances of making the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2025-26 season.

The New York Rangers' hopes are tied to the success of new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan and stars Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Igor Shesterkin. Zibanejad had one of his worst seasons as a Ranger, accumulating only 62 points from 20 goals and 42 assits in 82 games.

New York Rangers were reportedly interested in Tanner Jeannot before Boston Bruins deal

In an effort to bolster their forward depth, the New York Rangers were included in the race to sign Tanner Jeannot, per NHL insider Elliotte Friedman. Owing to the departures of many depth forwards last season, GM Chris Drury would have been interested to strengthen his offensive group.

On the season ending podcast of 32 Thoughts, Friedman reported about Rangers' pursuit of Jeannot after the Boston Bruins already signed the forward to a 4-year/$17 million contract.

About the author

Srihari is an NHL Assistant Content Manager and writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of experience. An engineering graduate in electrical and electronics, he spent one year as a Programmer Analyst at Cognizant.

Srihari understands news reports are time-sensitive and to ensure no compromise on quality, he engages in running thorough and extensive research. He includes unique and first-to-market stats after vetting them through sources that are trusted league-wide to give the readers most accurate information. He also boasts of a strong network of NHL reporters and enthusiasts for acquiring valuable information.

The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are Srihari’s favorite teams in the NHL. He likes players who are eye-catching with their skills and speed, and believes Oilers star duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and Leafs' Auston Matthews are three of the best players in today's game.

When he’s not writing or watching the NHL, he binges on highlights of NBA games. He also loves to play outdoor sports like cricket, basketball and occasionally soccer. Srihari also plays Valorant, FIFA, Call of Duty and other games in his free time. He hopes to add playing the piano to this list soon.

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