New York Rangers assess 20‑goal scorers and offseason plan after missing playoffs

The New York Rangers finished last in the Eastern Conference, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for a second straight year. Only three players reached the 20‑goal mark: Alexis Lafreniere (24), Will Cuylle (20) and Mike Zibanejad (34). Lafreniere tied his career high with 57 points and posted a strong finish after the trade of Artemi Panarin, while Cuylle logged a team‑record 302 hits but struggled for consistent scoring.

General manager Chris Drury faces an offseason focused on retooling. Analysts advise him to avoid overpaying in free agency, to protect the high trade value of assets such as Vincent Trocheck and restricted‑free‑agent defenseman Braden Schneider, and to recognize that the roster cannot be fixed with one or two acquisitions. In addition, pursuing a costly free‑agent defenseman like Darren Raddysh is discouraged because his style does not fit the Rangers’ existing blue‑line core anchored by Adam Fox.

Overall, the Rangers aim to build around their young core while managing cap space and trade leverage to become competitive next season.