As the New York Rangers faithful prepare to celebrate the franchise’s centennial, the team itself faces a far more urgent task: atonement. The champagne from the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy victory feels like a distant, hazy memory, completely overshadowed by the “complete and utter disaster” of the 2024-25 season. Missing the playoffs a year after being the league’s best regular-season team wasn’t just a failure; it was a franchise-altering cataclysm that prompted a sweeping and necessary cultural reset.
Now, with the doors set to open on training camp this week, the winds of change have blown through Madison Square Garden. A new bench boss in Mike Sullivan, a C on J.T. Miller’s sweater, and a host of new and departed faces signal a clear mandate: the past is the past. This isn’t a camp for treading water; it’s about re-establishing an identity and raising a ceiling that crashed down with shocking force. The battles on the ice over the next few weeks won’t just determine the opening night roster; they will set the tone for a season of redemption. Here are the most compelling storylines to watch.
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A New Broom Sweeps Clean
Before the Rangers could build, they first had to demolish. The front office spent last season and the summer gutting the room, a painful but essential exorcism of 2024-25’s negativity and underperformance. The departures read like a who’s-who of the previous era: Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, Barclay Goodrow, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and K’Andre Miller are all gone. This was more than just shedding salary; it was a deliberate move to change the chemistry and accountability structure of the team.
In their place comes a mix of veteran stability and youthful potential. The marquee addition is defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, inked to a seven-year, $49 million deal to be the shutdown, stay-at-home presence Adam Fox has desperately needed on his left side. In the Miller trade, the club acquired promising young blueliner Scott Morrow, a smooth-skating defenseman who has a “real lane” to making the team out of camp. Up front, free agent Taylor Raddysh was brought in on a two-year deal to compete for a role in the bottom six.
Perhaps most telling are the professional tryouts (PTOs). Two-time Cup winner Conor Sheary, a former Sullivan disciple, and towering 6-foot-7 defenseman Andrej Sustr have been invited to camp. Their presence underscores the new philosophy: no jobs are guaranteed, and competition will be the engine of this team. The message from management is clear—the veteran logjam is over, and merit will dictate ice time.
The Zibanejad Conundrum
No single player’s deployment will be watched more closely than Mika Zibanejad’s. The dynamic Swede’s 2024-25 season was a tale of two halves, neatly bisected by a move from center to the right wing of a line centered by J.T. Miller. The results were staggering. As a center for the first part of the season, Zibanejad looked lost, posting a pedestrian nine goals and 29 points. After the switch, he exploded for 11 goals and 33 points in just 32 games, looking rejuvenated and re-engaged.
This leaves Mike Sullivan with his first major strategic decision. Does he keep Zibanejad in a position where he clearly thrived, maximizing his offensive output and lethal one-timer? Or does he move him back to center to give the Rangers elite depth down the middle behind Miller and Vincent Trocheck? The latter option strengthens the team’s overall spine, but it risks sending Zibanejad back into the funk that derailed his season. Initial projections suggest Sullivan will start him on the wing, allowing Miller to handle the defensive responsibilities and faceoffs, which frees Zibanejad to focus purely on offense. But make no mistake, if the team struggles to find its footing, the temptation to move #93 back to the middle will be a constant storyline.
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Pressure Makes Diamonds… Or Dust
Two players will enter camp with the weight of massive new contracts on their shoulders. Igor Shesterkin, fresh off signing a historic eight-year, $92 million extension, is now the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. The deal has been met with a polarized reaction from the fanbase, and for good reason. Shesterkin’s play has, by the numbers, declined in the three seasons since his magnificent Vezina Trophy campaign in 2021-22. The flashes of brilliance are still there, but they’ve been interrupted by uncharacteristic cold stretches. For the Rangers to have any hope of contending, they don’t just need good Igor; they need the consistently elite, game-stealing force his cap hit demands.
Meanwhile, the pressure on Alexis Lafrenière has reached a boiling point. After a breakout 2023-24 season, the 2020 first-overall pick regressed significantly last year, managing just 17 goals and 45 points after signing his own seven-year, $7.45 million extension. With Chris Kreider’s departure, the runway is finally clear. Lafrenière is penciled in for a top-six role and, critically, a spot on the first power-play unit. The organization has given him the contract, the opportunity, and the supporting cast. The time for potential is over; the era of production must begin. To put it bluntly, there are no excuses for him anymore.
Are the Kids Ready?
For all the veteran intrigue, the true ceiling of this Rangers team may rest on the development of its top prospects. Two names are at the forefront: Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault. Both are expected to see NHL action this season, but they share a common, significant hurdle: their skating.
Othmann, a 2021 first-rounder, has struggled to adapt to the pace of the NHL in his 25-game career. His shot, skill, and compete level are all above average, but his lack of foot speed has been a noticeable impediment. He reportedly spent the summer working tirelessly on his skating and adding strength, and coaches will be watching closely to see if he can now win board battles and retrieve pucks consistently at this level.
Perreault, a 2023 first-round pick, presents a different but related challenge. He is an exceptionally skilled and intelligent winger with elite hockey sense. He sees the ice in ways few can. However, his 5-foot-11 frame and merely average speed are legitimate concerns. He has overcome these questions at every level so far, but the NHL is the ultimate test. The decision for management will be whether he can make the jump directly or if he needs a seasoning stint in the AHL with Hartford. One tantalizing possibility being floated is a top line featuring Perreault’s skill alongside the north-south power of Will Cuylle and the all-around dominance of J.T. Miller, a combination that could provide the rookie with the space and defensive cover he needs to thrive.
This training camp is more than just a prelude to the 100th season in franchise history. It’s the first chapter in a new book. With Miller now officially the captain, flanked by a leadership group of Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad, the hierarchy is set. Under the watchful eye of Mike Sullivan, a roster remade and a fanbase starved for success will now find out if this new-look group has what it takes to turn the page on disaster and begin a new era of contention on Broadway.
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