Rangers Stanley Cup contender checklist: The pressure is on to get back on track

After a three-year run in which the New York Rangers reached the Eastern Conference final twice and captured the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24, the team has plummeted for two straight seasons.The 2024-25 campaign was filled with drama and change, leading to constant roster turnover around a core that had reached its ceiling. Somehow, 2025-26 was even worse. Team president Chris Drury put plans of another retool in writing amid another miserable season that landed New York last in the conference, and earned New York the No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft.Advertisement