It feels impossible to set expectations for the New York Rangers this season. Few teams have as much internal pressure as the Rangers. As a result, the New York Rangers’ expectations are probably much higher than what many think outside the organization.
It’s a team now built from the back out with an elite starter, a competition at backup, a potential three-goalie tandem and an overhauled blue line. Former New York Rangers backup goalie Martin Biron, an MSG Analyst for the Buffalo Sabres, discussed this on a recent edition of the “Rangers Recon” podcast with Andrew Chelney and Arthur Staple.
“Playoffs is too easy,” Biron said. “You made the coaching change. You wanted a new culture.”
Mike Sullivan Supposed to Change Culture
Last season, the arrival of Mike Sullivan was supposed to change the New York Rangers. The team entered the season with a mantra: “No B.S.” The players wore shirts with the mantra on them. With a culture focused on hard work, the Rangers wanted to forget the disastrous 2024-25 season. Ideally, the New York Rangers’ expectations of themselves would change.
Of course, that’s not really how the season went for the Rangers. New York had a historically weak start scoring, particularly at home. They graded out well in numerous metrics throughout the season, yet those metrics never translated into consistent wins because they couldn’t finish. In some cases, they even struggled to create. The Rangers were ninth in offensive zone time according to NHL Edge, yet finished 31st in all-situations shots on goal.
The Rangers spent the offseason focused on ways to create more offense. Up front, they added a premium finisher in winger Pavel Dorofeyev. The former Vegas Golden Knight standout has scored 72 goals in his last two seasons. He never missed a game for the Knights in that span. He also scored 12 goals in 22 playoff games during Vegas’s run to the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Finals. The team also added depth-scoring winger Oliver Bjorkstrand. Defenseman Sean Durzi, the Rangers’ hope, will provide insurance to Adam Fox after the latter missed 27 games last season. The New York Rangers’ expectations will hinge on the health of both right-handed defensemen, since Durzi has also been an injury liability at times in his career.
“I don’t look at that roster as a Cup-winning roster just yet,” Biron said.
New York Rangers’ Expectations Gap
The Rangers created their own ticking time bomb by trading two future protected first-round draft picks this season. The big question in New York is just how much the team hits the panic button if they underachieve for a third straight season. The Rangers own their 2027 first-round pick. After that, the maze of pick protections begins. It would be easier for the Rangers, in determining their forward path, if the plan assembled by GM Chris Drury came to fruition this season.
“Making the playoffs should be the very bare minimum,” Biron said. “You have to win a round this year. That’s what I would deem a successful season for the Rangers coming up.”
Externally, the Rangers aren’t well thought of at the moment. Even after underachieving to a historic degree in 2024-25, playoff oddsmakers still liked the Rangers to make the playoffs when 2025-26 odds arrived. The Rangers quickly underachieved those too. Now, they’ll have to win back the trust. FanDuel, for example, has the Rangers as more likely to miss the playoffs than make it in 2026-27.
Biron likely has the pulse correct on the internal New York Rangers’ expectations. The Rangers are led by a goalie with the early makings of a Hall of Fame resume and a Norris-winning defenseman. The latter, contrary to some scattered hot takes, makes the team unquestionably better.
The only question is whether the organization’s plan is better than most think.
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