Rangers Wrap Up Season In Tampa

The New York Rangers close out the 2025-26 season in Tampa against the Lightning. Tampa may start ex-New York farmhand Brandon Halvorsen in a game that could decide home ice advantage versus Montreal in the first round. The Blueshirts will start Dylan Garard between the pipes with only lottery balls really at stake as they conclude a disappointing season. Info regarding the top 25 question solicitations and mock draft is provided below again. Please respond in the comments. 

Rangers lines and D pairs at morning skate in Tampa:

Perreault-Zibanejad-Lafrenière
Kartye-Miller-Sheary
Cuylle-Trocheck-Chmelař
Sýkora-Laba-Raddysh

Gavrikov-Fox
Fortescue-Schneider
Robertson-Borgen

Garard
Shesterkin

A few thoughts:

1) Rangers and team beat writers release awards: These awards are an annual tradition, and little surprise exists that Mika Zibanejad was voted MVP by the media and players. Zib has been by far the team’s most consistent and best overall player, especially with Artemi Panarin now in LA and adam Fox missing 20+ games due to injury., 

MVP (media): Mika Zibanejad
Players’ Player (player voted): Mika Zibanejad
Good Guy (media): Braden Schneider.

Good Guy is for “outstanding cooperation with the media throughout the season.”

2) Questions: As noted above, this offseason, once again, has more questions than answers as of this moment. I plan to again compile the top 20 to 25 questions we will address during what will be a very long offseason. As part of that endeavor, I will again ask for your assistance in providing any questions you have. I will group some of those questions together thematically while others may just be one-offs. I’m happy to address more than 25 questions if necessary, as I presume most of you agree this extended offseason is critical for the team’s future and determining how long the “retool” lasts. 

Please provide your questions as a comment. Send to me directly as a message or by email or text or twitter etc. Thanks in advance for your help

3) Ping-pong balls and draft: New York controls its draft odds. A regulation loss allows the team to remain in its current spot. With a regulation win or an overtime/shootout loss by the Rangers, the Flames will need a similar result tomorrow. Here are the draft odds scenarios for tonight:

– New York and Flames both win, Rangers get 3rd best odds, pick no lower than 5th

– New York and Flames both lose, Rangers get 3rd best odds, pick no lower than 5th

– NYR win Flames lose, Rangers get 4th best odds, pick no lower than 6th

In conjunction with the upcoming draft, because New York has two picks high in the draft and because they are not in the postseason, I was thinking of running a reader selected mock draft with the readers picking a team to make the pick. I will provide more information down the road, but that all depends if we get enough interest. 
Please let me know if you have any interest in taking a team in the mock draft. 

Home Forums Rangers Wrap Up Season In Tampa

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    • #70731
      airjan23
      Participant

      The New York Rangers close out the 2025-26 season in Tampa against the Lightning. Tampa may start ex-New York farmhand Brandon Halvorsen in a game tha
      [See the full post at: Rangers Wrap Up Season In Tampa]

    • #70897
      meltingplastic
      Participant

      Jan, first of all thank you so much for everything you do with these blogs. I know our little community has gotten smaller since we changed sites but hopefully we’ll build back up to what we had.

      With regards to questions, the obvious ones are what happens to troch and gravs? I think one of them is gone but I’m not really sure it’s a smart move to get rid of either.

      Does JT recover from a disastrous first year as captain, especially with the comments he made today at breakup day, or does he sink and continue the trend of captains getting chased out of town

      As far as the summer, I have a sinking suspicion they’ll try to make a splash trade but not really sure what they have to give up. I’m assuming Matthews and Brady T are on Drurys number one list because of the team USA connection but I don’t think either are what this team needs.

    • #70927
      aecliptic
      Participant

      Jan, first of all thank you so much for everything you do with these blogs. I know our little community has gotten smaller since we changed sites but hopefully we’ll build back up to what we had.

      With regards to questions, the obvious ones are what happens to troch and gravs? I think one of them is gone but I’m not really sure it’s a smart move to get rid of either.

      Does JT recover from a disastrous first year as captain, especially with the comments he made today at breakup day, or does he sink and continue the trend of captains getting chased out of town

      As far as the summer, I have a sinking suspicion they’ll try to make a splash trade but not really sure what they have to give up. I’m assuming Matthews and Brady T are on Drurys number one list because of the team USA connection but I don’t think either are what this team needs.

      I think theres a 50/50 situation with Trocheck. They dont need to move him, but after already shopping him they might feel like they have to. Personally, I think they should ride out the season with Trocheck and reaccess when the deadline nears based on our position. As far as Gavrikov, I dont think anything happens there, not yet.

      Sullivan talked about working on the bottom 6, but I think we have most of our bottom 6 figured out with Kartye, Sykora, Laba and Chmelar.

      JT was a mistake from the get go. What a disaster he has been as captain. The problem is you cant just strip him of the C at this point and keep him on the team because its almost a guarantee his attitude and locker room presence will only get worse.

      Matthews I dont want on this team. Brady I would be more amenable to, but not at the cost of the 3rd overall pick.

      Im against pretty much any and all big splash trades.
      ______________

      As far as the draft goes, IMO if we end up with any pick 1 through 4, you keep it and draft. If we end up at 5, then maybe some discourse could be had about trading back. However the question is how far back? I want them to draft Smits, so if theres any risk to trading back and missing on him than just draft him at 5 and move on. Some will argue to go for Malhotra or Lawrence, but I think that would be a big mistake. Theyre good prospects but I feel like their stock has been inflated due to the fact that there are barely any centers in this draft.

      After that first pick, its a wild card of possibilities of what could happen. The biggest one is if we end up drafting Reid or Verhoeff, what does the future hold for Schneider? Do we end up trading him at the draft? Where is his trade value at? Been a hop topic of discussion for a while now.

      I think the Rangers should take the early 3rd round pick they have and package it to move up to get another pick in the second round, I think they should do the same with the late 2nd they have.

      Guys Id target in the late 1st and 2nd round: Wyatt Cullen, Jack Hextall, Tommy Bleyl (if they dont draft Reid or Verhoeff) and Lavr Galishov.

    • #70990
      slimtj
      Blocked

      Top 5:

      McKenna
      Stenburg
      Reid
      Verhoeff
      Smits

      Late 1st/Rd2/rest of the draft:

      It would take some maneuvering around, but I’d try to get both Ruck brothers. Something like 220 pts this season combined is nothing to dismiss. If not Wyatt Cullen is a great pick with the Canes 1st rder. After that the focus needs to be at center. They seem to have a decent pipeline of D and wingers

      If they trade the canes pick, and if they don’t get McKenna or Stenburg:

      Plan A.. Throw this deal at Vegas-
      Emery, Garand and the Canes 1st rder for Dorofeyev

      Plan B.. Brock Boeser for Schneider (assuming they’ve drafted Reid or Verhoeff). Could be Morrow and the second rder instead i suppose

      Plan C.. whoever. They need a top 6 winger to be serious playoff contenders

      I would, for now, keep Trocheck. Rangers SHOULD be in the mix for the playoffs next season. If they aren’t, reevaluate Trocheck then and any others. I just think the sell off is over after Panarin, and now they have the identity they’ve wanted. North South, and no longer East West

      I really like the top line and bottom 6. Laf with mika and Perrault had some great chemistry, as did the kid 4th line. Miller and Kartye also. Keep Sheary around until Greentree could take that spot on RW. Trocheck with Cuylle and the new acquisition would round out the forwards

      D corp would be bolstered by the draft pick, otherwise it looked pretty good post Olympics. I’m not opposed to Fortesque playing a year in Hartford and getting someone as a placeholder (ie- like Soucy)

      Just trust the process fellas. Be patient. They’re on the right track. They’re BUILDING a team, rather than buying one with limited cap space. Game 82 they had 10 draft picks in the lineup, and they all contribute something

      • This reply was modified 3 weeks, 6 days ago by slimtj.
      • This reply was modified 3 weeks, 6 days ago by slimtj.
    • #71026
      aecliptic
      Participant

      Top 5:

      McKenna
      Stenburg
      Reid
      Verhoeff
      Smits

      Late 1st/Rd2/rest of the draft:

      It would take some maneuvering around, but I’d try to get both Ruck brothers. Something like 220 pts this season combined is nothing to dismiss. If not Wyatt Cullen is a great pick with the Canes 1st rder. After that the focus needs to be at center. They seem to have a decent pipeline of D and wingers

      If they trade the canes pick, and if they don’t get McKenna or Stenburg:

      Plan A.. Throw this deal at Vegas-
      Emery, Garand and the Canes 1st rder for Dorofeyev

      Plan B.. Brock Boeser for Schneider (assuming they’ve drafted Reid or Verhoeff). Could be Morrow and the second rder instead i suppose

      Plan C.. whoever. They need a top 6 winger to be serious playoff contenders

      I would, for now, keep Trocheck. Rangers SHOULD be in the mix for the playoffs next season. If they aren’t, reevaluate Trocheck then and any others. I just think the sell off is over after Panarin, and now they have the identity they’ve wanted. North South, and no longer East West

      I really like the top line and bottom 6. Laf with mika and Perrault had some great chemistry, as did the kid 4th line. Miller and Kartye also. Keep Sheary around until Greentree could take that spot on RW. Trocheck with Cuylle and the new acquisition would round out the forwards

      D corp would be bolstered by the draft pick, otherwise it looked pretty good post Olympics. I’m not opposed to Fortesque playing a year in Hartford and getting someone as a placeholder (ie- like Soucy)

      Just trust the process fellas. Be patient. They’re on the right track. They’re BUILDING a team, rather than buying one with limited cap space. Game 82 they had 10 draft picks in the lineup, and they all contribute something

      I dont want the Ruck brothers, matter of fact Im not a fan of most players from the WHL. Its the weakest league in the CHL, and have recently had a mass exodus of players to the NCAA.

      Cullen, Hextall and Galishov are my targets for late 1st, 2nd round players. It would be pretty cool if we somehow ended up with Reid, Klepov and Hextall as theyre all committed to Michigan State.

      The only way we should switch gears, and Ive seen some of the North American scouts talking about it, is if Stenberg drops to #3 because Reid has crept up the board. However, Id still try to stick with the MSU kids Klepov and Hextall, but Id also add Tommy Bleyl to that who is also a very talented, high IQ puck moving defenseman.

    • #71956
      meltingplastic
      Participant

      Crickets…

    • #72003
      nyrangers9479
      Participant

      TJ got the most recent forum locked and got banned. I’m all for having hockey talk again.

      Kreider, 5 pts in 6 games. 50 pt regular season.

      Definitely worth moving from pick 104 to 89 to get rid of him /sarcasm

      • #72005
        meltingplastic
        Participant

        TJ got the most recent forum locked and got banned. I’m all for having hockey talk again.

        Kreider, 5 pts in 6 games. 50 pt regular season.

        Definitely worth moving from pick 104 to 89 to get rid of him /sarcasm

        He was never the problem. And it’s such a shame he should have been a lifetime ranger

      • #72140
        aecliptic
        Participant

        TJ got the most recent forum locked and got banned. I’m all for having hockey talk again.

        Kreider, 5 pts in 6 games. 50 pt regular season.

        Definitely worth moving from pick 104 to 89 to get rid of him /sarcasm

        Were all in a discord, jump in there.

    • #72047
      nyrangers9479
      Participant

      Jed Ortmeyer gone

    • #72227
      nyrangers9479
      Participant

      TJ got the most recent forum locked and got banned. I’m all for having hockey talk again.

      Kreider, 5 pts in 6 games. 50 pt regular season.

      Definitely worth moving from pick 104 to 89 to get rid of him /sarcasm

      Were all in a discord, jump in there.

      How do I get in it

    • #72241
      airjan23
      Participant

      New forum column posted. Ping Pong Balls Revealed Tonight

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