Some plays on Broadway have happy endings, but folks come to Madison Square Garden’s long-running show to experience tragedy: where high expectations fall short.
Hiring two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Sullivan and naming J.T. Miller captain did not make for magic when the Rangers were mired by distractions for the second straight year.
General Manager Chris Drury — the Shakespearean playwright — tried to outrun the downward spiral by selling off the roster that won the Presidents’ Trophy only three seasons ago on the fly.
The dysfunction proved to be deeper, prompting the second rebuild (or “retooling!”) in eight years.
Drury led an aggressive offseason, and while it has given the Rangers a new fabric to work with, oddsmakers aren’t buying the team’s same old quick-turnaround narrative.
The Blueshirts head into 2026-27 priced at plus-money to make the playoffs, with odds of 30/1 to win the Eastern Conference and 60/1 for the Stanley Cup.
Finding the net proved an embarrassing deficiency last season — especially when the Rangers were shut out their first three home games.
Mika Zibanejad was just about the only bright spot throughout last season, finishing as almost a point-per-game player.
With perennial point producers Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck no longer around, Drury acquired Pavel Dorofeyev at the NHL Draft to emulate the scoring touch that Panarin took with him.
The 25-year-old Russian winger finished fourth in scoring on a Vegas team that reached the Cup Finals and adds versatility on both sides of the ice.
2026-27 Rangers season preview, odds, best bet
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Stanley Cup odds | 60/1 |
| Eastern Conference odds | 30/1 |
| Metropolitan Division odds | 25/1 |
| Make playoffs (Yes/No) | +196/-260 |
| Over/Under | 86.5 points |
Complimentary wingers Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand also joined the fold to brace the Rangers’ secondary scoring.
Blue line depth was the next dilemma, so defenseman Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson have joined the fold as a fresh second pairing with more puck-moving ability and defensive conscience.
At the very least, these new-look Rangers are in the wild-card mix, even though banking on more forward steps from Alexis Lafreniere and a breakout campaign from youngster Gabe Perreault are big “ifs.”
Best bet(s): Igor Shesterkin to win the Vezina Trophy (9/1) | Adam Fox to win the Norris Trophy (25/1, FanDuel)
The Rangers’ fate has always relied on the franchise backbone: Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox, who missed a combined total of 42 games last year.
The former Vezina and Norris winners will need healthy seasons to bring the Rangers back to serious grounds after posting elite numbers in their limited play last year.
Fox posted 53 points in 55 games while controlling a team-best 58.63 percent of the expected goals at 5-on-5.
His Olympic snub last year changed the public perception of where he stands next to other elites like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, leaving him priced as a 25/1 long shot for the Norris.
While he doesn’t show the same flash with the puck as those players, it’s his methodical approach to the game that keeps him one step ahead of everyone on the ice most forget.
Through all the noise last season, Fox finished at No. 14 overall in expected goals against per 60 (2.33) among defensemen who played at least 400 minutes.
Shesterkin’s modest 25-19-6 record was complemented by a .912 save percentage and 2.50 goals-against average.
His underlying numbers were even stronger, as his 0.45 goals saved above average per 60 minutes ranked fifth among the 71 goalies who played at least 10 full games and second among those who appeared in 50 or more.
Betting on the NHL?
When he’s healthy, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pundit who doesn’t consider him in the NHL’s top tier.
Still in his prime and at 9/1 odds for the Vezina with improvements in front of him, he’s a nest egg investment with much still left to prove.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
