Can new-look Rangers make the playoffs?

New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury wasn’t kidding when he said he said he was retooling and not rebuilding his team.

The headline move is trading for and extending former Vegas winger Pavel Dodfeyev, but he’s also filled a series of needs. Alongside Dorofeyev, Drury added scoring depth with Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, as well as quality defensive depth in Sean Durzi, Marcus Pettersson and rookie Alberts Smits. He’s even added depth behind star goalie Igor Shesterkin in Joonas Korpisalo.

It tells a story that Taylor Raddysh received top line minutes for the Rangers last season. Now he’s on the waiver wire. On the blueline, Braden Schneider spent a considerable amount of last season on the top pairing a but is now in his natural third pairing role, while Matthew Robinson goes from playing 72 games to being perhaps the eighth D-man on the depth chart.

Throw in healthy and/or bounce-back seasons from JT Miller, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin, progression from Gabe Perreault and some long-awaited consistency from Alexis Lafreniere, and there is an understandable positivity surrounding the Blueshirts.

Will it be enough to get back into the playoffs?

The Rangers are coming from a long way back

New York finished last season at the foot of the Eastern Conference – and third last in the NHL – with 77 points. Artemi Panarin, traded mid-season, finished second on the squad in points with 57.

The Rangers should score more goals this season and their improved defensive depth, in particular the addition of Durzi, will see them be able to implement coach Mike Sullivan’s attack-from-the-back game plan far more competently. They should make a marked improvement from their last campaign. How much improvement will be enough, though?

Last season, the 95-point Washington Capitals missed out on the playoffs. It took 91 points to make the playoffs the two seasons prior. Let’s be conservative and say that New York would need a minimum of 90 points for a post-season berth.  Most betting sites have the Rangers over/under for the season at 86.5 to 88.5; they would have to outperform those prognostications to have even a sniff of playoff action.

Further complicating things, last season’s monopoly of the wild-card spots by the Atlantic Division is unlikely to change. The Buffalo Sabres are likely to regress from their shock 109-point season, though should still comfortably make the playoffs. Both Boston and Ottawa will probably fall away, too. That could be balanced by a rebounding Florida Panthers, goaltending situation notwithstanding. Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Florida and Montreal are likely Atlantic locks for the playoff; Ottawa and Boston in the mix for the other wild card.

The morass that is the Metro

In the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers will need to overtake at least four but likely five teams to make the playoffs. That’s a herculean task. Against low expectations, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia had superb campaigns last time out. They could both slip a little, but finished 21 points ahead of the Rangers last season. Washington is expected to rebound from a poor season and make the playoffs with the addition of Alex Tuch.

Worryingly for the Rangers, local rivals New Jersey and the New York Islanders – neither qualified for the dance last season - are both expected to make marked improvements. The Devils might miss Jacob Markstrom in goal, but they’ve added Luke Evangalista and Anthony Mantha up front. New coach Peter DeBoer will surely tighten a leaky Islanders defense. The addition of Matias Maccelli will add middle-six scoring depth while their raft of youngsters should continue to improve.

Reigning Stanley Cup champions Carolina will likely make the playoffs, as will the Capitals. That leaves the other six teams in the division fighting it out for one or two playoff spots. That’s makes for an awfully murky situation for the Rangers.

The Hurricanes were the only elite team in last seasons Metro, while the Rangers were the only genuinely poor side. The Rangers will likely climb into that quagmire of middle rung teams in the division, but will it be enough to scramble into a playoff spot?

Sadly, for Blueshirt fans, it’s unlikely.