Mike Sullivan Needs To Help NY Rangers Find Cohesion

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike Sullivan Needs To Help NY Rangers Find Cohesion

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 16, 2026 6:00 AM ET

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After missing the playoffs in 2025, the New York Rangers made a big move, hiring Mike Sullivan to take over as head coach after Peter Laviolette was fired after two seasons with the club.

Expectations were high, with the Rangers hoping to be right back in the mix in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, that didn’t occur, as New York took a step back in the first season under Sullivan.

After recording 85 points in the 2024-25 campaign, the team finished in last place this past season, with only 77 points. While Sullivan wasn’t who fans blamed for the team’s lack of success, with more vitriol being shown toward president and general manager Chris Drury, patience won’t last forever.

How can the team find more success under Sullivan in Year 2 as head coach? He needs to find a way to help his players develop better chemistry and cohesion on the ice, in the opinion of a scout who spoke to Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required).

Rangers need better cohesion and chemistry

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“Scout 1 believes the team must find more on-ice cohesion than it had in 2025-26 — “It just seemed like not everybody was on the same page,” he said — and added it needs more production from players such as Lafrenière and Miller,” they wrote.

Some of the onus does fall on the players to perform at a higher level. But if the game plan that is being developed isn’t one that makes the most of their skill sets, things aren’t going to work out.

New York did labor through the 2025-26 campaign at points with key members of the team sidelined. Goalie Igor Shesterkin, defenseman Adam Fox and centers J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck all had injuries that kept them out of the lineup for extended periods of time.

That is a lot of talent for a team to be without, and certainly contributed to the lack of cohesion the scout referenced. When players are in and out of the lineup, roles change and sometimes things fall apart, such as the blueline production without Fox.

Better talent can help Rangers along with cohesion

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Improving the overall depth and talent on the roster, which Drury has done this summer, will certainly help compensate for some of those shortcomings. However, there are a lot of new faces on the roster, which will make training camp all the more important.

Sullivan will use that time to implement his system, hoping guys develop better chemistry and cohesion this time around. But he needs to be willing to adjust to the players he has on the roster.

There is a lot of talent on the roster; now it is a matter of putting players in the best positions to succeed and produce.

This article first appeared on New York Rangers On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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