NY Rangers Receive Brutal Playoff Prediction From NHL Fans

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

NY Rangers Receive Brutal Playoff Prediction From NHL Fans

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 6, 2026 5:30 PM ET

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It is hard to believe, given the current state of the New York Rangers, that it was only two years ago that the team was coming off a historic season.

During the 2023-24 campaign, they set franchise records for victories with 55 and points with 114, winning the Presidents’ Trophy. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the Florida Panthers in six games.

Disappointingly, things have gone downhill fast since that point. New York has missed the playoffs two years in a row, and the roster has been completely torn down by team president and general manager Chris Drury.

This offseason, the team made some major upgrades to the roster. Drury deserves credit for addressing many weaknesses, but NHL fans aren’t sold on the team being able to turn things around and make a playoff push.

NHL fans do not believe Rangers will make playoffs

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Over at The Athletic (subscription required), Harman Dayal shared results of the fan survey that covered several different topics. One of the questions asked which 2026 non-playoff team would make the postseason in 2027.

Shockingly, the Rangers didn’t make the cut. 14 different teams were mentioned, led by the Florida Panthers with 45% of the vote. The San Jose Sharks were at 20%, and the Washington Capitals reached 10% as the three teams to receive double-digit percentages of the votes.

But there is no confidence in the Blueshirts, who didn’t even qualify for the teams that received less than 2% of the vote. That goes to show just how far New York has fallen in such a short period of time.

Two years ago, it would have been hard to envision the Eastern Conference field not including them. They were at the top of the food chain, looking like a perennial contender with a few tweaks on the margins and development from younger players such as Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle.

New-look Rangers have some firepower to climb standings

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They are two of only six players who remain on the team from Game 6 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, along with goalie Igor Shesterkin , forward Mika Zibanejad and defensemen Adam Fox and Braden Schneider. Matt Rempe was on the team but not active for the game as No. 7.

There are a lot of new faces on the team, headlined by forward Pavel Dorofeyev and defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi. They will help address weaknesses, along with free agent signing Oliver Bjorkstrand.

However, hockey fans don’t think it will be enough to get them back into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, despite being part of a wide-open Metropolitan Division.

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

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