NY Rangers Surprisingly Drop in NHL Power Rankings

Oct 22, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan watches the play against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NY Rangers Surprisingly Drop in NHL Power Rankings

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Oct 23, 2026 8:00 PM ET

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The New York Rangers are off to a strong start to the season, and the team has to be thrilled with what they have been able to accomplish so far.

Coming off one of the worst seasons in the history of the franchise, the Rangers were hungry to improve this summer. While there was some debate about the direction that the team should go in, New York got aggressive this summer and made a lot of improvements.

There is certainly a risk with trading as many first-round picks over the next several years as they did, but there is no denying that this roster has some good talent now.

So far, while things have been much better for the Rangers, some of their moves really haven’t even panned out just yet. Pavel Dorofeyev has been playing some good hockey, but he has yet to produce at the same level as with the Vegas Golden Knights.

As a player that is coming off a 37-goal season, what the Rangers’ attack might look like when he gets going could be scary. However, while it’s still early, New York has proven already that they are a much better team this season.

Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash of ESPN recently released their power rankings for the NHL. For the Rangers, they saw a slip from fifth to seventh in the rankings.

Rangers Surprisingly Drop

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was a bit surprising to see New York drop a couple of spots, especially considering how well they have played so far this year. Overall, they have a 7-4-1 record and are a perfect 6-0 at home.

If there is an early-season struggle for the team, it is that they haven’t played their best on the road. This is a bit of a flip from last year, but the team is much better overall.

When looking at the overall standings in the NHL right now, the Rangers are right up there with the best of the best. With 15 points so far, they are behind only the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins in terms of points in the Eastern Conference.

Furthermore, in the Metropolitan Division, they are second behind just Carolina, who likely won’t be going anywhere.

While the Rangers will eventually feel the impact of losing Igor Shesterkin for the season, they have been able to perform pretty well without him so far. This is encouraging for the team, and credit has to go not only to Dylan Garand, who has stepped up, but also to the team.

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

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