Previewing the Rangers’ 2026-27 Defense and Goaltender Groups

If Fox can stay healthy, on top of the newcomers to the lineup, the power play will be a major beneficiary of it. He tallied five power-play goals last season and will certainly be relied on again on the top unit for the Rangers this season.

Marcus Pettersson

One of the newcomers to the defensive group for the Rangers this season will be a familiar name for head coach Mike Sullivan, as Marcus Pettersson was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on July 1. Pettersson played for Sullivan for parts of seven seasons in Pittsburgh and was one of the Penguins’ most consistent defensive defensemen in that span. He may not bring a ton of offense, but his defensive game is where the 30-year-old excels and will be a welcome addition to the backend of the ice for the Rangers.

Sean Durzi

Another offseason acquisition by general manager (GM) Chris Drury was Sean Durzi, who was part of the Vincent Trochek trade that sent the latter to the Utah Mammoth. Durzi will likely slide into the second pair alongside Pettersson, and their two games complement each other well, as Durzi plays more of an offensive game than Pettersson does. He is another player who has struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons, having played only 90 games in that span, but when healthy, he is a solid second-pair defenseman.

Matthew Robertson

The third pairing for the 2026-27 lineup is likely to come down to a couple of players battling it out for the final spot alongside Braden Schneider, but Matthew Robertson should have the inside track after playing 72 games at the NHL level last season. He played just shy of 17:30 of ice time per game last season (17:24) and would serve as a solid third-pair player again this season if he earns the spot.

Braden Schneider

Ever since being drafted in the first round of the 2020 Draft, there have been high hopes that Braden Schneider could become a top-four defenseman for the Rangers. He has not been able to establish himself in that role to this point and will likely be headed toward being a third-pair player this season.

He has been consistent in the lineup, missing only three games in the last four seasons, but seeing if he can finally take that next jump in becoming what the organization hoped he would be when they took him at #19 overall in 2020 is something to continue to watch for. He will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the season, so he will certainly be looking to make a statement that he should be part of the team’s future.

Goaltenders

Dylan Garand

Heading into the offseason, it seemed like the Rangers’ top goaltending prospect, Dylan Garand, would be getting a full-time shot at the NHL level for the 2026-27 season. The 24-year-old made his debut with the team last season and put up a 2-0-1 record with a .948 save percentage (SV%) and showed the promise to be a big part of the future. But Drury and the Rangers went out and brought in veteran netminder Joonas Korpisalo via a trade with the Boston Bruins, and the battle for the backup spot behind Igor Shesterkin will be one to watch during training camp and the preseason. If the young goaltender can beat out the veteran, Garand could end up being a big part of the team’s success this season.

Joonas Korpisalo

The aforementioned Korpisalo comes to the Rangers after a season in which he posted a 28-14-9 record with the Bruins and is entering the fourth season of his five-year contract. He has shown throughout his career that he is a solid backup and could be just that for the Rangers this season. If he beats out Garand for the backup spot, it does give the latter the opportunity to get even more seasoning and development in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Igor Shesterkin

While the record was not the best he has had in his career (25-19-6), Igor Shesterkin continued to show why he is one of the NHL’s best netminders. He put up his best goals-against average (GAA) numbers since he won the Vezina Trophy (NHL’s top goaltender) following the 2021-22 season, recording a 2.50 GAA. If he can stay healthy and with some work done with the team in front of him, Shesterkin could be in line for a big season for the Rangers, as he will once again be a major factor in the team’s success as they look to get out of the basement of the Metropolitan Division.

Final Word

After finishing last in the Metro in Mike Sullivan’s first year behind the bench, the Rangers have made moves and adjustments to the roster, both at the front and back ends of the ice, that could help position them in the middle of the division this season. There is still the chance that a prospect or two could end up pushing for a spot and adding more youth to the lineup, but as constructed now, there is plenty of reason to believe that this season will be more successful than last.