No matter how you look at it, the 2025-26 season was a complete disaster for the New York Rangers. The team finished dead last in the Eastern Conference and 30th overall in the NHL with a disappointing 34-39-9 record. Their 77 points marked the franchise's worst performance in a non-shortened season since 2017-18, when they also managed just 77 points.
The struggles started early and never let up. The Rangers opened the season with an 0-6-1 record at Madison Square Garden, getting shut out in five of those first seven home games. By season's end, they had only 14 home wins—the fewest in a full 82-game campaign since 2003-04, when they won just 13 times at MSG.
What makes this season even more painful is that it marked the second straight year the Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a stunning collapse in 2024-25, the team was supposed to bounce back. Instead, they took a step backward, leaving fans and analysts alike searching for answers.
Let's start our end-of-season report cards at the very top of the organization, where the decisions that shaped this roster were made. We're handing out grades to General Manager Chris Drury and Head Coach Mike Sullivan.
Drury made headlines by dismantling the core of a Rangers team that was just two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2024. His goal was clear: create salary-cap space and reshape a roster he believed lacked the mental and physical toughness needed to win a championship. But the execution fell short. Drury failed to adequately backfill the roster, and the Rangers paid the price all season long.
The team simply didn't have enough talent at the NHL level, and their prospect pool was alarmingly thin. The Rangers averaged just 2.87 goals per game, ranking 23rd in the league—a significant drop from the previous season when they scored 3.11 goals per game and ranked 12th. They were shut out 10 times and struggled mightily at even strength, getting outscored 190-175. There was a clear lack of skill and production from the roster Drury assembled.
The depth issues became painfully obvious when injuries struck. In January, both No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin and top defenseman Adam Fox suffered lower-body injuries in the same game, sidelining them until after the Olympic break in February. Without them, the Rangers lost 11 of 13 games, effectively ending any hope of a playoff push.
While Drury's roster construction left much to be desired, Coach Mike Sullivan managed to keep the team competitive on many nights, earning him a slightly higher grade. But the bottom line remains: this was a season to forget for the Blueshirts.