With training camps just around the corner, it's time to take a look at where things are at heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Over the next two weeks, I'll give a snapshot of each team, including all the major offseason moves and the fantasy impacts that come with them. Roster information and projections are subject to change as more players sign professional tryouts or full contracts closer to camp.
First up is the Metropolitan Division, home of the defending champions.
Metropolitan Division 2026-27 Preview: Fantasy Hockey Outlook for Every Team
Carolina Hurricanes
After years of being a regular-season juggernaut, the Hurricanes finally got over the hump in the playoffs. Sure, it was a strange year around the league, but that opened the door for head coach Rod Brind'Amour's group, and they walked through it. Don't expect much to change now -- they've had a taste of winning and undergone very little NHL-level churn. They'll be tested early on, but this team thrives on elite puck possession, which makes the title they won feel like destiny more than luck.
What keeps Carolina best positioned for success is how the team is almost running back the same NHL roster. The only major departures of the offseason were Frederik Andersen to Edmonton and Mike Reilly, who remains unsigned. That's not a big deal for a team that carried three goalies at times in 2025-26. Ryan Suzuki and Domenick Fensore also headlined the AHL-level departures. With few holes to fill, the Hurricanes made no clear-cut additions to the NHL roster, though re-signing Juuso Valimaki will help cover Reilly's exit. Nicolas Deslauriers (extension) and Zach Sawchenko (free agent) are also in the fold to fill out the depth.
While the team is mostly intact, there are a couple of lingering injuries. Eric Robinson (knee) should be ready for the start of the season, but Seth Jarvis (shoulder) won't be back before late October at best. Even with Jarvis out, the Hurricanes boast a tough top-six to stack up against, headlined by Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers. The young duo of Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake also saw their stocks rise in the playoffs, while Taylor Hall turned back time in a top-six role as a complementary forward. There's also captain Jordan Staal, William Carrier, Deslauriers, Jordan Martinook, Mark Jankowski and Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the mix for bottom-six jobs. Charlie Cerrato, Felix Unger Sorum, Bradly Nadeau and unsigned restricted free agent Justin Robidas are all top candidates for a spot to start the year while Jarvis is on the shelf. Overall, the forward group has clearly defined roles, and it will be tough for any young players to break in initially, though development at AHL Chicago has gone well over the years. Target this top-six group heavily in fantasy.
Defensively, the lone question mark is Alexander Nikishin, who is also an unsigned RFA. Luckily, the Hurricanes have all of Jaccob Slavin, Sean Walker, Jalen Chatfield, K'Andre Miller and Shayne Gostisbehere returning, as well as Valimaki as a fill-in on the third pairing if Nikishin remains unsigned closer to the start of the campaign. Joel Nystrom and Charles-Alexis Legault saw some time in 2025-26 and could also fill in, though both are waiver-exempt. Gostisbehere has the highest fantasy upside due to his power-play usage, though Nikishin and Miller are better all-around options in their roles. In goal, Brandon Bussi went from waiver claim to indispensable last year. He faded late in the regular season but came up big in the Stanley Cup Finals. He'll be paired with Pyotr Kochetkov, who suffered a long-term hip injury in December and didn't play after that. Sawchenko and unsigned RFA Cayden Primeau provide some extra depth in goal, but expect Bussi and Kochetkov's workload to be divided by a hot-hand approach when both are healthy. If there's one big risk of regression on the Carolina roster, it'll be in goal.
Even with some early challenges on the horizon, the Hurricanes are an elite team with an elite system. The talent doesn't necessarily account for all of that; there's some synergy involved. However, it's tough to repeat. The short offseason could mean a slightly weaker launch out of the gate, but it's fully expected this will be a title-contending team once again.
Washington Capitals
From overachievers in 2024-25 to a narrow playoff miss in 2025-26, the Capitals have seen a wide range of outcomes lately. The team committed years ago to no rebuild during the Alex Ovechkin era, and they've backed that up with active offseasons to retool the roster for now and the future. This offseason was arguably some of general manager Chris Patrick's best work, putting his team in a position to stand out in 2026-27.
The trade market was the big area of activity for the Capitals. They shipped Connor McMichael and prospect Milton Gastrin to the Blues for Jordan Kyrou and then added Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade while dumping David Kampf and a third-round pick to the Sabres. Hendrix Lapierre (Penguins) and Declan Chisholm (Devils) were dealt around the draft, and the Capitals also let Brandon Duhaime (Maple Leafs) and Trevor van Riemsdyk (Penguins) walk in free agency. Replenishing the lineup, Washington signed forwards Boone Jenner, Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Dunne and defensemen Justin Holl and Vincent Desharnais on July 1 before putting pen to paper with Ovechkin on a bonus-laden one-year deal to come back for his 22nd season. Defenseman Jacob MacDonald was brought in for defensive depth, and goalie Cal Petersen will attend camp on a tryout.
Obviously, the remodeled forward group is the headline for the Capitals. Adding wingers at the caliber of Kyrou and Tuch to a group with Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas and Ryan Leonard makes this a team that can comfortably roll three lines at a minimum. The center depth is strong too, with Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois at the top and rookie Ilya Protas and Justin Sourdif to round out the depth. Sourdif in particular was a standout in 2025-26 after coming into the year as a bit of an unknown, filling a middle-six role admirably. Jenner and Anthony Beauvillier can play up the lineup as necessary, while prospects like Ivan Miroshnichenko and Andrew Cristall will push new and returning veterans like Dunne, Brodzinski and Ethen Frank for the last spots on the Opening Night roster. Expect deep competition in camp, especially when it comes to which wingers will shake out in the top six. That said, fantasy managers will still likely have room for players like Wilson and both Protas brothers if their production warrants it, even if that comes from the third line.
The blue line will see a little turnover after John Carlson's surprising trade-deadline departure last year. This is Jakob Chychrun's defense group to begin 2026-27, but it may not be long before Cole Hutson is getting top billing. Matt Roy, Martin Fehervary, Timothy Liljegren and Dylan McIlrath are all returning, while Holl and Desharnais add some toughness in competition for a bottom-pairing role. One notable player who won't start the year healthy is Rasmus Sandin (knee) -- he's recovering from ACL surgery. A best-case scenario would have him back in late October, but the Capitals' aggressive additions on the blue line indicate Sandin isn't likely to return until the middle part of the campaign. Overall, it's still a formidable set of blueliners in front of the goaltending duo of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren. Thompson proved that his 2024-25 campaign was no fluke, thriving in more of a true starting role in 2025-26. Lindgren wasn't able to do the same, and he ended the campaign on the shelf due to an upper-body injury. If injuries arise, the Capitals will have to hope they still have Clay Stevenson available -- the 27-year-old is widely viewed as NHL-ready but hasn't seen a spot open up for him. He'll need to pass through waivers to get to AHL Hershey in his last year before unrestricted free agency. Mitchell Gibson and Petersen (assuming he gets a contract) represent the rest of the goaltending depth, but Thompson is a clear-cut starter and fantasy No. 1 heading into the year.
Normally, swinging between extremes would suggest that a team will eventually find the middle ground. Don't count on that with the Capitals. A big offseason looks ready to lead to big results, but an underwhelming campaign could lead to a significant shake-up. They should make the playoffs with all the talent on the roster, but the big moves will require chemistry to be found in training camp and into October.
New York Islanders
Getting the No. 1 pick last year proved crucial for the Islanders' long-term fortunes. It didn't lead to a playoff spot, but Matthew Schaefer showed that he could be truly special in the long run. That has turned things from a potential rebuild into more of a retooling situation, though there are some players getting long in the tooth still on the roster.
The Islanders saw their captain walk in free agency, as Anders Lee went to the Mammoth. Also departing were Carson Soucy (unsigned), David Rittich (Devils), Adam Boqvist (unsigned), Marc Gatcomb (Golden Knights) and Max Shabanov (Wild). The Islanders signed wingers Matias Maccelli and Mitchell Chaffee, defenseman Matt Kessel and goaltender Vitek Vanecek to fill the holes. However, this is less about signings and more about injury returns and a potential rookie debut that could take the team to the next level.
Up front, the Islanders still boast a decent one-two punch down the middle with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, though the latter played on the wing at times in 2025-26. Brayden Schenn can also play center if necessary, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau appears to be locked in as the third-line pivot again. There's a lot to sort out with line combinations based on the flexibility in the top six, but pencil in significant roles for Simon Holmstrom and Kyle Palmieri (knee), who will be ready for the start of the season after a long-term absence. Calum Ritchie is also an option at center or on the wing in a middle-six capacity. Maccelli and Emil Heineman should see similar usage, and they look like a great combination of wingers -- Maccelli's a playmaker, while Heineman showed off as a finisher in a 22-goal, 31-point effort last year. Rounding out the depth, there's Casey Cizikas, Ondrej Palat, Anthony Duclair, Kyle MacLean, Pierre Engvall and Chaffee, who will likely be competing for no more than three spots. That could be whittled down to two spots if rookie Victor Eklund is ready to stick in the NHL after coming over from the SHL in the spring. As a European player, Eklund could be assigned to the AHL, but he'll be given every chance to skip the minor leagues. Eklund's a name dynasty managers should already be familiar with, but if he works into the top six, he'll garner redraft attention too. Fantasy managers won't be dipping into this forward group often in the early rounds, but there's a lot of quality depth options available on a team that continues to show a workmanlike style on the ice.
Defensively, Schaefer is the star of the show. He's arguably already a top-10 NHL defender, and anyone holding out on committing to that will probably change their tune by the end of this campaign. Expect him to eat big minutes in all situations this year as he tries to build on a 59-point rookie year. The rest of the blue line should fill out with Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov playing significant roles with a physical edge, leading to some all-around fantasy utility, while Tony DeAngelo provides a scoring punch for the second power-play unit. Scott Mayfield is nominally the sixth defenseman, though he could be challenged by Kessel, Isaiah George or Ethan Bear. Kessel and Bear could fill the seventh defenseman role, while George is more likely to develop at AHL Hamilton. The crease still belongs to Ilya Sorokin, who will function as a clear starter when healthy. The big question mark is whether Semyon Varlamov (knee) will be able to handle the backup workload after 22 months on the shelf. The addition of Vanecek could lead to the Islanders carrying three goalies early on, though Varlamov could go on injured reserve if he's not quite ready at the start of the year. Either way, Sorokin's the only goalie most fantasy managers will need to roster from the Islanders.
Call me optimistic, but I think the Islanders take a step this year. The forward depth is steady, albeit unimpressive and trending a little too old. The defense looks sturdy, and Schaefer's poise and skill should help him avoid the sophomore slump. Sorokin's a star in goal when the team in front of him does its job. This isn't the best team to mine for fantasy value, but they've got a lot of players who can help you as waiver-wire options throughout the year.
New Jersey Devils
There are two narratives that are getting hard to ignore for the Devils. One is performance -- a team this talented shouldn't struggle to live up to expectations. The other is fragility, and that's not going away after key players missed large chunks of the 2025-26 campaign. This could be a key year for the core as it's currently constructed, though none of the core players are approaching free agency next summer.
The biggest move of the offseason saw a temporary solution to the defensive logjam, as the Devils dealt blueliner Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov to the Flames for Etienne Morin and three picks. Declan Chisholm was brought in to replenish the defensive depth in a trade with the Capitals, but he's more suited to sitting in the press box when the team is healthy. Departing in free agency were Evgenii Dadonov (unsigned), Zack MacEwen (Toronto), Dennis Cholowski (Rangers) and Paul Cotter (Canucks). The Devils also dealt away Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank to the Panthers in exchange for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves. Free agency was relatively quiet on the additions front, with just Vladislav Kolyachonok and Riley Tufte joining the fold early on. Anthony Mantha signed in mid-July and the Devils acquired Luke Evangelista in a September trade to bolster the wing depth, though the five-year extension for Nico Hischier was arguably the best bit of business done by new general manager Sunny Mehta.
Up front, the top six is mostly settled. Jack Hughes and Hischier will work down the middle with some combination of Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt on the wings. Evangelista and Dawson Mercer look to have the advantage for now to get top-six minutes, though Mercer can move to third-line center when necessary. All six of those forwards have decent fantasy potential, with the first four being clear early-round picks. Rodrigues (broken finger), Arseny Gritsyuk (upper body) and Stefan Noesen (knee surgery) should all be bottom-six regulars when healthy. Mantha and Connor Brown will also be locks to be in the lineup, leaving tight space to work with for Cody Glass, Nick Bjugstad, Boqvist, Tufte and Lenni Hameenaho. Tufte and Hameenaho are the most likely to head to the AHL, and Boqvist could as well depending on how the Devils build their Opening Night roster.
Despite trade rumors, Dougie Hamilton is still around to lead the blue line. Chisholm and Kolyachonok are the only newcomers, and they'll likely see depth roles behind Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and Johnny Kovacevic. Both Jonas Siegenthaler (undisclosed) and Luke Hughes (undisclosed surgery) were banged up at the end of last year, which could lead to them being eased in during training camp. Hughes' injury woes in particular have mounted quickly in his young career, but there's been no word if his surgery was related to previous shoulder injuries. New Jersey's top six on the blue line is clear when all are healthy, but the depth isn't great, aside from Seamus Casey potentially getting a call-up. The defense will need to do well to keep the puck away from the net, as it's going to be tough to rely on positive results from the trio of Jake Allen, Rittich and Nico Daws. The 36-year-old Allen is the starter, as he has four years left on his contract, but the backup job should be an open competition in camp. Rittich has an advantage with experience compared to Daws, and if the Devils carry only two goalies, the backup should get a decent chunk of playing time.
Pivotal doesn't begin to cover what kind of year the Devils are facing. Having Mehta relatively new to the general manager's seat means he'll be taking a critical look at all parts of the roster, and with an analytics tilt. Making the playoffs would be a bare-minimum expectation -- and if that doesn't happen, an overhaul will likely follow.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins surprised a lot of people by making the playoffs in 2025-26. As a team, it took a full-roster effort to make it happen, with the defensive depth and fourth line shining through. That speaks to good roster building, but general manager Kyle Dubas oversaw a lot of changes ahead of 2026-27, which could make it difficult to recapture the magic from last year.
The depth was overhauled this offseason, with Kevin Hayes (KHL), Anthony Mantha (Devils), Noel Acciari (Flyers), Connor Clifton (Bruins), Ryan Shea (Oilers), Stuart Skinner (Jets), Jack St. Ivany (Jets) and Parker Wotherspoon (Golden Knights) all on the way out. St. Ivany and Wotherspoon were from trades, which netted David Gustafsson and Kaedan Korczak, and another deal saw Hendrix Lapierre acquired from the Capitals. The remodeling continued in free agency with the signings of wingers Nicholas Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko and defensemen Declan Carlile and Trevor van Riemsdyk. New deals for Evgeni Malkin, Egor Chinakhov, Arturs Silovs, Thomas Novak and Ville Koivunen also helped solidify the roster heading into the year.
This is still Sidney Crosby's team up front, with longtime linemate Bryan Rust by his side. Rickard Rakell is also still around for top-six duties. The biggest competition going into camp comes down to Novak or Ben Kindel as the second-line center. Kindel authored a 35-point rookie year over 77 regular-season appearances while averaging 15:04 of ice time. He's already working in all situations, and he has a high ceiling, so expect him to be a breakout player in fantasy this year if he secures a second-line job. Malkin, Chinakhov and Kuzmenko should be middle-six locks, with the last spot on the third line likely to come down to Robertson or Koivunen, with the latter's eight-year contract making him the favorite. The forward lineup will be rounded out with some combination of Blake Lizotte, Connor Dewar, Justin Brazeau, Hendrix Lapierre and Elmer Soderblom. Barring injuries in camp, the competition for depth jobs will likely be significant -- expect at least two tough cuts to be made that could lead to waiver activity.
Defensively, there are a lot of question marks. Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang are the only locks, and they'll see most of the power-play time. Samuel Girard's spot should also be safe, though his production is questionable. Ilya Solovyov and Ryan Graves also return from last year, but they could get pushed aside by the acquisitions of van Riemsdyk, Carlile and Korczak. Of the depth options, Korczak is the most intriguing -- he was buried on the depth chart in Vegas before the trade, and he showed some decent physicality with enough offense to hang onto a third-pairing job. Caleb Jones (shoulder) is still recovering from his April surgery, though his injury-plagued campaign and a 20-game suspension for violating the league's Performance Enhancing Substances program may have soured his future with the organization. Dubas showed an ability to uncover diamonds in the rough on the blue line last year, but this defense still has questions to answer. That will make it somewhat tough to trust the goaltending group as well. Arturs Silovs comes in with the most experience, but that amounts to 58 regular-season games in the NHL. Joel Blomqvist (15 NHL games) is in contention for the backup job, but a strong camp could see Sergei Murashov (five NHL games) leapfrog both other netminders into the starting job. Murashov is the goalie of the future for the Penguins -- it's just a question of when the future begins. He's worth a flier in the late rounds of redraft leagues, but there's some risk involved in taking a netminder who still has to prove himself.
The Metropolitan was not a great division last year, and that may have inflated the Penguins a bit more than playing in a tougher division. With an old core and patchwork depth, there is some notable regression risk in all areas, which combines with some roster turnover that could lead to chemistry issues early on. The top players (Crosby, Rust, Rakell, Malkin, Karlsson) are all worth rostering in fantasy, but managers can take the first few weeks of the season to see if anyone else steps up into prominent production.
Philadelphia Flyers
It's been the art of the slow build for the Flyers. They tried to put a little nitrous in the engine with an offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, but the Ducks matched it. The big swing missed, so it'll be up to younger players to provide internal growth for the Flyers in 2026-27, all while the veterans continue to give the team a steady floor that led to a playoff spot last year.
General manager Daniel Briere got the offseason off to a hot start, turning Samuel Ersson and Emil Andrae into Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit, which should provide stability in the crease and in the defensive zone. Garnet Hathaway was traded to the Panthers for picks at the draft as well. Heading into free agency, Carl Grundstrom was re-signed and Dan Vladar and Tyson Foerster were extended, while Luke Glendening (unsigned), Garrett Wilson (unsigned), Rodrigo Abols (Switzerland) and Noah Juulsen (Avalanche) all walked. There was no big-game hunting in free agency -- the Flyers added depth forwards in Noel Acciari, Zach Aston-Reese and Jack Studnicka to compete for NHL jobs. Further housekeeping in the summer saw Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale ink four-year deals, locking in two core pieces.
All eyes this year will be on Matvei Michkov, who was humbled by the sophomore slump even after getting out of the infamous John Tortorella doghouse from 2024-25. Rick Tocchet proved just as tough, but Michkov has the talent to be a superstar if the details fall into place. Porter Martone and Denver Barkey could also get looks as rookies this year as the Flyers continue a methodical integration of prospects. Foerster, Zegras and Travis Konecny remain the most reliable options on the roster, and add Owen Tippett (abdomen) to that list if he is healthy as expected for the start of 2026-27. Center depth is still a concern, though last year's performances from Christian Dvorak and Noah Cates led to some optimism that those two can be enough for now. Both had career years, which invites a little regression risk, though they'll still be depth options in fantasy. Acciari and Sean Couturier should handle steady work in the bottom six, with Grundstrom, Aston-Reese, Studnicka and Nikita Grebenkin also in the mix there. Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko could further crowd that competition, but both would likely benefit from time in the AHL, as would Barkey if he struggles early in the year.
On the blue line, the Flyers have foundational pieces in place with Drysdale, Cam York and Travis Sanheim, all of whom have at least some fantasy potential this year. Rasmus Ristolainen leads the way for the last spot in the top four, but his name has long been in trade rumors, and that could continue in 2026-27. Nick Seeler and Benoit will compete for the tough-guy spot on the third pairing, while David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk are younger options that could make things interesting. A strong camp by one or both of those young blueliners would make Ristolainen expendable. The Flyers' rebuild has been calculated, so don't expect a rushed move, but the young guys are worth keeping an eye on. A five-year extension for Vladar is a bet that he'll be as impressive as he was last year, but the Flyers won't be caught off guard if he falls short, as Woll is coming off a down year but has shown plenty of ability in the past. As long as both stay healthy, they'll share the workload in goal -- expect a 60-40 split favoring Vladar if both play at last year's level.
I'm not fully sold on the Flyers yet, but they're clearly on the rise. They'll be a fringe playoff team this year -- I just don't see their ceiling being as high as other teams in the division. Within a couple of years, this will be a good and young team brimming with talent and potential. Making the playoffs in consecutive years would be great, as it could be a while before they slip out of the picture again.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Faced with a potential franchise-altering move, the Blue Jackets ultimately didn't get a deal done to trade away Zach Werenski. The cornerstone defenseman then reiterated his commitment to the team despite previous reports indicating his desire for a change of scenery. Entering their 26th season as a franchise, the Blue Jackets still aren't a destination for players. There's young talent in place, but keeping the band together may be an even bigger challenge than finding success on the ice.
The offseason began with a big acquisition, as the Blue Jackets received Valeri Nichushkin (lower body) in a trade with the Avalanche for three picks. While functionally a salary dump, it's still a move that could make waves in the top six. Boone Jenner (Capitals), Mason Marchment (Sharks), Zach Aston-Reese (Flyers), Egor Zamula (unsigned) and Brendan Smith (knee, unsigned) all went to free agency, while Erik Gudbranson and Danton Heinen were allowed to test the market but came back to Columbus. With a strong prospect pipeline in place, the only additions to the NHL roster were Pheonix Copley and Ryan Lomberg, while Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger got three-year extensions. Overall, the Blue Jackets mostly made lateral moves while returning largely the same team they had on the ice for most of last year. There are a few lingering injury concerns that will make things interesting early in 2026-27.
Between Nichushkin and last year's trade-deadline addition in Conor Garland, the Blue Jackets have made an effort to get more bona fide top-six help. Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Sillinger and Charlie Coyle should also get top-six chances, while Dmitri Voronkov (hand), Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson could mix into those roles if the chemistry is off to begin the season. They have a lot of players capable of a 40-to-60-point level of production, so it'll come down to who gets the most ice time, particularly on the power play, to determine fantasy value. Those battles for ice time could linger well into the season, barring any trades. In depth roles, Lomberg joins fellow tough guys Miles Wood and Mathieu Olivier. Mikael Pyyhtia and Heinen will also compete for bottom-six usage in the absence of Isac Lundestrom (Achilles), who will miss nearly a quarter of the campaign after offseason surgery. He'll be a candidate for the fourth line when he returns. In addition to the veterans, the Blue Jackets could give Luca Del Bel Belluz or Jordan Dumais a look if they want to inject some youth into the forward lines.
With Werenski looking likely to stay for at least this season, the Blue Jackets will have a Norris Trophy-caliber blueliner leading the defense. Ivan Provorov is also around as a defensive stalwart who can help in the physical categories in fantasy. Beyond that, there's Dante Fabbro, Denton Mateychuk, Gudbranson and Jake Christiansen. Colton White was also signed to bolster the defensive depth, but he may play in the AHL. Damon Severson ended 2025-26 with shoulder surgery, and it's not yet clear if he'll be ready for Opening Night, but he's not expected to take too long if he's not 100 percent in camp. Mateychuk is likely the best bet for fantasy managers looking for a late-round dart throw. Rounding out the injury concerns, there's Elvis Merzlikins, who underwent shoulder surgery in August and is out indefinitely. While he doesn't have to worry about regaining shot strength in his recovery, Merzlikins could still be out for half of the season or more if things progress slowly. That will leave the crease to Greaves and Copley. Greaves has already been pushing for a starting role, and he'll get the chance to run with it early. Consider him a No. 2 in fantasy for now, with the chance to be a low-end No. 1 if he continues to impress.
In a rising cap world, it becomes harder for small-market teams to compete as there's less pressure on the high-profile teams when it comes to finances. The Blue Jackets need to change the narrative around their franchise, and that will only come with winning. That being said, while there's some talent in some places, there's not enough for them to be anything more than a bubble team in 2026-27.
New York Rangers
Whether it's a true rebuild or an on-the-fly retooling, the future is still a work in progress for the Rangers. That didn't stop general manager Chris Drury from taking a big swing, as he's likely feeling the heat on his seat after a couple of years of steep decline. With as many as 13 NHL-level players facing some kind of free agency next summer, this will be a big prove-it year for both individuals and the club as a whole.
One of the biggest splashes of the offseason came on Night One of the draft, when the Rangers scooped up pending restricted free agent Pavel Dorofeyev for three picks before signing him to a seven-year, $77 million contract. That deal essentially makes him the Artemi Panarin replacement. The Rangers let Jonny Brodzinski (Capitals) and Conor Sheary (Sabres) go in free agency. Drury went to work on the trade market, acquiring Joonas Korpisalo, Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin and Marcus Pettersson while dealing Will Borgen, Vincent Trocheck and some picks and prospects away in four separate trades July 1. Signings included Joe Veleno, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Dennis Cholowski, and further contracts saw No. 5 overall pick Alberts Smits get his entry-level deal while Braden Schneider, Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio also got new contracts. The Rangers made one more splash in September, signing Eeli Tolvanen after his long stay on the open market.
With all of those moves, expect a much different look for the Rangers in 2026-27. Still around are centers Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, who will facilitate on offense from top-six roles. Expect Dorofeyev, Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault to be locks for wing spots alongside them, while Tolvanen, Bjorkstrand and Will Cuylle will compete for top-six minutes but could end up on the third line. That's a talented group who can fill the net on the power play, with Perreault in particular carrying breakout potential while Cuylle and Tolvanen can be all-around depth options for fantasy. Noah Laba was a surprise success on the third line last year and should reprise that role, while Veleno is suited for the fourth line. Tye Kartye and Taylor Raddysh are fourth-line veterans, but they'll be pushed by Jaroslav Chmelar, Adam Sykora and Matt Rempe (thumb) for the last few spots. While the Rangers have a quartet of notable forward prospects (Liam Greentree, Nathan Aspinall, Jacob Battaglia and Beaudoin) all at 20 years old, those players will likely be sheltered from a potential rebuilding year by playing in the AHL instead.
The defense will need a healthier season from Adam Fox, who was limited to 53 points in a career-low 55 games in 2025-26. In his absence, Vladislav Gavrikov shined and could still see power-play time on the second unit, though the newcomer Durzi also has experience in that role. Schneider and Pettersson should be steady defensive presences, while the last spot on the blue line comes down to a crowded competition. Matthew Robertson and Urho Vaakanainen filled that role last year, while Morrow, Iorio and Cholowski will all be in contention for it in camp. Expect two of those five to make the NHL roster, though there could be some rotation via roster moves throughout the year. The Rangers' crease is as stable as it gets with Igor Shesterkin between the pipes. Even with the team's struggles last year, he maintained a 2.50 GAA and a .912 save percentage over 51 appearances. Korpisalo will be his backup, replacing the retired Jonathan Quick, while Dylan Garand will likely get a bit more development time in the AHL. Shesterkin's value is highest in fantasy leagues where ratios matter more than wins.
It still isn't likely to be pretty on Broadway this year, but the Rangers have made bold moves to improve their future. Whether Drury is still running the ship when those moves cash out remains to be seen. Keep expectations low for the Rangers in fantasy, but don't shy away from their star-level players -- there's still plenty of production to be had on this roster.
That's where things stand in the Metropolitan for 2026-27. Keep checking in -- I'll put the Pacific under the microscope Thursday, followed by the Central next Monday and the Atlantic on Sept. 17.
