Rangers Rank No.7 On The Hockey News' NHL Offseason Ramkings

It was a busy offseason for Chris Drury and company, as it all started on draft night when the Rangers acquired Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the No. 26 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a third-round pick (No. 92) in the 2026 draft, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.

The Rangers selected defenseman Alberts Šmits with the No. 5 overall pick, minutes after the Dorofeyev trade was completed.

Drury made two substantial trades on July 1. After months of speculation, the Rangers traded Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for Sean Durzi, forward prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.