When we look back on it, the 2025-26 season might be the worst one the New York Rangers have played all century. However, we still have a quarter of the season left and some key stars may return to the lineup after the Olympic break.
Related: Rangers May Want to Target Draft Picks in Upcoming Trades
Sure, it looks hapless and hopeless after a pathetic January and early February, where the Rangers have combined for just three wins, now owning the third-worst record in the NHL. Yes, the Rangers are much worse now after moving Artemi Panarin and potentially Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider. But they may have a better finish to the season than you think.
Shesterkin and Fox Might Return Soon
Despite how much of a train wreck it’s been, the process has some upside for improvement, although that might not be saying much.
Notably, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin have been skating with the team during the Olympic break. Realistically, bearing a setback from one or the other, it’s fair to expect them both back in the Rangers’ lineup in the near future.
Getting both back is a big deal—even in a lost season. Fox and Shesterkin aren’t just role players—they are superstars that are among the best in the NHL at their respective positions.
Greetings from Greenburgh, where the #NYR are back at practice. That’s Igor Shesterkin. pic.twitter.com/krl7e8bgUr
— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) February 17, 2026
The pending returns will only help potentially stabilize the lineup. The two won’t help solve the Rangers’ number one problem this season, which is scoring goals, but they will do a better job of keeping the puck out of the back of the net.
Draft Lottery Remains
Still, even with Fox and Shesterkin back, it’s hard to imagine the Rangers improving their position in the standings much. Currently, the Blueshirts own the third-worst point percentage in the league (.439).
The Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks all remain within three points ahead of the Rangers in the standings. The next closest is the New Jersey Devils, who are eight points ahead of the Rangers currently, with the same number of games played. It’s hard to imagine that much ground being made up.
So likewise, the best the Rangers can do is finish the season with the seventh-worst record in the NHL. But keep in mind, a draft lottery remains, with a chance to get fortunate enough to pick inside the top two.
Reasonably, many fans want the team to lose as many games as possible to give the organization the best shot at landing the highest possible pick, given how the season has gone.
But there will be some wins down the line, and expectations should be kept in check. On a night where the Rangers can find the back of the net against weak goaltending, Shesterkin will exploit the matchup. Maybe that’s against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, Feb. 28, who are relying on Stuart Skinner and Artūrs Šilovs between the pipes.
Multiple things can be true: Fox and Shesterkin will help the Rangers, and yet the results will still be lackluster, with a postseason berth nowhere in sight.
Perhaps the Rangers, with the season all but over, will shut down other players who have been dealing with injuries. J.T. Miller, although he has played for Team USA in this year’s Olympics, might be one who gets shelved. The 29th captain in franchise history has been forced to miss multiple games this season due to injury, and you wonder if he’s ever fully recovered. Plus, consider the pending trades of Trocheck, Schneider, or others.
So it remains to be seen if the Rangers improve much with Fox and Shesterkin back in the lineup. Although the fans wouldn’t mind finishing with one of the top three worst records in the league to put them in prime draft positioning, the Rangers shouldn’t just tank the season away.
If Fox, Shesterkin and other stars are 100 percent healthy, they should play. Also, the organization needs to evaluate younger players such as Noah Laba and Gabriel Perreault. There’s no reason not to give them important minutes in key situations to see how they perform. But until then, the draft lottery can’t come soon enough.
