New York Rangers must rethink their power game in 2025-26 – Hockey Writer – New York Rangers
The New York Rangers’ strength play has been one of the team’s decisive strengths for many years. Mika Zibanejad’s unit racing, Adam Fox’s vision and Chris Kreider’s net free throw world, Artemi Panarin, built on a half-wall, always ranked among the league’s elite. However, that identity was unveiled in 2024-25, when the NHL’s conversion rate dropped to 17.6%, ranking 28th in the NHL. Getting off was so severe that the Rangers simply matched their all-time average that they likely won the playoffs.
Now, with Kreider trading to the Anaheim Ducks in June, the Rangers are entering strange territory. For nearly a decade, their power play would not deflect around his screen and the front of the network.
From Elite to Bottom of League
Rangers live with their strength and have died as of last season. Everything has been through human advantage over the past five seasons. The playoffs ended in the dry time, and in 2024-25, it completely collapsed, killing them.
In 2021-22, they finished fourth with a score of 25.2%. In 2022-23, they ranked seventh with a score of 24.1%. In 2023-24, they climbed to third place at 26.4%. But last season, the number was spread across 17.6%, with multiple long distances not a single goal. Rangers have already slipped on the standings, and the power play turns it into a complete collapse. The reality is simple: if they switched at the same rate as they had in the previous three seasons, they would be the playoff team.
Life after Cred
Kreider has been in the Rangers’ top ranks for nearly a decade. He is more than just a Terminator. His net effects define groups, screens, deflections and rebounds. Every other part of the power game stands out from him. In June, the Rangers traded him to Anaheim. For years, he wouldn’t be there to park himself in front of the goalkeeper and cause chaos.
That left a hole, and the Rangers could not just be on paper. Someone has to take the net title on the top unit. Will Cuylle is the obvious choice for his size, hands and edges, but Vincent Trocheck is another option that he often fills if Kreider gets injured. If the ranger ends up moving to running two powerful play units, they will need Cuylle and Trocheck or someone else to anchor the crease.
One or two units?
Over the past five years, the Wanderer has relied almost exclusively on a powerful playback unit. The first set usually lasts for a minute and a half or more, while the second unit leaves debris behind. This is also OK when the top team is produced, but also makes the power play predictable. Last season, when the first unit got cold, there was no plan.
Related: Rangers’ 3-line combination options 2025-26
This year should be different. Rangers have enough to disperse two groups, and young players need real strength to play time to develop. Brennan Othmann, Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard, Juuso Parssinen and Scott Morrow are not locks to the opening night lineup, but if they do, they need a brief shift in the end of the human advantage. The only way to make the most of them is to commit to two units and give meaningful time.
Three options
Rangers have several different ways to set up a power game this season. None of them are perfect, but each approach shows a different philosophy.
One option is to balance youth and veterans. In this setup, the first unit may be JT Miller, Cuylle, Alexis Lafrenière, Panarin and Fox. The second will feature Trocheck, Perreault, Zibanejad, Othmann and Morrow or Fox. This spreads experience in both groups and ensures that young players get meaningful time. It still leans towards the top unit, but is closer to balance than the Rangers of the past.
Another option is to fully invest in two units. The first ones are Miller, Cuylle, Perreault, Trocheck and Fox. The second one is Panarin, Zibanejad, Lafrenière, Othmann, and Morrow or Fox. This is the boldest choice because both groups are legitimate threats. This also gives young players the opportunity to play real time on Man Advantage. On the downside, Panarin and Zibanejad will see less ice time, which may be against the stars.
The last choice is to stick to what they do. This means the first unit of Panarin, Trocheck, Zibanejad, Miller and Fox, the second group of Perreault, Othmann, Lafrenière, Jonny Brodzinski or Juuso Parssinen, and Morrow or Morrow or Fox. Rangers can also roll with Berard in five further appearances. If Morrow didn’t make the lineup, the Rangers didn’t actually have a second quarterback to play. This means Fox must run two units, or Vladislav Gavrikov will be pushed into the role. In this case, the first unit takes up most of the ice and the second unit will get 30 seconds or less of ice. This is the formula that failed last season, but it is also the most familiar one.
Rangers’ 2025-26 Years Outlook
Rangers have no luxury of being still. Kreider’s departure left a big hole, showing last season what happens when the power strikes get cold. Cuylle and Trocheck can handle the frontlines of the net, but the bigger question is whether the Wanderer ultimately promises to use two units.
If they do, young players will get real opportunities and the offense becomes more difficult to defend. If they don’t, and Fox is forced to two sets of quarterbacks, they have the potential to repeat last season’s collapse. Powerful games will determine whether the team returns to the playoffs.
