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The NY Rangers have a shot at making the NHL playoffs, but the path there won't be easy as a notable analyst pointed out.
Getty The NY Rangers have had a relatively busy offseason.
While the club made a splash by adding Pavel Dorofeyev, the addition isnt likely one that could blow the doors off the Metro Division.
And thats just the thing.
Other teams in the division have made strides to improve.
The Carolina Hurricanes didnt need to do anything.
But other teams like the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils look improved.
But that doesnt take away from the Blueshirts chances of making the postseason.
According to NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp, the NY Rangers could make the playoffs next season.
It wont be easy, but theres a chance there.
Theres a wild card available..
can get into the top three, I just think its going to be via wild card because other teams got better in this division.
The Metropolitan Division is shaping up to be a gauntlet in the upcoming season, and @Rupper17 thinks it could be one of the more competitive divisions in the League! : #NHLTonight on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/wKad28KDSy NHL Media (@NHLMedia) July 22, 2026 The outlook isnt exactly bearish, but its not doom and gloom.
If the NY Rangers are serious about getting back into the playoffs, theyll have to slug it out with the Devils and Capitals for those top three spots in the Metro.
That situation may be easier said than done.
But the prospect of having to compete for a wild card spot may be equally challenging.
NY Rangers Have Plenty of Competition for Two Wild Card Berths When it comes to the wild card race in the Eastern Conference, the NY Rangers will have to duke it out with several other clubs.
Those teams include at least three or four from the Atlantic Division.
So, the Rangers will have to contend with about six or seven other clubs vying for two spots.
Thats pretty much a logjam, and it could take most of the first half of the season to sort out.
If last year was any indication, there really wasnt any separation between contenders and pretenders until about January.
That means the NY Rangers wont really know where they stand until about the All-Star break.
Thats quite the climb, especially in the uber-competitive East.
What to read next: NY Rangers Have 1 Unanswered Question in 2026 Offseason It Could Take 100 Points to Make Playoffs in the East Last season, NY Rangers fans saw how shockingly good the Eastern Conference playoff field was.
The Ottawa Senators, who barely managed to cling to the second playoff spot in the East, got in with 99 points.
That point total would have won the Pacific Division, and landed them as a top-four seed in the Western Conference.
The Philadelphia Flyers landed the third spot in the Metro with 98 points.
Thats a massive hill to overcome, especially when considering just how tight the standings will be early in the season.
Thats why the NY Rangers cannot afford to get shut out in their first three home games this upcoming season.
The club will need to come flying out of the gate to make significant headway.
Otherwise, the points dropped in October and November could bury the Blueshirts once and for all.
But theres a chance.
A couple of stolen games by Igor Shesterkin could mean the difference between an early summer and playing into the spring.
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