The Columbus Blue Jackets finished the 2024-25 season four points for the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division. Almost nobody saw this opportunity coming for the season.
But now that we look ahead to 2025-26, another question is being asked. Can the blue jackets end up for the Rangers again?
Welcome to part 4 of our 2025 Summer Series in which we compare the Blue Jackets with other teams in their division and in the Eastern Conference. You can view the first three parts of the series below in case you missed them.
To say that the Rangers are a much different team than the beginning of last season would be a big understatement. Jacob Trouba has disappeared. Chris Kreider is gone. K’andre Miller was traded to the hurricanes.
The changes did not stop there. Perhaps the largest and most expected movement of the low season came behind the couch. The Rangers went outside and hired Mike Sullivan as their head coach. He will be given the task of getting the Rangers back on the right track for the play -offs after having undergone intense drama for a year.
It was not only the changes themselves that brought waves, it was the way in which the changes were made that the hockey world had had talked. GM Chris Drury used all the means needed to make the movements that he thought was needed when the team had a hard time. In a market like New York, expectations will always be at the level of winning the Stanley Cup.
The question we will consider today is that the crowd changes are sufficient for the Rangers to return to the late season. And how does the new look Rangers relate to a team of a Blue Jackets that ended better than them in the rankings?
In short, it will be when turning a coin. The teams are actually very close.
Ahead
For as many drama as the Rangers continued in 2024-25, they still finished the season as a top 12 team in the competition in goals. A big reason for this was the game of former Blue Jacket Artemi Panarin.
There are some who believe that Panarin had a seasonal season for these standards. That depends on which lens you want to see through. Although his 89 points were his worst full season with the Rangers, he scored 37 goals, which was the second best season for goals in his career. He was still by far the MVP of the Rangers in front and scored second place Mika Zibanejad with 27 points.
Panarin will again be the center of the violation of the Rangers. But if 2024-25 proved something, it showed that he needs a lot of help from his teammates.
A player who is expected to do is JT Miller. He came back to the Rangers in an exchange where Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a first round of Pick from 2025 saw to the Canucks. The drama in Vancouver could no longer continue. Miller now gets the new season as a new start that he has been desired for a long time.
Miller did his bit at the Rangers last season scored 35 points in his 32 games. He knows what to expect on the New York market and will not be stunned by his demands. He combined to score 70 points between the two teams in 2024-25. The question of considering is how much he should produce to have a success this season?
Together with Miller, Vincent Trocheck forms the Rangers in their top six-zes. Coming from a 26 goal, 59-point season in 2024-25, Trocheck will be asked to do more of the same. He is still one of the best faceoff boys in the competition, something where the Blue Jackets are left in the middle despite their depth.
Perhaps the most interesting player in front of the Rangers and one who will have a microscope on him is former first Pick Alexis Lafreniere. He succeeded a strong season 2023-24 with one last season in which all his attacking numbers fell. Was it the pressure? Was it all the drama around the team? Was it his own mental struggle? Anyway, he must show everyone why he was first taken in general.
The most striking things that fell was both his fottles and his shooting percentage. Lafreniere fell from 217 shots to 153 shots. He also had the worst shooting percentage of his career at 11.1%. We will talk more about Sullivan soon. But he is the kind of coach that can find higher play levels within his players. How will he be used and which adjustments will be made are two important questions that you should consider for Lafreniere.
Another mainstay that needs a bounce back season is Zibanejad. Although he finished second in the Rangers in scoring (non -counting Miller’s Vancouver statistics), it was the worst offensive output in Zibanejad in four seasons. Many wondered if he would leave the house with the fire sale that happened. It will be interesting to see how the new season influences him and where he will play in the line -up.
The other remarkable thing about the Rangers in front is their youth movement. Will Cuylle had a breakout season in 2024-25 to secure his first 20-goal season in the NHL. There is a more than good chance that he will start this season in the top six of the Rangers. He is one of their most interesting players who has a good Power-Forward advantage. His 301 hits were in third place in the NHL last season.
Juuso Parsinen was taken over last season to help in their bottom-six in the middle. He drew an extension of two years in the low season. He on average less than 10 minutes per match in his 11 performances for the Rangers after the trade. What does his role look like in 2025-26?
The other interesting player in the youth movement of the Rangers is Gabe Perreault. He appeared in five games at the end of last season. Assuming that no other movements were made, he could see himself in an immediate top nine role when this new season starts.
The Rangers have important questions in advance. Can their veterans return? Will their youth take another important step? Can Sullivan implement his systems to get the most out of the Rangers?
Sullivan brings an up pace style that emphasizes fast transition game. Do you remember how fast the penguins with Sidney Crosby and others attacked the blue coats? Expect a lot of pressure when the option is available.
In general, the blue coats compare well with the Rangers in front. The Blue Jackets were a higher score team and return the majority of their core that helped them become one of the highest goals score teams in the NHL. They must be able to put a lot of pressure on the defense of the newer Rangers. Given the middle depth and young talent on the wings, the blue coats keep the edge in the front.
Defense/GoalTendning
Just like the teams we have spoken about in this series before, the Rangers keep the lead of the Blueline back. They will soon decline a goal congregation from Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan.
Shesterkin Shutout De Blauwe Javets In his both performances against them in 2024-25. He is one of the elite goalkeepers in the NHL who starts the first year of his massive extension of eight years. The Blue Jackets have important questions in the goal because we have had it in detail.
Regarding the defense of the Rangers, the worst kept secret in Hockey came by when Gavrikov signed a seven -year contract in a free agency. He is generally known as one of the better Shutdown defenders in the NHL. He is expected to play Adam Fox with Norris Trophy -Medeeding. They can become one of the more formidable couples on time.
#Nyr have agreed to the conditions with defender Vladislav Gavrikov with a seven -year contract.
Welcome to New York, Vladislav! pic.twitter.com/kaawgy4xnb
– New York Rangers (@nyRangers) July 1, 2025
Regarding the rest of the defense, Carson Soucy, Will Borgen, Urho often and roast Schneider must each play an important role. Soucy, guaranteeing and Schneider each play the kind of home game that does not get much attention, but it is effective. Oftenaaninen is a good skater and will depend on the puck.
Their 255 goals by last season was 19th in the NHL. It was just not good enough for their standards. That is why people like Trouba and K’andre Miller were treated. They had to change their appearance. Expect that they are also more aggressive under Sullivan. You won’t see many Man-on-Mans here. But you will see them attack the puck carrier as quickly as possible. They will force the opposition to faster decisions.
The question for the defense of the Rangers will be how quickly they can learn and adjust the Sullivan systems. The Blue Jackets will have the double task not only to find out ways to defeat Sherkin, but also to beat an aggressive style in which the puck carrier will be limited with the amount of time they have.
Conclusion
The blue jackets keep the edge in front. The Rangers give the lead on the Blueline and in Doel. That is what makes the two teams a coin flip.
The winner of this race will be the one who answers the most urgent questions. Do the blue coats get enough of a bump in the net? Can the Rangers get the most out of their best players on a consistent basis?
Having Sullivan will make the Rangers better. But not a discount on no matter how improved the blue jackets will be with another year together and a coach in Dean Evason who will make important changes to help limit their goals.
Don’t be surprised if these two teams fight each other for a play -off place in the Eastern Conference. Stay informed by part 5 of our series when he goes to Long Island and look at the rejuvenated New York Islanders.
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