The New York Rangers believed their struggles were finally behind them. After last season’s disappointing campaign, the organization parted ways with head coach Peter Laviolette and brought in Mike Sullivan, a coach they had been pursuing for years, in hopes he could restore the team to contender status.
However, the early results have been anything but encouraging. The Rangers opened the season with solid, structured play but couldn’t seem to find the back of the net. Lately, things have taken a sharp downturn — with losses to struggling teams like the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames highlighting their issues. In those games, the defense completely unraveled late in periods against San Jose, and the offense looked lifeless versus Calgary.
While it’s still early — just 10 games into the season — frustration is already mounting among fans. Some have even begun to joke (or perhaps not) about the idea of the Rangers tanking for a shot at Gavin McKenna in the NHL Draft Lottery.
But focusing on the present, there are clear weak points on the roster — and these three players, in particular, shouldn’t still be with the team come November.
Brennan Othmann
We’ll start with the name that’s already circulating in trade rumors — Brennan Othmann.
Once considered one of the Rangers’ most promising young prospects, Othmann was a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and had several chances over the past two seasons to secure a full-time roster spot. This past summer seemed like his best opportunity to make an impression on new head coach Mike Sullivan, but he was ultimately outperformed by younger standouts such as Noah Laba and Gabriel Perreault. As a result, he was cut from training camp and reassigned to the AHL.
Surprisingly, Othmann recently earned a call-up when Sullivan needed a replacement for the injured Matt Rempe. Even so, his position remains uncertain. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Rangers have received interest from other teams in Othmann, and New York is reportedly seeking “quality AHL prospects” in exchange should they choose to move him.
Given the current roster situation, Othmann’s stay in the NHL could be short-lived, as he’s expected to return to Hartford once Rempe or Vincent Trocheck is ready to play.
Urho Vaakanainen
The Rangers’ defensive play has taken a serious step back in recent weeks. After allowing just seven goals through their first five games — a strong early showing — the unit has since collapsed. A 6–5 overtime loss to the winless San Jose Sharks and a five-goal outing surrendered to the Calgary Flames (who entered averaging just 1.67 goals per game) highlighted the team’s issues.
While the top defenders aren’t going anywhere, the bottom-pair options appear much more expendable — and Urho Vaakanainen stands out as a possible odd man out.
Vaakanainen was part of the return in the trade that sent Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, and the Rangers hoped a change of scenery would help him rediscover his form. Unfortunately, last season’s analytics told a different story: his expected goals-for percentage at five-on-five was just 43.86% over 721 minutes — far from ideal.
This season was supposed to be a fresh start under Sullivan’s defensive system, but the results simply haven’t materialized. With his spot on the depth chart slipping, it may be time for New York to move on from the experiment — just as Anaheim and Boston did before.
Conor Sheary
When Sullivan was hired, bringing in a familiar face who already understood his system made sense. That’s what led to the Rangers signing Conor Sheary after a solid showing on a professional tryout (PTO) during training camp.
However, with the team struggling mightily, it may be time to rethink that decision and give younger players a real opportunity.
Sheary has been among the team’s top point producers, but that’s not saying much — he’s recorded just three assists so far. Despite those modest numbers, he continues to log top-six minutes as Sullivan searches for offensive answers.
If the skid continues, the Rangers should seriously consider turning to their prospects. Gabriel Perreault looked electric in the preseason, and Brett Berard has shown flashes of promise during his limited NHL action. Giving those players extended time would not only spark the lineup but also accelerate their development.
At some point, the Rangers must decide whether to keep patching things together with veterans like Sheary or start building for the future with their next generation of talent.