2026-27 Rangers predictions, best bets, odds: Success runs through Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox

Some plays on Broadway have happy endings, but folks come to Madison Square Garden’s long-running show to experience tragedy: where high expectations fall short.  Hiring two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Sullivan and naming J.T.Miller captain did not make for magic when the Rangers were mired by distractions for the second straight year. General Manager Chris Drury — the Shakespearean playwright — tried to outrun the downward spiral by selling off the roster that won the Presidents’ Trophy only three seasons ago on the fly.The dysfunction proved to be deeper, prompting the second rebuild (or “retooling!”) in eight years.Drury led an aggressive offseason, and while it has given the Rangers a new fabric to work with, oddsmakers aren’t buying the team’s same old quick-turnaround narrative.The Blueshirts head into 2026-27 priced at plus-money to make the playoffs, with odds of 30/1 to win the Eastern Conference and 60/1 for the Stanley Cup. Finding the net proved an embarrassing deficiency last season — especially when the Rangers were shut out their first three home games.Mika Zibanejad was just about the only bright spot throughout last season, finishing as almost a point-per-game player.With perennial point producers Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck no longer around, Drury acquired Pavel Dorofeyev at the NHL Draft to emulate the scoring touch that Panarin took with him.The 25-year-old Russian winger finished fourth in scoring on a Vegas team that reached the Cup Finals and adds versatility on both sides of the ice.  Complimentary wingers Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand also joined the fold to brace the Rangers’ secondary scoring.Blue line depth was the next dilemma, so defenseman Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson have joined the fold as a fresh second pairing with more puck-moving ability and defensive conscience.At the very least, these new-look Rangers are in the wild-card mix, even though banking on more forward steps from ...