New York Rangers unveil revamped power play poised to be a game‑changer

During Monday’s first special‑teams session of training camp, many familiar faces remained in place. Adam Fox directed the top unit, while Mika Zibanejad held his usual spot on the one‑timer flank. Those constants have endured coaching changes, and two additional forwards from last season’s top line — when the Rangers ranked fifth in the league — also returned: J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière.

Yet there was intrigue as well: Pavel Dorofeyev, with his left‑handed shot, stepped in for Vincent Trocheck’s right‑handed presence. Defenseman Sean Durzi, acquired in the July trade that sent Trocheck elsewhere, now runs the second unit with Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. Head coach Mike Sullivan said he believes the group “can once again be a difference‑maker for us.”

“The power play was one of our team’s bright spots last year, consistently effective,” Sullivan said Monday after the NHL‑heavy non‑game squad practiced ahead of the preseason opener versus the Devils. “It took us a bit to find rhythm early on, but the second half of the season was especially strong.”

“Losing a right‑handed shooter for a left‑handed one will alter some of our approaches, but we have capable players who can make a significant impact,” he added.

Still, this unit looks markedly different from the ones that relied on Artemi Panarin’s net‑front shots, Chris Kreider’s presence in front of the goal, or Trocheck’s work from the bumper. After slipping to 28th in the league with a 17.6 % conversion rate in Peter Laviolette’s final season, the power play rebounded in 2025‑26 under Mike Sullivan and assistant coach David Quinn, despite the personnel changes.

On Monday, the Rangers deployed their first unit with J.T. Miller manning the bumper and Alexis Lafrenière stationed at the net front — a position where he excelled late last season. That left Pavel Dorofeyev, who notched 20 power‑play goals for the Golden Knights the previous year, on the opposite flank. The initial repetitions from the top unit produced goals from Mika Zibanejad and Lafrenière as well.

“Being away from the power play for an extended period and then returning to feel it start to click was encouraging,” Zibanejad told The Post. “We’ll inevitably have ups and downs — scoring when we perhaps shouldn’t and missing chances when we deserve them. That’s just the nature of the game; we understand the pattern.”

The Rangers announced they will wear a Garden of Dreams Foundation patch as their primary jersey emblem this season, taking the place of the Mark Messier “Game 7” patch used in 2025‑26.

“It was an honor to partner with Game 7 as our jersey patch last season, thanks to our ties with Rangers legend Mark Messier, and we are excited to showcase the Foundation this year,” a Rangers spokesperson said in a statement.

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