The NY Rangers have done a good job of turning over their roster. The moves the organization has made aren’t really consistent with a rebuilding team. But then again, the Blueshirts are “rebuilding.” The team is purportedly undergoing a transformation.
The club did very well to bring in Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
While adding Dorofeyev to the lineup is a solid move, it leaves one unanswered question: Who will play with him?
The logical answer would have been Vincent Trocheck. Dorofeyev is a scoring winger who needs a playmaking center. Well, the NY Rangers had one in Trocheck. Notice that the operative word here is “had.”
New York traded Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth. The move made sense since the relationship between Trocheck and the team likely got to a point where it was no longer sustainable. So, there had to be a break.
However, the NY Rangers have not addressed the lack of a playmaking center to pair with Dorofeyev. Unless Chris Drury has something up his sleeve, it will have to be an in-house choice that plays with the Russian sniper.
Who could that be?
Well, two candidates come to mind: Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller.
Zibanejad Would Be NY Rangers’ Best Choice to Play with Dorofeyev
The departure of Trocheck likely makes Zibanejad the top-line center. That’s fine. Zibanejad gets paid like one, so it’s time to deliver.
The Swedish pivot is a good playmaker. He’s just the sort of creative center that a guy like Dorofeyev needs to generate scoring opportunities.
Nevertheless, Zibanejad’s production has gradually declined over the years. And it’s that decline that has led the NY Rangers to move him to the wing at times. That calculus has changed now. Trocheck’s absence will force Mike Sullivan to deploy Zibanejad down the middle.
Again, that’s fine as long as he can live up to the role. Perhaps playing with Dorofeyev can reignite that production the Blueshirts have sorely needed over the last couple of seasons.
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Miller Could Be a Solid Partner for Dorofeyev
There’s also the possibility of pairing Miller with Dorofeyev. Miller isn’t quite the skilled playmaker that Zibanejad or Trocheck are. But that’s all right. Miller is a decent two-way center. He’s more of a responsible adult who can ensure that Dorofeyev can unleash his scoring talents.
But that’s just the thing. Unless Miller can help generate scoring chances, Dorofeyev might find himself having to hound for pucks himself. As a winger, Dorofeyev will have to win board battles, grab pucks, and make plays happen.
That’s not something the NY Rangers might want to see on a nightly basis.
Ultimately, Sullivan will likely try just about everyone on the team with Dorofeyev. The idea will be to build chemistry in training camp. From there, Sullivan can roll with whatever works for the team’s newcomer.
Bear in mind that no one will be joined at the hip. That’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sullivan trying Dorofeyev with different linemates, especially as opponents adjust to the NY Rangers game plan.
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