The New York Rangers have entered November, and with the first full month of the season in the books, the Rangers were able to total a record of 7-6-1. Compared to last season, there has certainly been an improvement, but there are still some concerns as well. 

Coming off a bad season during the 2025-26 campaign, New York was a really aggressive team in their pursuit of upgrades this summer. The Rangers made a lot of moves, and this is a much different-looking group compared to last year. 

So far, that has yielded some better results, but through 14 games, there have already been some highs and lows for the team. The Rangers got off to a strong start after being shut out by the Boston Bruins in their season-opener. However, Igor Shesterkin went down with an injury against the Washington Capitals, and that has dramatically changed their season. 

Grading First Month

With the first month in the books, the team has to be pleased that they have improved based on last year’s production. Things started out looking much better for the team, but it has since gone downhill. 

Prior to their matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, the Rangers had lost three games in a row and five of their last six. While there has been a lot of talk around the performance of Dylan Garand, the team has asked a ton of the 24-year-old so far this year, and he has risen to the occasion for the most part. 

Furthermore, a couple of major positives for the team have been the production of Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere. For Fox, he has been healthy and on the ice and that has resulted in him being a point-per-game player for New York. For Lafreniere, he has seemingly been able to pick up right where he left off last season and has also been able to average a point per game this season. 

However, while there have been some positives, there have also been some negatives for the team. Due to the struggles of late, the team has had some major defensive miscues and lapses that have been uncharacteristic of the group. 

Going forward, the team has to be sharp with Shesterkin in the net to bail them out, or things could unravel quickly. While the second month of the season will feature plenty of questions, the team does deserve a decent grade with a 7-6-1 record through the first full month. 

Final Grade: C+