Rangers Adjust Lines as Pavel Dorofeyev Seeks Scoring Touch

The New York Rangers are reshuffling their forward lines and power-play personnel to help Pavel Dorofeyev rediscover his scoring form early in the 2026-27 NHL season. The 25-year-old Russian winger has recorded one goal and two assists in seven games since arriving from the Vegas Golden Knights, while coach Mike Sullivan continues adjusting the lineup to generate more goals at five-on-five.

According to Newsday's October 13 report, Dorofeyev returned to the first power-play unit ahead of the Rangers' home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after briefly losing that role during Sunday's victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Sullivan replaced him with Gabe Perreault in the third period against Vancouver, and Perreault subsequently helped set up a power-play goal by Alexis Lafreniere.

Dorofeyev entered Tuesday leading the Rangers with 21 shots on goal, according to Newsday. His previous production with Vegas offers a basis for patience: he scored 37 goals in 82 regular-season games last season and added 12 goals in 22 playoff appearances. He also recorded 35 goals in 82 games in 2024-25.

Sullivan said the organization remains confident in Dorofeyev's offensive ability and wants to help him perform at his best.

"We obviously know and believe that Pav is a pretty good offensive player, with pretty good instincts. He's a big part of this team. He will continue to be a big part of this team moving forward.

We're trying to find a way to help him capture his best game." Sullivan said Tuesday during the team's morning skate in Westchester.

The coach has also changed Dorofeyev's line combinations in an effort to turn promising possession and scoring chances into actual goals. After beginning the season alongside J.T. Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand, Dorofeyev moved to a line with Mika Zibanejad and Perreault, while Alexis Lafreniere joined Miller and Tye Kartye.

The new arrangement produced immediate results against Vancouver. Kartye scored twice, including a goal 27 seconds into the game, while the Rangers' top six combined for three even-strength goals. Sullivan hopes Zibanejad and Perreault can create better finishing opportunities for Dorofeyev.

"Theoretically, Mika and Gabe are very capable people as far as their ability to get him the puck. Pav is – maybe his greatest attribute is his finishing ability. And so I'd like to think that Mika and Gabe would be complementary there." Sullivan said.

Dorofeyev said he is concentrating on helping the team rather than tracking his individual goal total.

"No, not really. I'm not focused on that stuff at all. Just trying to be myself and trying to help the team win the games.

Sometimes, you just have to find another way, and it's not always the goals, you know?" Dorofeyev said.

Asked whether he had pushed too hard during Sunday's game, Dorofeyev maintained that his effort had remained consistent.

"I'm always trying hard. I don't know if it's too hard. I'm just trying my best all the time." Dorofeyev said.

Additional statistical analysis published by Sports Yahoo on October 13 showed encouraging underlying numbers despite the limited scoring output. The report placed Dorofeyev third among Rangers players in individual expected goals at 1.46 in five-on-five situations and listed his expected goals percentage at 59.05%, above his figures in each of his previous two seasons with Vegas.

A separate analysis from Vegas Hockey Knight highlighted a similar gap between Dorofeyev's chances and his actual production. Through seven games, he had 2.7 expected goals according to MoneyPuck, although his expected goals in high-danger situations stood at 0.61.

The Rangers acquired Dorofeyev in a June trade that involved their 2026 first-round pick, their 2026 third-round pick and a conditional 2028 first-round selection protected in the top 10, according to the October 13 report. His seven-year contract carries an average annual value of $11 million, increasing the expectations surrounding his contribution.

Vegas, meanwhile, has seen rookie Trevor Connelly produce two goals and two assists during the opening stretch discussed in the report, giving the Golden Knights another young scoring option. However, the available statistics cover only a small portion of the season, and Dorofeyev's early results remain insufficient to establish how the trade will ultimately affect either team.

The Rangers entered the Vancouver game with a 5-2 record, according to Sports Yahoo's October 13 report. With eight new faces on the roster compared with last season, Sullivan has continued testing combinations as the team works to establish chemistry and improve its offensive output.