The New York Rangers 2025-26 NHL regular season officially came to an end with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It was certainly nice to end the season on a high note with a win. While head coach Mike Sullivan expressed disappointment with the campaign as a whole, there were some real positive takeaways for the team down the stretch.
These last few weeks have been a glimpse into what the future could look like for the Rangers. Dylan Garand was in goal for the win over the Lightning and should be seriously considered for the backup job behind Igor Shesterkin, who remains elite.
Another young skater also joined the recent group of players to record multi-goal games in recent weeks. This time, it was Tye Kartye, whom New York fans can thank the Seattle Kraken for.
Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers left wing Tye Kartye (24) reacts after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first period at Benchmark International Arena. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
“Ever since I got here, I feel like we’ve played pretty well,” Kartye said, via Corey Long of NHL.com. “Even some games that we lost, I thought that we deserved a better result. But pretty much every game we were in, we were working hard, that’s all you can ask for.”
Kartye was claimed off waivers from the Kraken on Feb. 27 and turned into an immediate contributor for the Rangers. He ended what started off as a tumultuous campaign on an incredibly high note, scoring twice against Tampa Bay.
At 4:02 in the first period, he opened up the game’s scoring with a goal that was assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Vladislav Gavrikov. Early in the second period, at 1:29, he lit the lamp for a second time, this time assisted by J.T. Miller and Conor Sheary.
Just over three minutes later, Kartye was involved in New York’s third goal of the evening. This time, he and Will Cuylle recorded assists on the 12th goal of the season by breakout rookie, Gabe Perreault.
First career multi-goal game for Karts 👊 pic.twitter.com/ngkkcSqaNh
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 16, 2026
The former Seattle left winger stuffed the stat sheet in his final game of the season. He had two goals and one assist, a +1 plus/minus, two penalty minutes, three shots on goal, two hits and one block.
His willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team win games is endearing to the fan base and should solidify his spot on the roster for the 2026-27 campaign, regardless of what moves the front office makes this offseason.
In 24 games with the Rangers, Kartye recorded 14 points, scoring five goals with nine assists with a 0 plus/minus. He was willing to put his body on the line with 17 blocks and 75 hits, mixing it up with opponents regularly.
Turning only 25 years old on April 30, New York looks to have another useful building block for their roster.