Pavel Dorofeyev opened Rangers camp on the left side of a new-look line with J.T. Miller at center and Oliver Bjorkstrand on the right, but he has not arrived in New York as an unknown face. The 25-year-old winger spent each of the last four summers training in Connecticut, and that familiarity has eased his move from Vegas after the June 26 trade.
Dorofeyev signed a seven-year, $77 million commitment with the Rangers and briefly considered settling in Manhattan with his wife, Valeria. Instead, he chose Connecticut, where he had already rented during offseasons to work at Prentiss Hockey in Stamford.
“I had thought about it,” Dorofeyev said of a possible New York City home. But Connecticut already felt familiar. “I know the area and what is around. There are great places and plenty to do. It’s a really good place to live.”
That decision has given Dorofeyev a head start in a compressed camp. He trained over the summer with Miller, Matt Rempe, Gabe Perreault and Adam Fox, while also skating with defenseman Scott Morrow. Since camp opened, he has gotten to know Igor Shesterkin and the goaltender’s family after they returned to their Connecticut home from Moscow.
Fox said those off-ice and pre-camp repetitions matter when a new player is being folded into a group quickly.
“With a shorter camp, there are only so many chances to be on the ice together and learn tendencies,” Fox said. “Being around him during the summer has helped. The skill is obviously a major addition, but knowing him already makes a difference, too.”
In previous summers, Dorofeyev would leave Connecticut early to return to Las Vegas before the season. This time, he stayed put and began building connections with the club he will be expected to help lift after the Rangers finished last in the Metropolitan Division a year ago.
After the horn
Dorofeyev brings proven finishing to New York. He scored 72 goals across his final two seasons with the Golden Knights, including an NHL-leading 37 last season. Twenty of those came on the power play.
His 37 goals ranked 20th in the League, while his 20 power-play goals were second. He added 12 playoff goals, five with the man advantage, as Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.
The Rangers are testing whether Miller can create the same kind of looks Dorofeyev received from Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel in Vegas. Miller posted 36 assists in 68 games last season and remains one of eight NHL centers with three or more 50-assist seasons since 2021-22. Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Aleksander Barkov, Tim Stutzle and Robert Thomas are the others.
Coach Mike Sullivan sees a fit beyond the passing numbers.
“J.T.’s vision and distribution may not get enough credit,” Sullivan said. “He also plays a hard game below the goal line and can pull his linemates into that style. Pav is clearly a scorer, and we want to find out what that combination can become.”
Mika Zibanejad saw Dorofeyev’s finishing touch early in camp, even if the available sample has been limited to scrimmage work.
“He’s a dangerous shooter,” Zibanejad said. “He protects pucks well, gets himself open to shoot and can finish. With Millsy finding people the way he does, he should help our scoring in a big way.”
Special teams could be where Dorofeyev changes the Rangers’ look most immediately. New York finished fifth in the NHL on the power play at 24.7 percent last season and clicked at 27.6 percent over its final 26 games, despite moving Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4.
Dorofeyev shoots left and is expected to work from the right side, where his one-timer can complement Zibanejad’s right-handed shot from the left circle. Fox remains the expected quarterback, while Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and Panarin have formed a predominantly right-shot group on the unit.
“That gives teams another problem they have not really seen from our power play before,” Zibanejad said.
Fox noted that a setup with Dorofeyev and Zibanejad on opposite flanks would force penalty kills into difficult choices.
“With him and Mika on those sides, there are two real shooting options,” Fox said. “You have to choose which one to take away. A scorer like that is a huge weapon on a power play.”
Dorofeyev is also the only Ranger on the current roster with Stanley Cup Final experience. Teammates have been asking him about the run with Vegas and the sting of falling short.
“A loss like that stays with you for a long time,” Dorofeyev said. “But it also helps you develop, become tougher and improve.”
Miller said the winger’s Connecticut base has removed much of the usual adjustment period for a newcomer. “He already feels familiar,” Miller said. “He doesn’t come in like a stranger.”
Next puck drop
The Rangers open the regular season against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Sept. 29. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN.
