Rangers' Dorofeyev Slow Start Prompts Power-Play Demotion Pavel Dorofeyev has just one goal and two assists in seven games after signing a $77 million contract. Coach Mike Sullivan moved him to the second power-play unit and the first line to spark production. The New York Rangers have made a notable change with Pavel Dorofeyev, their big summer acquisition, after a slow start to the 2026-27 season. Through the first seven games, Dorofeyev has just one goal and two assists. Rangers Coach Tweaks Dorofeyev LineupIn response, head coach Mike Sullivan moved him to the first line at 5-on-5 and dropped him to the second power-play unit for the third period of Sunday's game against the Vancouver Canucks. Sullivan explained the decision after the game. He said, I thought Pav was fighting it a little, and sometimes, players have those nights.We thought we'd make a little tweak and see if we could get it going a little bit, and obviously, Gabe was a part of the goal, so we were happy about that. But it was just situationally based on how we thought guys were going throughout the course of the night. The Rangers acquired Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in June and then signed him to a $77 million contract.He recorded 72 goals over the past two seasons, including 20 power-play goals last year. The team brought him in to give the top unit another one-timer alongside Mika Zibanejad. So far, he has just six shots on goal across nearly 22 minutes of power-play ice time. That move was one of the first tweaks to the power-play unit this season.Perreault Replaces Dorofeyev on Power PlayGabe Perreault took Dorofeyev's spot with the top unit and assisted on Alexis Lafreniere's goal during the Rangers' lone chance with the man advantage in the final frame. Perreault spent time on the top power-play line last year and finished with six points with the man advantage in 2025-26. From the first power-play drill of training camp, when the Rangers began working on special teams during the condensed preseason, their top unit consisted of Dorofeyev, Zibanejad, Adam Fox, J.T.Miller and Lafreniere. Perreault opened the year on the second unit. Sullivan had said Thursday that they planned to be patient and let the group work through early growing pains after the top unit generated just one goal through the first five games. The power play entered play Monday ranked No. 7 in the NHL with a 26.3 percent success rate.The next question is whether that change was temporary or for longer than one night. Dorofeyev's early numbers at 5-on-5 have been strong despite modest production. He is third on the team in individual expected goals at 1.46 on 5-on-5. His expected goals for percentage is 59.05, which is higher than either of his last two years with the Golden Knights.Lafreniere Earns Third Star Weekly HonorLafreniere was named the NHL's third star of the week after collecting five goals and two assists across the Rangers' three games. He leads the team in both categories. His latest goal unfolded on the power play Sunday night when he sent a pass from Perreault near the net past Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen.He also added an assist in the first period, sending a pass to Tye Kartye that led to the Rangers taking a 1-0 lead just 27 seconds into the game. Lafreniere became the second Rangers player to pick up a weekly award in the opening two weeks of the season. He joined goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who sustained a season-ending right knee injury last week.The Rangers have only trailed after three periods once through their opening seven games, and they hold a 5-2 record. The team is navigating the loss of Shesterkin for the season while relying on improved depth and new additions. Overall, the Rangers have been much improved after a difficult 2025-26 campaign. The summer moves have helped the team rebound, and while the ceiling might have changed without Shesterkin, there is still reason to believe in this group.Dorofeyev's underlying metrics suggest his production should increase soon, even if the points have not come yet. It will be interesting to see whether his move off the first power-play unit becomes more permanent. In other news, Liam Greentree, the prospect returning to the Rangers in the Artemi Panarin trade last season, scored in consecutive games for AHL Hartford over the weekend. Those were the first professional goals of the 20-year-old's career.