NY Rangers Developmental Failures on Full Display in Stanley Cup Final

A few New York Rangers former players have blossomed on the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, facing off in the Stanley Cup Final.

Jun 1, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman K'andre Miller (19) skates during the practice during media day for the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

New York Rangers fans have had a lot of gripes with Chris Drury since he took over as the team's president and general manager.

How he has handled some roster decisions has left a lot to be desired, with the Rangers reaching rock bottom this past season. New York finished in last place in the Eastern Conference, and the only teams that had a worse record were the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.

One reason for their shortcomings has been an inability to develop young talent. The Rangers' pipeline is lacking in large part because they have been unable to develop the players they bring into the organization.

There are always going to be guys who don’t make it in the NHL for whatever reason. But what hurts New York is that they move on from players, and immediately they become contributors for winning teams elsewhere.

Brett Howden has turned into playoff star for Golden Knights

Jun 1, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21)skates during the practice during media day for the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

That is currently on display during the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes have both benefited in recent years by taking a shot on a young New York player who wasn’t living up to expectations and turned them into key contributors.

In the summer of 2021, the Rangers traded center Brett Howden to the Golden Knights in exchange for Nick DiSimone and a 2022 fourth-round pick, which turned into Noah Laba. New York is fortunate that Laba looks like a future contributor at the NHL level.

However,  after Howden was unable to find his footing with the Rangers, he has exploded with Vegas. He was an integral part of the Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup in 2023 and leads the league with 11 goals this postseason.

Across the ice is former teammate defenseman K’Andre Miller. He and Howden shared the ice during the 2020-21 campaign in New York. Similar to the center, Miller has immediately turned into a major contributor on a winning squad.

The defenseman was traded to the Hurricanes last summer in exchange for a first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and defenseman Scott Morrow. It is a deal the Rangers didn’t take long to regret.

Rangers have major regrets trading K'Andre Miller

May 27, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman K'andre Miller (19) skates with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

There is a massive gap in the blueline depth chart behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. A puck-moving defenseman with speed, tenacity and a winning pedigree is what New York is looking for.

Miller is providing all of that to Carolina and drawing praise from The Great One in the process.

“Defensively, K’Andre Miller is playing as well as I’ve ever seen a defenseman play in the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Wayne Gretzky said on the TNT telecast. “Nobody can get around him. He’s like a brick wall.”

It certainly has to be painful for Rangers fans seeing two of their former prospects thrive on the biggest stage in hockey while their team has been preparing for the offseason for several months already.