Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn ImagesIn case you missed it, Rangers boss Chris Drury is cleaning house. Jed Ortmeyer is out as director of player development.
Our superior judge of hockey personnel Jess Rubenstein has some thoughts on that. Go, Jess, Go!
"The 47-year-old spent the previous nine seasons in the role following an eight-year playing career, which included three years with the Rangers," Rubenstein recalls.
The change comes following a second straight season without the playoffs for New York, which finished last in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26 and holds the third-best odds for the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery.
Here's why Ortmeyer is the wrong guy to blame for the mess the Rangers are in:
1- You had four different coaches with four different systems
2- Ortmeyer's job was development, but he cannot develop young players when the core is all veterans
3- How can Ortmeyer develop players when they don't draft correctly?
4- And it is not Ortmeyer's fault when those drafted are pushed to the NHL before they are ready or they skip time in Hartford
5- Ortmeyer can't develop young players when they are traded in their first year (Exhibit A Mancini).