The New York Rangers are still seeking their first Stanley Cup title since 1994. Team president and general manager Chris Drury is still trying to help reach that goal in his fourth year on the job. He oversaw the team make it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice in his tenure, but never made it to the Stanley Cup Final. Even after a disastrous 2024-25 season, Drury still has the support of team owner James Dolan.
Drury was named as a replacement for Jeff Gorton, the previous general manager who helped oversee what many analysts have called the quickest rebuild ever. Dolan, however, cut ties with Gorton in 2021 over differences in team philosophy. Gorton was quickly hired by the Montreal Canadiens to help rebuild their roster and turn them into consistent contenders.
Gorton was rewarded for his work, as the Canadiens signed him and team president Kent Hughes to five-year contract extensions.
Former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton signs five-year extension with Canadiens
Gorton was a lauded hire by the Rangers back in 2015 after working his way up the rankings from a pro scout. During his time with the team he made some big moves, such as acquiring Mika Zibanejad in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, traded for Adam Fox, and signed Artemi Panarin to an seven-year, $81.5 million contract. He also oversaw what was the fastest rebuild ever, as the team was rewarded with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, which was used to select Alexis Lafreniere.
But in 2021, Gorton and team president John Davidson were both fired by Dolan after the team failed to make the playoffs. But there was a difference in philosophy, as Dolan wanted grittier, tougher players to fend off the likes of Washington Capitals pest Tom Wilson, while Gorton wanted more skill players.
Months later, Gorton was brought in to oversee the Canadiens' rebuild. Thus far, he has young stars in the making like Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Ivan Demidov as key pieces for their team for the foreseeable future. Suzuki, a three-time All-Star is locked in on an eight-year, $63 million contract. Slavkofsky inked an eight-year, $60.8 million. A matter of days ago, Hutson signed an eight-year, $70.8 million contract.
The rebuild was slow, but the team is making strides. Just last year, the Canadiens made the playoffs for the first time since 2021. While it did result in a first-round exit at the hands of the Capitals, it was progress.
Just days after the Hutson deal, Montreal re-upped Gorton's contract by an extra five years. It must have Rangers fans wondering what could have been had Dolan had continued to let Gorton oversee the team. The move will only look worse if the Canadiens ultimately lap the Rangers in the standings and win a Stanley Cup in the near future.