Checking in on former Rangers chasing a championship in the 2026 playoffs

Some trades are necessary. Some players had clearly reached the end of their runway in New York. Others simply benefited from a change in role or environment. Still, it is hard not to revisit those decisions when former Rangers continue to impact games in May.

K’Andre Miller finding stability in a different system

K’Andre Miller’s time with the Rangers was always complicated. At his best, he looked like a foundational defenseman. His reach, skating, and offensive toolset made him one of the more unique players on the roster. At his worst, the inconsistency became difficult to ignore. Turnovers piled up. Defensive reads became a nightly conversation. By the end of his tenure, it felt like both the player and the organization needed a reset.

At the time of the trade, the Rangers were trying to sell high on a player with loads of potential awaiting a payday. There was a growing belief that Miller’s development had stalled, and moving him allowed the team to redistribute money and responsibility elsewhere. In the short term, the deal made some sense for both sides.

Now, though, Miller looks more settled. The skill was always there. The playoffs have highlighted how effective he can be when his game is simplified and his confidence is intact. There is still inconsistency at times, but the version of Miller showing up in meaningful games looks far closer to the player many believed he could become when he first arrived in New York.

Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba still built for playoff hockey

Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba became defining players of a specific Rangers era. The latter was not always universally loved by the fan base, but they both embodied much of what the organization valued during its push toward contention. Kreider brought a blend of scoring, speed, and emotional leadership. Trouba brought physicality, edge, and a willingness to play through anything.

Eventually, though, the relationship between expectations and performance became harder to balance. Kreider’s production took a hit while playing injured for most of his last season on Broadway, while Trouba’s contract and declining mobility became impossible to ignore. At the time the Rangers moved on, neither decision came as a shock. What really caught fans by surprise was the return.

That does not necessarily mean the Rangers were wrong to move on. Both players represented significant financial commitments on a roster already trying to navigate a retool, even if those words had not yet been uttered. In fact, when you factor in K’Andre Miller’s new $7.5 million extension alongside the combined $14.5 million cap hits of Trouba and Kreider, those are still decisions I would make again today. There was simply no way of keeping everyone.

Brett Howden quietly carving out a role

Brett Howden never carried the expectations of some of the larger names the Rangers eventually moved on from, but quickly became a supplemental depth piece for an already deep Vegas team looking to lift the cup again. He has since exploded in these playoffs, scoring five goals in his last five games, a far cry from the nine-goal season he had with the Rangers across 70 games back in '19-'20.

An elevated role is sometimes all it takes to spark a player, and Howden is making the most of his opportunity. He's currently slotted on the second line alongside Mitch Marner, and tasked with shutting down opposing power plays on the teams first penalty kill unit. He also sees time on their second power play group. While some may argue his production is currently riding an unsustainable conversion rate, the work ethic was never a question with Howden. He is just finally being rewarded for his efforts.

His path is also a reminder that development is rarely linear. Not every player needs to become a top-six scorer to justify a meaningful NHL career. Every contender needs a few forwards capable of surviving hard minutes without hurting the team. Sometimes success comes from finding the right role at the right time, and Howden has quietly done exactly that.

Time changes trades

The difficult part about evaluating trades is that timelines rarely stay clean. Some moves look great immediately and age poorly later. Others feel painful at first before making more sense over time. Context changes. Roles change. Players change.

For the Rangers, watching former players contribute elsewhere is not necessarily an indictment of every decision that was made. But it is a reminder that moving on from talent always carries risk, especially when those players still possess traits that translate well to playoff hockey.

And every spring, those reminders get a little harder to ignore.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow