The New York Rangers were a team in the business of contending over the past four seasons, and didn't have drafting and development as a top priority. That was fine for them while they were making conference finals and winning the Presidents' Trophy, but 2024-25 gave them a tough dose of reality that was hard to swallow.
They hit a major low point by missing the playoffs in the season directly after winning the Presidents' Trophy for the second time in franchise history. A team that was eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in four seasons, was seemingly poised to return stronger.