16 former Rangers playing in 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including Mats Zuccarello
Though the New York Rangers won’t be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, there are several players and coaches with Blueshirt ties for the Garden Faithful to root for this postseason.
There are 16 former Rangers players set to take part in the chase for Lord Stanley’s chalice this spring, including one, defenseman Niko Mikkola, who won the Stanley Cup last year with the Florida Panthers.
Additionally, three head coaches in the postseason have Rangers ties. Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis finished his Hall of Fame playing career with the Rangers, and took part in several iconic playoff moments with them in 2014 and 2015. Joining him in Montreal is Jeff Gorton, the team’s executive vice president of hockey operations, who was the Rangers general manager from 2015 to 2021, and Glen Sather’s assistant for many years before that.
Kris Knoblauch, coach of the Edmonton Oilers, coached the Hartford Wolf Pack for four seasons and was 4-2-0 filling in for David Quinn when the Rangers coach was on the League’s COVID-19 protocol list in 2021.
Lastly, Scott Arniel spent time with the Rangers as an associate coach under Alain Vigneault. In his first season as coach of the Jets, Arniel led them to the Presidents’ Trophy this season.
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Related: Why Rangers were not most disappointing team in NHL this season
Morgan Barron – Winnipeg Jets
The Rangers selected Morgan Barron in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft (No. 174 overall), but the forward did not debut with the Blueshirts until the 2020-21 season. He played in five games that season and scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals. Barron appeared in 13 games for New York in 2021-22 before he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets as part of a package for forward Andrew Copp. Barron has appeared in 70 or more games in each of the past three seasons for Winnipeg and has eight goals and seven assists this season. The Jets open the postseason against the St. Louis Blues.
Colin Blackwell – Dallas Stars
Colin Blackwell played 47 games with the Rangers in the 2020-21 season, and made an impact in the bottom six with 12 goals and 10 assists. The Seattle Kraken scooped up Blackwell in the expansion draft in the summer of 2021, and the forward made his way to Dallas this past summer, signing a one-year deal. In his first season with the Stars, Blackwell has six goals and 11 assists in 63 games. The Stars open the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche.
Pavel Buchnevich – St. Louis Blues
Buchnevich had 79 goals and 116 assists in five seasons with the Rangers, but was traded to the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2021 for Sammy Blais in Chris Drury’s first major move as general manager. Buchnevich became a star once he got to the Blues, recording his only 30-goal season in 2021-22 and scoring at least 20 goals in each of the past four seasons. The 30-year-old forward had 20 goals and 57 points this season for the Blues, who face the Jets in the first round.
Brett Howden – Vegas Golden Knights
Brett Howden made his way to the Rangers from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the return for Ryan McDonough and J.T. Miller ahead of the 2018 trade deadline. He made his NHL debut the next season, his first of three with New York. In 178 games with the Rangers, Howden tallied 16 goals and 33 assists. In the 2021 offseason, the Rangers traded Howden to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he still plays today. He was a part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2023. Howden broke out offensively with NHL career highs in goals (23) and points (40) this season. Vegas skates against the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs.
Ryan Lindgren – Colorado Avalanche
Ryan Lindgren was notably dealt to the Colorado Avalanche before this season’s trade deadline, ending his seven-year stint on Broadway. In his 18 games with the Avalanche, he has not added much offensively (two goals, one assist) but has brought his typical gritty defense with 26 blocked shots and 21 hits. Lindgren totaled 387 games with the Rangers, playing an integral part in multiple deep playoff runs as Adam Fox’s defense partner, and is hoping to go on another long postseason journey with the Avalanche, who play the Stars in the opening round of the playoffs.
Ryan McDonagh – Tampa Bay Lightning
No. 27 on the ice was named the 27th captain in Rangers history at the start of the 2014-15 season following New York’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. McDonagh patrolled the blue line for the Rangers for eight seasons. In the Rangers’ iconic series against the Washington Capitals in the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mac Truck blasted a game-winning goal in overtime of Game 5, kickstarting the Rangers’ comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. The Rangers traded McDonagh and Miller to the Lightning in a blockbuster deal before the 2018 trade deadline. McDonagh won two Stanley Cup championships with Tampa Bay before being traded to the Nashville Predators, and then was reacquired by the Lightning last summer. The Lightning will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the first round.
Dylan McIlrath – Washington Capitals
The Rangers selected Dylan McIlrath with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 draft, but things never worked out for him in New York, in part to a brutal knee injury early in his career. He’s played 92 NHL games (37 with the Rangers) and has not lived up to the expectations that came with being a top pick and prospect, though he’s won two Calder Cup championships in the AHL. The towering defenseman is an excellent fighter and as tough as they come; and this season remained on the Washington Capitals roster all year for the first time in his career, even though he played just 17 games. The Capitals open the postseason against the Montreal Canadiens.
Niko Mikkola – Florida Panthers
Niko Mikkola played every regular-season and postseason game for the Panthers last year, helping them win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In their title defense, he has once again played an important role, appearing in 76 games as a regular on the blue line. Coming over along with Vladimir Tarasenko in a trade with the Blues ahead of the 2023 deadline, Mikkola spent a half-season with the Rangers. He played 31 regular-season games for the Rangers, plus seven more in their first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Panthers face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Vladislav Namestnikov – Winnipeg Jets
A Rangers forward for parts of three seasons, Vladislav Namestnikov is in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets. He had 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 78 games this season, the second-highest point total in his NHL career. The Jets open up the playoffs against the Blues.
Neal Pionk – Winnipeg Jets
Neal Pionk played his first two NHL seasons with the Rangers before they traded him to the Jets in the Jacob Trouba deal on June 17, 2019. Since then, the defenseman has recorded at least 30 points in six straight seasons with Winnipeg, including 45 in 2019-20. Despite being limited to 69 games because of injury this season, Pionk had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) and established a career-best with a plus-21 rating. He and the Jets play their first-round series against the Blues.
Ryan Reaves – Toronto Maple Leafs
He played in only 35 games with the Maple Leafs this season, but Ryan Reaves is still an intimidating force when he’s in the lineup. Reaves has racked up an even 1,100 penalty minutes in the NHL, including 55 with the Rangers in parts of two seasons. This season he had two assists and 28 penalty minutes and will see a limited role in the postseason, when the Maple Leafs open up against the Ottawa Senators.
Jack Roslovic – Carolina Hurricanes
The Rangers acquired Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of last year’s trade deadline, and he spent much of his time in New York on a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. He scored three goals and five assists in 19 regular-season games; in the playoffs, Roslovic scored two goals in the opening round and added two assists on Kreider’s natural hat trick in Game 6 against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Second Round. Roslovic went quiet in the Eastern Conference Final, recording only one point in the six-game loss to Florida. In the offseason, he inked a one-year deal with the Hurricanes and put together a solid season, scoring 21 goals and adding 17 assists. The Hurricanes face the New Jersey Devils in the first round.
Brendan Smith – Dallas Stars
Ahead the 2017 trade deadline, the Rangers added Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings for their playoff push. That offseason, he signed a four-year, 17.4 million contract to remain in New York and played 235 games during his five seasons with the Blueshirts. Smith spent time with the Hurricanes and Devils afterward before landing with the Stars for the 2024-25 season. He played 32 games for Dallas in the regular season and has been a veteran presence on the blue line. The Stars play the Avalanche in the first round.
Reilly Smith – Vegas Golden Knights
Reilly Smith, Brendan’s brother, was one of six original “misfits” from the Golden Knights’ inaugural roster who were members of their Stanley Cup championship in 2023. He’s representing the Golden Knights again in this year’s playoffs, two years and two teams later. After spending the 2023-24 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Smith signed with the Rangers. He had 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games before New York sent him back to Vegas ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick and forward prospect Brendan Brisson. Vegas hooks up with Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.
Jimmy Vesey – Colorado Avalanche
Jimmy Vesey has had two separate stints on Broadway in his nine-year NHL career, the first from 2016-19 and the second from 2022-25. The versatile forward totaled 434 games with the Rangers, scoring 78 goals and adding 69 assists. New York sent Vesey to Colorado on March 1 along with Lindgren. Vesey has not played much with the Avalanche, appearing in just 10 games, with one goal and one assist. The Avalanche play the Stars in the first round.
Mats Zuccarello – Minnesota Wild
Mats Zuccarello became as a fan favorite during his nine years in New York. He scored 113 goals and had 239 assists in 509 regular-season games, and suited up for 60 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Zuccarello was also beloved in the locker room; when the Rangers traded him in 2019 as a part of their rebuild, Henrik Lundqvist was famously brought to tears. The Rangers sent him to Dallas, where he appeared in just two regular-season games before an injury kept him out until the playoffs. He signed with Minnesota in that offseason and has spent the past six seasons with the Wild. Now 37 and with more than 900 games of NHL experience, Zuccarello had 19 goals and 54 points this season for the Wild, who get the Golden Knights as a first-round opponent.
More About:New York Rangers News