Director of player development Jed Ortmeyer leaving Rangers in latest sign of change after brutal season
Jed Ortmeyer is leaving his role as director of player development for the New York Rangers after nine seasons in the position. His departure marks another organizational change following a disappointing season that saw the team finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Rangers have struggled with prospect development in recent years, despite holding multiple high draft picks.
- ▪Jed Ortmeyer played 177 games for the Rangers during his NHL career before returning as director of player development in 2017.
- ▪The Rangers drafted three players in the top 10 between 2018 and 2020—Vitali Kravtsov, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafrenière—who largely underperformed expectations.
- ▪Brennan Othmann, the No. 16 pick in 2021, was traded in March after failing to secure a consistent role with the team.
- ▪Gabe Perreault showed promise in the 2025-26 season with 12 goals and 27 points, raising hopes for improved development outcomes.
- ▪Chris Drury has signaled a renewed focus on player development, including bringing back Kevin Maxwell in a key scouting and personnel role.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
NHL New York Rangers Director of player development Jed Ortmeyer leaving Rangers in latest sign of change after brutal season By Andrew Crane Published May 1, 2026, 9:43 p.m. ET The Rangers have a sign of tangible change after their disappointing campaign that ended in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from New York Post
