Pierre McGuire believes the NHL benefits when the New York Rangers are among the league’s top contenders. After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in back-to-back seasons and finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last year, one of hockey’s biggest-name franchises has fallen far short of expectations.
The struggles have also been painful for a passionate Rangers fanbase that has been waiting decades for another championship run.
McGuire admitted the situation has been difficult to watch, not because of personal fandom, but because of the Rangers’ importance to the NHL’s overall popularity.
“I’m heartbroken with what’s gone on with the New York Rangers. And it’s not because I’m a Rangers fan,” McGuire said on Toronto Sports Rush. “The New York Rangers are an important franchise for the National Hockey League, and it’s because of TV more than anything else, and the size of the audience they have in New York. It’s just mammoth. People don’t realize until they go there just how big it is.”
The New York market, especially from a television standpoint, has always been valuable to the NHL. However, the league’s financial growth has continued despite the Rangers’ recent decline. NHL revenues have climbed significantly since the shortened 2020-21 season, reaching record levels, while the salary cap has continued to rise.
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final showed that the league can still attract major audiences without a traditional powerhouse market involved. The series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights drew more than 31 million viewers in the United States, marking a major increase from the previous year’s championship series.
Still, there is no denying that a successful Rangers team creates another level of excitement. When the Blueshirts are competitive and chasing the Stanley Cup, interest, ratings, and attention around the league all increase.
For Rangers fans, though, the concern is not about the NHL’s business side — it’s about getting their own franchise back into championship contention.
McGuire believes one of the biggest issues facing New York is the lack of development from its young players.
“They’ve been so disappointing because they have no internal growth. Their young players have not gotten better,” McGuire explained. “Alexis Lafreniere hasn’t gotten better. You can look at Braden Schneider hasn’t gotten better. Go look at the guys they were force-feeding through their system. They didn’t get better at the NHL level. And that’s the problem for them.”
The Rangers’ struggles have been tied to inconsistent drafting and player development. Outside of players like Chris Kreider and goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the organization has struggled to produce impact talent from within over the past decade.
Lafreniere remains one of the biggest examples. The former No. 1 overall pick has shown flashes of improvement, particularly late last season, but has yet to become the franchise cornerstone many expected him to be.
Other highly touted prospects, including Kaapo Kakko, Lias Andersson, Vitali Kravtsov, Brennan Othmann, and K’Andre Miller, have either failed to reach expectations in New York or found success elsewhere.
The Rangers are attempting to address those issues by reshaping their player development system, including changes within their AHL affiliate and a renewed focus on helping prospects reach their potential.
However, with a prospect pool lacking elite-level talent and filled mostly with potential depth players, the turnaround may not happen quickly.
For a franchise desperate to win its first Stanley Cup since 1994, improving player development could be the key factor in determining whether the Rangers return to contention or remain stuck searching for answers.