The New York Rangers have been inconsistent of late, and the last two matches only proved that. Will Cuylle scored two goals, including the decisive goal in the last two minutes of the game to ensure that the Rangers won their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets just a few hours ago. But only a day before, the script was entirely different and the Pittsburgh Penguins registered a 3-2 victory over the Rangers at the Madison Square Garden without Sidney Crosby.

While the team fights for momentum on the ice, the front office is dealing with another storm altogether, with trade rumors swirling and the draft deadline looming on March 7. It’s been a tough stretch, even with the Rangers pulling off a blockbuster move to bring in J.T. Miller from the Canucks. But despite the big trade, fans aren’t entirely sold on the team’s direction. With losses stacking up and roster changes shaking things up, backlash is brewing, and the pressure is mounting on the Rangers’ front office.

NYR Louie, the go-to source for all things New York Rangers, took to X on February 7 to stir the pot, dropping a question that’s clearly been sitting heavy on fans’ minds: “Why can’t the Rangers develop high-end talent?” Along with the post, he shared a screenshot calling out the very folks responsible for shaping the future of the Blueshirts.

Director of Player Development Jed Ortmeyer, Assistant Director Tanner Glass, and Player Development Assistant Marc Staal. And just like that, the internet had its next debate locked and loaded. And the fans were all in to point the fingers at them.

But hold up, do not think that these guys do not have their fair share of hockey background. Take Jed Ortmeyer, for example. The man’s no stranger to it—an American winger who played for the Rangers, Predators, Sharks, and Wild in the NHL. And after hanging up the skates? He wasn’t just chilling. Ortmeyer got inducted into the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 before stepping into his current role as the Rangers’ Director of Player Development. Stacked resume? Yeah, he’s got one.

The fans, however, refused to cut them any slack for their on-ice experience. One fan did not mince his words and said: “I’d fire every single person here. I don’t give a f*ck about what they did as a player.” But this is just the tip of the iceberg as many other users flocked to the comments.

New York Rangers face the heat!

Another fan jumped into the discussion, throwing out a valid question: “Who are player development staffers of other teams that produce talent? Just curious for comparison.” And, of course, the replies came rolling in. One user broke it down, saying it’s not just about who gets hired—it’s about how teams build their development squads.

“It’s usually more nuanced, most teams have deeper development staffs and analytics teams—don’t hire based on playing career,” they explained. They pointed to Tampa Bay’s player JP Cote as an example—a guy who only played 27 NHL games but has had quite a career as a scout and talent evaluator, proving that experience in the front office matters more than ice time. Then came the not-so-subtle jab at Marc Staal: “He went from playing hockey to ‘development assistant’ in a year without any type of experience.” Safe to say, Rangers fans aren’t exactly thrilled with how their team’s building from within.

And oh boy, that was just the beginning. Another fan jumped in, side-eyeing the Rangers’ development process, saying, “Considering the amount of top draft picks, we have had over the past few years. I would really question the teams development and I hate to say that.” That’s some real frustration bubbling over. Meanwhile, let’s talk trades. Because the J.T. Miller move? Yeah, that was the one that had the NHL buzzing last week. After Mikko Rantanen’s blockbuster trade on Jan. 24 sent shockwaves through the hockey world, everyone was expecting another major shake-up before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. But guess what? Crickets. No big moves went down.

That being said, the Rangers still managed to snag their big-name player just in time for a serious playoff push. And as part of that trade package from Vancouver, they picked up Erik Brannstrom—who, at 25, is still technically a prospect but has already done his fair share of NHL hopping. Drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, he was shipped to the Ottawa Senators in the Mark Stone trade, spent six seasons with the Senators and was an important part of AHL. He then landed with the Canucks this past offseason. Now? He’s suiting up in blue.

And the internet stays undefeated. One fan didn’t hold back, taking a not-so-subtle jab at the Rangers’ player development staff like they were calling out a bad fantasy draft. They fired off, “Tanner Glass: drafted in a round that no longer exists. Jed Ortmeyer: undrafted. Marc Staal: stay-at-home d-man with no scouting or development experience.” Ouch. That’s some serious shade.

Basically, the comment was serving up one big question—how exactly did these guys land in charge of developing the next generation of New York Rangers talent? The skepticism is real, and with the team struggling to turn high draft picks into top-tier NHL stars, fans aren’t exactly sitting back and trusting the process.