Blueshirts in the Rearview: Former Rangers Performance in the Second Round of the 2025 Playoffs

With the Rangers' postseason dreams dead and buried, plenty of former Rangers are getting a chance at ultimate glory and the Stanley Cup. Here's where they are.

Carolina Hurricanes

Jack Roslovic

Roslovic was a healthy scratch in the first game of the series against the Washington Capitals but made his debut in game two, playing the rest of the series after replacing an injured Mark Jankowski. He was a bright spot for the Hurricanes in a pivotal game three, scoring a goal and assisting on another in just 11:10 of ice time. He added another assist in game four as the Hurricanes took a stranglehold on the series and easily sent the Eastern Conference’s number one team to the golf course.

Dallas Stars

Colin Blackwell

Since his first-round heroics, Blackwell found himself sliding back into his support role. He dressed for only one game in the second round against the Winnipeg Jets, playing under 11 minutes and having a minimal impact in the Stars' 5-2 win in Game 3.

Brendan Smith

Smith has yet to lace them up with the Stars this postseason. He could see some action in the next round if an injury disaster strikes.

Nils Lundkvist

It’s safe to say Lundkvist’s season is officially over. He won’t be joining the Stars regardless of how deep of a run they make into the playoffs.

Florida Panthers

Niko Mikkola

Mikkola’s physicality throughout the playoffs remained strong as the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs intensified. He averaged under 20 minutes of ice time and scored his first goal of the playoffs in a critical game five as the Panthers took their first series lead in the second round. He helped propel the Panthers past the Maple Leafs in a dramatic seven-game series. Watching Mikkola’s steady presence, ability to activate offensively, and big-game mentality certainly makes Rangers fans feel a certain way after we let him walk away from the team.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ryan Reaves

Reaves didn’t dress for a game in the playoffs and now won’t get the chance to do so, as Toronto failed to advance past the second round yet again. The series against the Panthers escalated, leading many to believe there was a chance we could see him get some ice time. However, Berube kept his cool and fielded the most skilled roster possible instead of including Reaves for a physical component. We’ll never know if it would have worked, for what it’s worth.

Vegas Golden Knights

Brett Howden

Howden contributed on the scoresheet in the first round against the Minnesota Wild, but his scoring ability waned against the higher-powered Oilers. Nevertheless, he remained effective in other areas. His face-off winning percentage improved in the second round, achieving a 66 percent win-rate in the series against the Oilers, although the Golden Knights were ultimately eliminated in five games.

Reilly Smith

Reilly Smith’s best performance of the 2024-25 playoffs was his two-goal effort in game three. He didn’t give up on the last play of the game and stickhandled around the Oilers as the seconds ticked down in the third period. Everyone and their mother surely thought we’d be heading to overtime, but Smith managed to put the puck into the net off Leon Draisaitl’s stick for the winning goal with less than one second left in the game.

Washington Capitals

Dylan McIlrath

To no one's surprise, McIlrath did not seen a single playoff game, and as the Washington Capitals' struggles were exposed against a superior Hurricanes team, there was no chance we would see him get ice time.

Winnipeg Jets

Morgan Barron

As the Jets struggled against the Dallas Stars, Morgan Barron’s ice time was further reduced. He recorded a postseason low of seven minutes in their 3-1 loss in game four. With his diminished role and limited ice time, he didn’t have many opportunities to impact the game. He failed to register a shot in four out of six games as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets were eliminated in the second round.

Vladislav Namestnikov

Like the rest of his team, Namestnikov struggled against the Dallas Stars. The only points he scored in the series came in game five, where he netted one goal and assisted on another, helping the Jets find some life and stave off elimination for another game. Namestnikov received steady minutes, often playing alongside Nikolaj Ehlers. He added depth and alternative options for the Jets and will continue to do so in the coming years.

Neal Pionk

Pionk didn’t impact the series against the Stars like he did against the Blues. The only points he recorded in the series came during Winnipeg’s gutsy game five effort to avoid elimination, where he logged two assists to help propel his team to a 4-0 win. Between game five and game six, Winnipeg Jets’ veteran Mark Scheifele’s father passed away. The team was transparent about their support for Scheifele, especially as he courageously chose to play in game six. Pionk, another veteran core player on the Jets, publicly supported Scheifele, even during their devastating overtime loss in game six.