Elliotte Friedman commented today on the Sunday column from Larry Brooks of the New York Post. In the column, Brooks writes that the Rangers players have quit on just about everyone, including their head coach Peter Laviolette. As Friedman points out, the Rangers collapse has been historic after the team won the President’s Trophy and went to the Eastern Conference Finals just last season. In his column, Brooks writes that the Rangers collapse will eventually result in Laviolette losing his job, and another loss tonight to Florida certainly won’t help things.
Friedman comments that Brooks is incredibly plugged into the Rangers organization and feels that this column carries a ton of weight. He adds that Laviolette knows that hockey is results-driven, and with the Rangers losing 15 of their last 19 games, the results have been very poor.
The Rangers haven’t been shy about making hard choices in recent years, leveraging waivers as a means of sidestepping no-trade clauses, and moving on from long-time veterans. The Rangers just underwent a dramatic rebuild prior to the pandemic, and now, at a time when they should be competing for the Stanley Cup, they are amid their season unravelling. It is anyone’s guess as to what the Rangers will do next and there could be many more surprises in store in New York City.
General manager Chris Drury has already traded his captain, he’s traded a recent second overall pick, he’s called around the league and let teams know that most of their roster is available (including long-time veteran Chris Kreider). He hasn’t been shy about calling players out, or doing what he thinks is best to improve the team.
Now, with the team free-falling, Drury has some hard choices to make. He is unlikely to overhaul the roster into a contender this season, and given that the Rangers just exited a rebuild, it’s unlikely that the franchise has the appetite to endure another one. But, with each passing day, some sort of action will need to occur, and it seems likely (at least according to Brooks) that it will start with Laviolette.
Nothing changes until you find a way to move Mika
5 years left of 8.5 mil a year, that’s going to be a hard contract to move. Chicago or Anaheim might bite the bullet
Maybe Pittsburgh will take it, they seem to love trading for terrible contracts.
Pitt is looking to move major players . I don’t think so
With that left on his contract, and he probably won’t even hit 60 points this year, u would have to provide a team with good draft capital to take that on
They don’t want that guy I assure you
Chicago is not totally stupid
Drury has got to go. The buck stops with him. The failed trade of Trouba in the summer (while keeping him the captain, which is idiotic), followed by the waiver of Goodrow, and then the public debacle with the letter to the 31 teams. Poor management, to say the least.
Mika is soft, sensitive, but as coach you need to decide whether you accept that or not. Lavi has not and the result is Mika is not functioning.
I can’t believe what’s going on with the New York Rangers. They are such a better team than what their record shows. There has to be something internal that is wrong. There is no way this team should be losing so many games
Exactly. The problem is clearly in the room, not behind the bench. And not knowing what’s going on in the room, I just don’t see any team wanting any of these players.
How can the problem be in the room when Drury according to most Ranger fans moved two of the biggest problems in the room in Trouba, and Kaako? Maybe the problem is that this team isn’t as good as everyone thinks they are, and that Laviolette had them playing over their heads last season. How many more players in “The Room”do want to move out and are you going to get better or equal value for them? They’ve got some big problems in MSG and they aren’t going to be fixed anytime soon.
it’s a big room
And there’s only one way out.
There could be problems in the room if there are factions of players on different sides of things. For example it could be players that didn’t want to see Trouba get traded and others that did or don’t care that he was traded.
I’m not a Rangers Fan but clearly the team is better than the way they’re playing. You don’t get the president’s trophy and a tough series with Florida last year on coaching alone.
Seems like Drury is making the hard calls to improve the team. Some players appear to have preferred cushy situations or personal friendships more than winning and have thus begun to sulk. Drury should prob burn it down if he’s got parties on board who don’t have winning at the front and center of the mind.
Firing Laviolette isn’t going to change anything as long as Drury is still in charge. The players held a meeting voicing their displeasure with the way he handles things. Nothing changes until he gets fired. That should be the first move. Then let the new GM decide Laviolette’s fate
By any chance is there a link about the meeting taking place?
That was an erroneous report according to several players. They said they discussed how they could play better.
Firing PL is the next move, and the only move right now. Not even Drury can prevent his firing. This is a team issue lead by the coach. I sincerely doubt the players are goi g to complain about the GM that just handed out a bunch of sweet contracts to all his stars and prospects.
Sounds like a real group of winners you got there, eh Drury?
Say what you will about ethics or whatnot, but Goodrow’s play on San Jose definitely shows that the waiver placement kinda might have been warranted. He has not been great, but I’m also not sure what kind of dummy signs a bottom six forward to a NTC.
Well, Drury has no one to blame but himself for that one. After the Tom Wilson incident, Dolan wanted grit, so Drury went out and got some.
Goodrow didn’t want to go to San Jose. Perhaps, it’s affecting his play. His two best years in terms of point production were the first two with the Rangers.
I just don’t understand what Drury’s endgame is. Goodrow was an albatross contract before the ink dried, Trouba, while overpaid for his role, was still serviceable and the captain. Kreider, if Drury publicly put him out there as a trade chip, has to be demoralizing to the team. There’s nothing to this team that screams rebuild but they have no leadership(Dolan on down), and an aging roster. Had they stayed the course and not let Drury become buds with Dolan this would be a different situation.
Trouba basically cost the team last year in the playoffs. That’s how bad he had been playing, which carried into this year.
I think in hockey, just like in any other business, there are senior leaders that don’t hire people based on stats or empirical evidence, but whether or not they pass the vibe check. It’s entirely possible that Chris Drury signed these guys because he likes their personalities or their style of play. It’s entirely possible that that works for many sports teams, like there’s always this X Factor that the best GMs can find beyond the stat sheet. But in the case of the Rangers, it just didn’t come together.
But it DID come together…..last year!
Kreider ($2M retained) to Dallas for Justin Hryckowian and 2026 2nd.
A bunch of socalled team players that are unhappy with management decisions and they quit on everybody, Including the fanbase. Real classy!
Man, what a disappointment this year. Trading Kakko was such a boneheaded move that will come to haunt them (he was basically the best Ranger this year), but then again, they didn’t develop him or give him any opportunity — which means the whole system is rotten to the core. Stuck with Mika at 8.5 on an NMC until the end of the decade — what the f do you even do? The defense is made up of (1) disinterested former Norris winner, Schneider who is fine, (1) broken body, (1) former forward with no defensive instinct, and (2) AHLers. They can’t keep high-danger chances away from the goalies (who have been mediocre despite their history) and their scoring has completely dried up.
No one in the A that deserves a call-up besides Othmann who just got back from injury. Maybe bring BO Groulx up lol. Maybe bring Robertson up to replace Lindgren? I don’t have a lot of faith in Zac Jones — he has skill but too small — or Mancini. You gotta get rid of Lavy — still trotting Mika out at 18:58 of the third period when Fil has been tearing it up. And definitely get rid of Housley. No defensive structure whatsoever.
You have to fire Drury at this point before he does something dumb like trade Fil. Not to be all doom and gloom, but I don’t see them pulling a Devils and shoring up their issues in the offseason with Mika being paid like a 1C but playing like an ECHLer. Not sure why the league’s fans hate the Rangers so much (I don’t see as much hate even for the Leafs), but they are LOVING this.
Smug. That’s why. One cup since WW2 and they always go on and on about what a storied franchuse they are.
I mean, I think we know we’re cursed lol. I really don’t know any smug Rangers fans for that reason. I think of being a Rangers fan as pain, except for one little relief back in 94.
Dunno man, maybe it’s the broadcasters and announcers giving that vibe. Certainly doesn’t help with 94 being rubbed in everyone’s nose for 30 years by nhl network every 5 minutes via Messier
So you should have a problem with the broadcasters?
Agree here with DevilShark, media saturation is same reason so many people used to hate the Atlanta Braves. Some people also hate anything related to New York City, since NYC also gets overwhelming media coverage, and the regional personality that rubs many people the wrong way. And of course, everyone hates Dolan too. Lots of reasons for people to hate the Rangers.
It’s really easy to hate the Original Six teams because of how hard sports media goons for them. They act like these are sacred teams that are owed to Stanley Cup every single year, when in reality, we’re at a point where the expansion teams of the 70s are 50 plus years old. Hell, even the Sharks and Ducks are 30 plus now. Even the Jackets are 25 years old at this point. All of these franchises are stored and venerated in their own way. Well except maybe the Jackets.
Any time there’s turmoil in Rangers land I Love it. 1994, 1994,
Shoot the puck Barry !!!
Mattaeu,! Mattaeu,! Mattaeu! Mattaeu!!!
Do you believe in miracles………Yes!!! Oops wrong team.
Sir I think you are having a psychiatric episode.
Not me and haven’t met any others like that. Been disappointed too many times to ever gloat about them.
Works both ways. Every time I see that I cringe as it’s a reminder as to how long it’s been.
If they’re showing it for historical perspective, why not grab some Oilers highlights from the 80s.
Even some (most?) of us Rangers fans hate Dolan.
Surprisingly, haven’t seen much hate for the grand daddy of all the Original 6: Montreal. Maybe I’m not reading the comments in the right articles.
All. All of us hate Dolan.
The only other team that gets even a modicum of the hatred the Rangers get is the Bruins — the Leafs, Habs, Hawks, and Wings are all pretty safe. And if it’s from a hating all things NYC perspective, I guess I understand, because NJ and LI aren’t really all that exciting of places so there’s a kind of location-based insecurity. I don’t live in NYC by the way, though I used to. Root for them from the other side of the continent these days.
See that, that’s it. Judging others as inferior. That embodies the general smugness people love to hate.
I’m just joshin’ ya, DevilShark.
LOL, OK. I thought that could be true, but I didn’t want to speak for everyone.
@frozen – glad you’re not making the calls for them. Couldn’t be so far off from your analysis. Would you be saying all this last year? Of course not. Same team.
The Rangers wretched state will obviously have consequences. But *any* story based on Larry Brooks’ “reporting” is nonsense. He’s just a s***-disturber, and you people in TO should know that. The guy who floated picking Tkachuk off of Ottawa as if it were even a remote possibility has no insight into anything except his own wishes.
For years said if Kreider is a leader you are in trouble. Laviolette history first year with a team is the best.
The problem is these long term no trade contracts. Mika was never a 1c. These are guys that care and I guarantee he wants to produce for himself, his teammates, and the fans but he’s not and Laviolette continues to throw him out there rather then sit him in street clothes for a week and just watch to clear his head. Mika seems like he’s going through motions and can’t figure out a way out of his season long slump. Unfortunately he’s untradeable even if he picks a few teams to go to. The long term contract they just gave Igor is also a huge problem. They could have tried to move him for a few high end picks and players if they realized like most fans realized this team even if it were to make the playoffs is not good enough to win right now as presently constructed and win in the near future with the limited cap space to make the necessary changes. They do need to rebuild even if it’s a semi rebuild and it starts with the defense. They need draft picks also and hopefully they can get a shot at the lotteries top 3 picks to draft Hagens to be the teams franchise center, Schaefer as a top 4 D, or Porter Martone as a needed front line RW. They need to take a few steps back here this year and next to reload.
Maybe Mika would wave for the Isles and stay in NYC
Mika (retain $1.5M ) for Nelson + Engvall + 2nd
Maybe they should fire Drury and get Chuck Fletcher….careful what you ask for Ranger Faithful.
A number of us wanted Knoblauch, but that ship has sailed.
Agree. Many of us wanted Knoblauch since he stepped in for David Quinn when Quinn went down with Covid and Knob led the team to four wins in five games.
They do not want to play for Drury anymore.
They don’t play for him. They play for PL. Besides, I don’t see them complaining about him when they sign those big contracts he’s handing out.
Think about it.
Drury didn’t sign most of those guys; Gorton did.