NHL insider speculates ‘tight-lipped’ Rangers will fire coach Peter Laviolette, keep GM Chris Drury
The New York Rangers aren’t exactly looping Pierre LeBrun in about their offseason plans, especially when it comes to who will or won’t be canned once this dumpster fire of a season finally comes to an end.
But the NHL insider for TSN and The Athletic has been doing his homework on the Rangers and concluded that coach Peter Laviolette will be fired, but general manager Chris Drury will remain on with the organization.
This is purely speculative, given the fact that the Rangers haven’t given any indication about their plans for either’s future. So, take it for what it’s worth.
Let’s start with the coach.
“I can tell you that there’s absolutely no word out of the Rangers, themselves,” LeBrun said in a conversation with TSN’s Gino Reda on Insider Trading. “Very tight-lipped about what might transpire here over the next week, or so. But in talking to other people around the League, the low-hanging fruit, the expectations from a lot of people I’ve talked to is that Peter Laviolette could get fired.
“He’s got another year on his deal, so certainly not a sure thing. But when you look at the body language and the performance of the team over the last month, again, when I’ve talked to other people around the League, that’s probably the easiest conclusion, and so, we’ll see whether or not that happens.”
That’s certainly not a hot take, nor is there anything definitive in LeBrun’s statement. Really, that and $2.90 will get you a one-way subway ride to Madison Square Garden to watch the Rangers play their final home game next week.
But do trust the source. LeBrun just doesn’t throw stuff against the wall and hope it sticks when speaking publicly on any topic, much less someone’s employment status. It’s well thought out and reasoned, and, as he said, backed up by speaking with other key people from around the NHL.
And it’s not a shocker. Laviolette’s job security has been in question ever since the 4-15-0 freefall in November and December. The heat’s been raised down the stretch when the second wild card in the Eastern Conference was right there for the taking, but the Rangers instead stumbled badly (6-9-2 in their past 17 games). There were some atrocious losses in that mix, and Laviolette’s often looked lost — lost for words to explain what’s happening, lost for answers behind the bench as things spiraled quickly in games.
Not even a 9-2 thrashing of their archrival Islanders on Thursday has cooled the hot seat Laviolette sits in. The Rangers (37-35-7) can be eliminated from playoff contention if they fail to win out over their final three games or if the Montreal Canadiens earn just one point in their last four contests.
That’s a stunning fall from a year ago, when Laviolette guided the Rangers to the Presidents’ Trophy, as well as franchise records for wins (55) and points (114). He also had the Rangers two wins from reaching the Stanley Cup Final before losing in six games to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.
Should the Rangers fail to qualify for the playoffs, they’ll become only the fourth team in NHL history to win the Presidents’ Trophy one year and not make the playoffs the next. That list includes the 1992-93 Rangers — and you know what they did the following season, in 1993-94, after a coaching change, it should be noted.
Related: Why Rangers face dilemma with conditional 1st-round pick in 2025 draft they traded away
Pierre LeBrun believes Chris Drury ‘should be okay’ to remain Rangers general manager
So, what about Drury? The Rangers were largely very successful in his first three seasons as general manager, making the playoffs each time, and twice advancing to the conference final.
This season, he’s become a target for his heavy-handed approach to changing the roster and trying to improve New York’s salary-cap situation. Though there’s plenty of work to be done in each area, Drury has by and large done a good job retooling on the fly while managing the cap.
But the way he handled the exits of veteran leaders Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba, not to mention that leaked memo to other GMs that he was looking to trade Chris Kreider, caused a major situation within the Rangers dressing room.
So, yes, Drury’s fingerprints are all over this failed season, too. As LeBrun stated, “it’s led to this malaise that has hung around that team all year long. They’ve just been off.”
So what about the GM?
“My sense there is that he should be okay. I think there’s a lot of loyalty from Jim Dolan, the owner,” LeBrun explained. “Chris Drury was pretty busy out of the trade deadline, too, really kind of setting up his offseason with a lot of moves he made. I think Chris Drury plans to be aggressive in trying to retool the Rangers again here this summer.”
If that’s the case, does Drury have full say on whether Laviolette remains the coach? He’s remained loyal to Laviolette this season, trading away players, not firing his coach. Or does he need to bring Dolan somebody’s scalp to pay for one of the most disappointing seasons in Rangers history?
If this scenario does play out — where Drury remains and Laviolette is fired — it puts the GM on the firing line moving forward. Drury would be hiring his third coach in four years. At some point that catches up with a general manager.
More About:New York Rangers News