New York Rangers Daily: Seeking answers at break-up day; Gabriel Landeskog could end 3-year absence
The holiday weekend is over. Coach Peter Laviolette was fired. And now the New York Rangers officially say goodbye to the 2024-25 season and depart for an early summer vacation with break-up day on Monday.
Each player will meet with general manager Chris Drury, take a physical and clean out his locker after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
Many players — though not all — will also meet with reporters.
It will will be fascinating to hear how honest players are assessing exactly what the hell went wrong this season, both individually and collectively. Will anyone be able to pinpoint exactly where and how it all came undone so completely?
How about the coaching change? Since Laviolette’s already out, will anyone take a shot at the departed coach? Or at least explain why this group tuned out its leader just one season removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy?
We’re going to hear a lot of cliches Monday about needing to be better, this season wasn’t good enough, blah. blah. But who’s going to open up, pull back the curtain on how the dysfunction set in? Anyone?
Chris Kreider’s media session is the most anticipated. He’s avoided reporters most of the season since his name leaked out among those Drury specifically was looking to trade. Most believe he scored his last goal with the Rangers in their season finale, a 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
He still has two years left on his contract. Does Kreider want to go, start fresh elsewhere?
So many questions. But how many answers will we actually get Monday?
Subscribe to the RINK RAP podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page
New York Rangers news
Here’s a list of coaching candidates for the Rangers to consider.
Laviolette was the one fired, but Drury took his fair share of blame for the Rangers mess this season.
And let’s not forget the lack of Rangers leadership in the dressing room and on the ice this season.
On the bright side, in case you missed it this weekend, Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck scored his 20th goal in Hartford’s final game of the AHL season. That’s a pretty darn good rookie pro season for the 6-foot-7 20-year-old center.
NHL news and rumors
Gabriel Landeskog could be in the lineup for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars on Monday after missing three years of action due to knee issues. He could replace forward Ross Colton, who sustained a lower-body injury in Colorado’s Game 1 victory.
Laviolette wasn’t the only NHL coach fired this weekend. Greg Cronin was canned by the Anaheim Ducks after two seasons despite a 21-point improvement in 2024-25.
Some good news for the Winnipeg Jets. Forward Gabe Vilardi, who’s been out with an upper-body injury since March 23, skated in a no-contact jersey at practice Sunday, taking another step forward to return during the playoffs.
How’s this for tough? Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson played the final 12 games of the season with a broken fibula after blocking a shot in late March.
It’s looking like Matthew Tkachuk should be good to go for the Florida Panthers when they open the postseason against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Tkachuk has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Core 4 (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander) combined for nine points in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ series-opening 6-2 win against the Ottawa Senators.
The Senators were short-handed six times and surrendered three power-play goals in the loss. Ottawa coach Travis Green wasn’t happy with how Toronto was “selling” some of the penalties, though.
It wasn’t a pretty start to the playoffs for the New Jersey Devils Devils, who were trucked by the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in the opener of that best-of-7 series, despite 41 saves by goalie Jacob Markstrom.
The undermanned Devils lost defenseman Brenden Dillon and forward Cody Glass to unspecified injuries during Game 1. Luke Hughes also left the game for a bit in the third period, but returned to action.
Former Rangers center Brett Howden scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights held off the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in Game 1 of their series.
Howden also ran into linesman Bryan Pancich and knocked him out of the game in the second period.
Highly-touted defenseman prospect Zeev Buium made his NHL debut for the Wild in the loss. He logged over 13 minutes TOI and “did some good things,” per coach John Hynes.
Watch Logan Stankoven scored a pair of goals for the Hurricanes in Game 1 against the Devils.
More About:New York Rangers News