Acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Ryan Lindgren trade March 1, de Haan played well in three straight games for the Rangers, who were 2-0-1 with him in the lineup while trying to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 34-year-old played his typical steady game, chipping in with an assist and posting a plus-4 rating as he averaged better than 15 minutes TOI.

The Rangers had an expected goals share of 60.17 percent with de Haan on the ice 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick.

🎙️Episode #341: Calvin de Haan

– Rangers comments
– Behind the Rantanen trade
– Tavares leaving the island
– 2nd round matchups
– Game 7 recaps

➕ Much more

🎧: https://t.co/usZ5iG0pKG
📺: https://t.co/dAy1SVvVLt pic.twitter.com/4gacD1vVpl

— The Cam & Strick Podcast (@CamandStrick) May 6, 2025

So, in line with this trainwreck of a season for the Rangers, Peter Laviolette scratched de Haan in every game the rest of the season — 20 straight. Carson Soucy was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the trade deadline to eat into de Haan’s opportunities, and everyone from Urho Vaakanainen to Zac Jones to rookie Matthew Robertson the last two games of the season played ahead of de Haan.

“Was it frustrating? Of course. But the checks weren’t bouncing at the end of the day, so it could’ve been a lot worse. It didn’t suck,” de Haan said on the podcast.

The veteran of 679 NHL games and another 38 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, did say, “The Rangers were good to me, aside from not playing.”

That “not playing” part still sticks in de Haan’s craw, as they say. He firmly believes that he could’ve helped the Rangers win more and find a way into the postseason. Instead, he sat, watched and stewed as the Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.

“There was a rotation at some point of some d-men coming in and out of the lineup and I was like ‘F— yeah! Here we go! Here we go!’ And my name never fell into it, and then I kind of knew my season was cooked at that point,” de Haan explained.

“It was frustrating because I know my analytics were good. Every team in the NHL uses Sportslogiq, and my Sportslogiq numbers in the things we struggled in, I could’ve helped. Especially on the defensive side of things, giving up chances, rebound chances, Grade A chances. A lot of my numbers were strong in those categories and I’m like ‘F—, I could probably help the team.'”

Related: Peter Laviolette seeks NHL job, wants ‘opportunity to show people last year wasn’t on him’

Calvin de Haan surprisingly says Rangers GM Chris Drury ‘was good to me’ despite frustrations

De Haan’s frustrations did bubble over in what he believed to be an informal private back and forth with some reporters in South Florida after the Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in mid-April. The reporters tweeted his off-the-cuff remarks and unwittingly de Haan was trending on social media.

“To be honest I was going on to the ice (for practice) and there was no scrum or microphone. I thought I was having a conversation like we are right now,” de Haan explained. “I said a lot of it with a smile, too. If you guys get to know me down the line, you’ll know I’m sarcastic and I wear my heart on my sleeve.

“Next thing I know I’ve got a ton of text messages, people are like “Hey, well done, sticking up for yourself.’ I had no idea what was going on, so I pulled up my Twitter (X) and said, ‘Shit!'”

In that exchange with Rangers beat reporters, de Haan expressed he was “wasting time” at practice and that his Rangers tenure was “f—ed.”

He explained on the podcast that he immediately called general manager Chris Drury to explain.

“[Drury] was great. I thought it was the honorable thing to do to hear it from the horse’s mouth, so that’s why I called him,” de Haan said. “I just wanted to put the fire out. He’s a good guy, he was good to me. No issues.”

Let’s hear it Calvin de Haan 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/OSMT6jnalv

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 13, 2025

Despite all of the drama and frustration over not playing, de Haan is not ruling out a return to the Rangers. The defenseman is an unrestricted free agent and open to conversations with the Rangers, though that would appear to be a long shot.

“I’m still an employee of the Rangers,” de Haan noted. Well, at least until July 1.

Veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan was Rempe’s teammate for only six weeks after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1, but he was really impressed with the towering forward’s work ethic, skill and overall improvement.

“I was honestly shocked. He’s come a long way,” de Haan said on the Cam and Strick podcast. “And I might get some flack for this if some listeners are going to tell me he’s the worst hockey player on Planet Earth, but he can make a pass, man. I mean, he works hard in practice. He works to get better religiously, and it’s definitely shown. Like from playing against him to being his teammate, like I was shocked. I mean he can move, too. Straight lines, man, he’s f—ing going. He’s not slow.”

Matt Rempe is 2x the skater he was last season. pic.twitter.com/PBupsXrISz

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) March 17, 2025

After bursting on the scene as a raw physical force over 17 regular-season games and 11 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023-24, Rempe worked hard in the offseason to put himself in a spot to contend for regular playing time on the fourth line this season.

Things didn’t quite work out the way he hoped. Rempe was beaten out by another towering (6-foot-6) forward, Adam Edstrom, and played in three of the first 11 games. He was sent to Hartford of the American Hockey League at the start of November and received extended ice time, playing in all game situations, including special teams.

Rempe was called up to play one game with the Rangers between Nov. 1 and Dec. 20, missing most of the worst stretch of their season. Seeking a spark from the popular 22-year-old, the Rangers recalled Rempe during a 4-15-0 stretch. In his first game, Rempe received a major penalty for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen and was suspended for eight games.

NY Rangers’ Matt Rempe has been suspended for eight games for boarding/elbowing Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen. https://t.co/vzQPkU3JOg

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 22, 2024

That was his second lengthy suspension just 22 games into his NHL career. Things needed to change, and to Rempe’s credit, they did upon his return from the suspension. Rempe earned more ice time and responsibility as a lineup regular, playing all but five games (due to injury) from, Jan. 9 until the end of the season.

Rempe became a force. Not because he was dropping the gloves, which he did on occasion, but more so with a dynamic all-around game, full of effort, speed, physicality and smart play at both ends of the rink.

He had three goals and eight points over the final three months of the season, including his first multi-point game, a two-pointer (goal, assist) against the Florida Panthers on April 14. Rempe looked the part of a young player who could be counted on to shift momentum in games in a bottom-six role.

“He was playing with confidence at the end of the year,” de Haan noted. “It was great to see. I loved it. It was awesome.”

Related: Braden Schneider is ‘built to adapt,’ so could be key to Rangers offseason strategy

Calvin de Haan’s advice to Matt Rempe a Rangers benefit

Perhaps, de Haan played a small role in Rempe’s turnaround. The 13-year NHL veteran had some advice for the 6-foot-8 youngster shortly after arriving from Colorado.

“After I got there, I think he was just coming off a suspension and in a week there was another questionable hit in there, and I told him, ‘You’ve got to just stop hitting guys. Just run into them.’ There’s a difference, trust me. Just run into guys. Don’t try and hit them,” de Haan explained.

He noticed that Rempe’s elbows came up even higher when he attempted to deliver a big check and drive through an opponent. De Haan’s advice was that less is more, and a good way to avoid costly penalties and possible suspensions.

“He’s huge. He’s a gigantic guy. The simple physics alone, he’s going into the corner with a guy who’s six-feet (tall), he’s got six, seven, eight inches on the guy. Simple physics alone, his elbows are up higher,” de Haan noted. “Just literally run into guys. I know it sounds stupid but …”

Perhaps Rempe listened to the advice of de Haan. But there’s no question he was more mindful of how and when he delivered his hits the second half of the season. There was far less running around trying to land the game-changing hit, and more focus on remaining physical within the parameters of being a more complete hockey player.

“I think he’s done a good job becoming the ‘Rempire State Building’ there,” de Haan said. “He’s a great kid, awesome.”

Back on April 19, de Haan told reporters it’s “f____ed” how the Rangers treated him since he was acquired in a trade from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1. De Haan played three games and then was scratched the rest of the regular season (20 games), despite playing well and the Rangers posting a 2-0-1 mark in those games he played, including a pair of 4-0 shutout victories.

“Not much to assess, you know, I only played three games,” de Haan said at breakup day. “Obviously spoke my mind a week ago. A little frustrating, but it is what it is. Just moving on, going home to enjoy some time with friends and family, and enjoy the offseason. I’ll be getting in the gym somewhat quick, trying to be in the best possible shape for training camp wherever that may be, and go from there.”

It’s a bit of a head scratcher why de Haan sat for 20 consecutive games when the Rangers needed a win every night in their push to try and make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the Rangers acquired defenseman Carson Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks shortly after picking up de Haan, the veteran’s playing time dried up. Soucy, Urho Vaakanainen and Zac Jones all played ahead of de Haan, even when K’Andre Miller missed time due to injury.

After the trade, the notion was that de Haan would play, especially since it was Ryan Lindgren, a regular on the blue line, who was traded away.

“I was a part of a trade for a Ranger who was a good New York Ranger for a long time,” explained de Haan. “I was told I was going to be a part of the team moving forward and get an opportunity.”

De Haan voiced his frustration to the media with about a week left in the regular season, which went viral online. He got ahead of things, releasing a statement saying that he would dive more into the topic on breakup day.

While he had a lot to say, and was noticeably aggravated about the subject, this excerpt sums it up best.

“Guys who have been in my position for that long just want to play,” de Haan said. “If you’re not upset, you probably shouldn’t be in this line of work. If you’re just content with sitting on the sideline, that’s not a good thing in my opinion. I still have the fire. It is what it is, guys, it’s all good. No hard feelings to anyone in the organization. At the time it was just frustrating.”

Related: Igor Shesterkin believes ‘something broke this season’ for Rangers, causing lack of confidence

Calvin de Haan offers insight into Rangers: ‘This team should be in the playoffs’

De Haan won’t be back next season. He’s an unrestricted free agent and will be looking for a new NHL home in 2025-26. The 33-year-old has played for five teams during the past four seasons.

His assessment of the Rangers is a valued one, considering his experience. It’s also a bit surprising.

“It’s a good bunch of guys here,” de Haan said. “Guys like each other off the ice. I don’t think that’s a pressing issue, to blow everything up. A lot of good guys here. I think the stars need to align at times, and you need a bounce here and there.”

But was it just poor puck luck that sabotaged the Rangers during this miserable season, especially during their failed playoff push?

“There were definitely times that I saw where it was just not cohesive maybe, on the ice,” continued de Haan. “On the ice, for sure, it was frustrating to see some of the goals we were letting in. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, this is a group of five on the ice that were letting in goals, but then there were flashes of brilliance where you’re like, this team should be in the playoffs, frankly.”

It’s still hard to fathom that the Rangers are not in the playoffs, not one of the eight best teams in the Eastern Conference. Just a year ago they were the Presidents’ Trophy winners, the beasts of the East, the team to beat.

Now they’re the biggest disappointment of the 2024-25 season. So, what comes next for de Haan and the Rangers?

“There’ll be some changes, obviously. Maybe I’ll be around, maybe not, who knows,” he said. “Going into next year, the bar will still be set high for this organization — and it should be. There’s good players here.”

General manager Chris Drury started the moves during the offseason by waiving veteran forward Barclay Goodrow, who was quickly claimed by the San Jose Sharks, his former team. With the Rangers struggling in early December, Drury traded his captain, defenseman Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks – and made another deal two weeks later, sending forward Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, to the Seattle Kraken.

The Rangers GM then swung for the fences on Jan. 31, bringing back former Rangers center J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks in a trade that cost the Blueshirts two young players and their first-round pick in the 2025 or 2026 draft.

The week leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7 was also a busy one for Drury, who made four trades in seven days – most notably a deal that sent defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche for veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan and center Juuso Parssinen.

But all the moves didn’t achieve the desired result – the Rangers became the fourth team in NHL history to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL regular-season champion.

Related: 13 former Rangers playing in 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including Mats Zuccarello

Who won, who lost in Rangers’ trades during 2024-25 season

So did Drury’s wheeling and dealing cost the Rangers a playoff berth or keep them in the hunt longer than they might have been otherwise? Or was he just shuffling bodies on a bad team? Here’s a look at his 2024-25 moves.

Dec. 6, 2024: Rangers trade defenseman Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft

The Rangers tried to trade Trouba during the summer but were unable to work out a deal when the the 30-year-old strategically made it impossible for a trade by invoking his no-move clause. With the veteran defenseman’s game in a state of decline and his $8 million average annual value contract lasting through 2025-26, Drury continued to look for a taker. He found one on Dec. 6 when Trouba was sent to Anaheim for Vaakanainen and a mid-round pick in 2025.

The best part of the deal for the Rangers was the fact that the Ducks took Trouba’s entire contract; the Rangers avoided having to eat any of his salary. That freed them to sign star goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million ($11.5 million AAV) contract extension, making him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.

The Rangers also landed Urho Vaakanainen in the trade.

Neither defenseman was an impact player with his new team, though Vaakanainen did supply some surprising offense.

Trouba had six assists and was minus-3 in 24 games with the Rangers, then had a goal and seven assists in 53 games with Anaheim, finishing minus-5. His average ice time was about the same – 20:00 with New York and 20:45 with the Ducks. He did finish second in the NHL with a combined total of 208 blocked shots.

Vaakanainen had one assist in five games with Anaheim after recovering from an injury; he put up 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) and was plus-8 in 46 games with the Rangers, mostly in a third-pair role. He averaged 16:45 of ice time, more than three minutes per game higher than with the Ducks. The Rangers signed him to a two-year, $3.1 million contract ($1.55 million AAV) on March 7.

Getting Trouba’s salary off the books was a bigger bonus for the Rangers than anything Vaakanainen did on the ice.

Dec. 18, 2024: Rangers trade forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken for defenseman Will Borgen plus third- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft

The Rangers waited five-plus seasons for Kakko to live up to his draft status as the second player chosen in the 2019 draft. He appeared to be on his way to his best season in the first few weeks of 2024-25, combining with Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil to form perhaps the best third line in the NHL.

But his production deteriorated after Chytil was injured and Cuylle moved up in the lineup, and with Trouba’s departure leaving a hole on the blue line, Drury opted to bring in Borgen, a veteran bottom-four defenseman, while giving Kakko a new opportunity in Seattle.

It was an apples-and-oranges kind of trade, one that likely left both sides happy.

Borgen formed a solid second pair with K’Andre Miller for much of the season. The 28-yearold signed a five-year, $20.5 million contract with the Rangers on Jan. 25 and finished with 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and a plus-9 rating in 51 games with New York.

But the Kraken, looking for young talent, are happy with Kakko, who had 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games after the trade. For the season, he finished with a career-high 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) in 79 games – the first time he’s averaged more than half a point per game — while getting steady top-six ice time.

Jan. 31, 2025: Rangers trade center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a first-round pick in the 2025 or 2026 NHL Draft to the Vancouver Canucks for center J.T. Miller and defensemen Eric Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington

This is the one trade that looks like a solid win for the Rangers.

The Rangers brought back their No. 1 pick from the 2011 draft nearly seven years after trading him to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who wheeled him to the Canucks in June 2019. Miller became an offensive force in Vancouver, averaging more than a point a game in five-plus seasons and topping out with 103 points (37 goals, 66 assists) in 2023-24.

But with Miller and fellow center Elias Pettersson reportedly not getting along, the Canucks opted to deal Miller midway through the season, getting a package that included Chytil, an injury-prone third-line center with upside, Mancini, a rookie defenseman, and a top-13 protected first-round pick in 2025 – which the Canucks quickly traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

Miller invigorated the Rangers both on the score sheet and with his gritty style of play. He finished with 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 32 games and was a big reason the Rangers got as close to the playoffs as they did. The only risk is that he’s 32 and signed to a long-term deal. But for the immediate future, there’s no reason he won’t continue to thrive.

Chytil’s path to NHL success has been derailed by injuries, including at least four concussions with the Rangers. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in 15 games for the Canucks but Chytil didn’t play after March 15, when he sustained another head injury. Mancini, who turns 23 next month, was in and out of the lineup with Vancouver, finishing with one goal and two assists in 16 games after putting up a goal and four assists in 16 games with the Rangers.

March 1, 2025: Rangers trade defenseman Ryan Lindgren, forward Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Hank Kempf to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen, plus second- and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft

The Rangers had obviously decided they weren’t going to re-sign free agents Lindgren, a defenseman who was showing the effects of his physical style of play, and Vesey, who spent much of the season as an extra forward. Drury shipped them plus Kempf, a college defenseman, to the Avs. Lindgren averaged 19:00 in 18 games, producing two goals and an assist. Vesey was a spare part in Colorado, just as he was in New York.

It’s likely that Drury was more interested in the draft picks than the players who came to the Rangers. De Haan played just three games for the Blueshirts before being a healthy scratch for the remainder of the season. It was something de Haan wasn’t happy about, and expressed his frustrations publicly last weekend. Parssinen, who Colorado had acquired from the Nashville Predators at midseason, showed flashes of promise, putting up two goals and five points in his final three games, but the jury is still out on his future with the Rangers.

The biggest winners were Lindgren and Vesey, who found themselves on a team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers knew they needed at least six points in their four games last week to have any hope of getting to the last two games with any hope of making the playoffs. Although they buried the New York Islanders under a blizzard of goals in a 9-2 win at UBS Arena on April 10, they were the team surrendering goals in bunches during the other three games.

Instead, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes combined to outscore the Rangers 20-9 in three losses for the Blueshirts. Their playoff dreams officially ended Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, when the Hurricanes jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the way to a 7-3 victory.

There’s frustration throughout the organization after arguably the most disappointing regular season since 1992-93, when the Rangers failed to qualify for the postseason after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 1991-92 – just as they did this season.

One of the most frustrated players is defenseman Calvin de Haan, who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1. He began to voice his frustrations Sunday at an optional practice after being a healthy scratch for the past 18 games (and likely for the final two as well) – they are 6-10-2 in those games. Rest assured that de Haan, who can become a free agent on July 1, won’t be back in the fall.

Coach Peter Laviolette, who’s been the subject of numerous rumors that he won’t be back next season, said the early summer vacation is the price the Rangers have to pay for missing their chances to win the “Turtle Derby.”

“It’s disappointing for everybody,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t anybody’s plan coming into the year, especially coming off of last year. Yet here we are. We had opportunities in the last 20 games to make our own noise and make our own way, and we didn’t do that. So, it’s on us. We needed to be better.”

Who’s hot

J.T. Miller had a goal and assist in the loss to Carolina, giving him six points (two goals, four assists) during a four-game point streak. Miller has 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 30 games since the Rangers acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. He has 11 multi-point games since the trade.

Artemi Panarin had seven points (three goals, four assists) in the four games last week. He needs three goals to hit 40 for the second straight season and one point to get to 90 for the fifth time in six seasons as a Ranger; his only miss came in the 56-game 2020-21 season.

Who’s not

Chris Kreider will spend the summer trying to forget this season. He scored his 22nd goal in the 8-5 loss to the Flyers on April 9, but that was his only point during the four-game week. That he has just five assists in 66 games is almost incomprehensible.

Igor Shesterkin is another player who can’t see this season end soon enough. The soon-to-be highest-paid goalie in NHL history when his massive contract kicks in next season is 26-29-5 and will finish with a sub-.500 record for the first time since coming to the NHL in 2019-20. His current goals-against average (2.91) and save percentage (.903) are career worsts. He hasn’t gotten a lot of help from his teammates: Shesterkin has been buried under a barrage of Grade A chances while playing behind a team whose defense often leaks like a sieve – entering this week, he’s seen a League-high 1,724 shots in his 60 appearances.

Related: Mark Messier believes ‘spirit was missing’ for Rangers during massively disappointing season

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

Two more games, both against playoff-bound teams from the state of Florida, before heading home for the summer.

Rangers at Florida Panthers (April 14, 7 p.m.; MSG)

Unfortunately for the Rangers, they’re playing their final two games against teams that have something to play for.

The defending Stanley Cup champs are battling with the Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division and need a win in their home finale to have a chance to finish ahead of the Bolts; the teams meet Tuesday in Tampa. With the intra-state rivals likely to meet in the first round of the playoffs and home ice still up for grabs, the Panthers desperately need a win.

It will be a night to remember for defenseman Matthew Robertson. The Rangers’ second-round pick (No. 49) in 2019 will make his NHL debut after four seasons in the minors when he steps onto the ice at Amerant Bank Arena. The 24-year-old is getting the chance to play because the Rangers shut down another young defenseman, Braden Schneider, who’s been playing through an upper-body injury.

Laviolette might give backup goaltender Jonathan Quick one last chance to play this season – Quick is 12-5-0 lifetime against the Panthers with a 2.48 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Rangers (April 17, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)

The Lightning will root for the Rangers on Monday before they come to Madison Square Garden for the second time in 10 days, this time for a game against a team that’s going nowhere except home for the summer. They enter the week two points behind the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division and two ahead of the third-place Panthers.

The Bolts are going for a sweep of the three-game season series after polishing off the Rangers 5-1 on April 7, when the Rangers left the ice serenaded by boos – an increasingly common occurrence.

Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov passed injured center Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche for sole possession of the NHL scoring lead after scoring two goals and assisting on another in a 7-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Entering the week, Kucherov has 119 points (36 goals, 83 assists), including a goal and two assists in the win at MSG last week – matching his performance in a 6-2 Lightning win at Amalie Arena on Dec. 28. The defending NHL scoring champion has 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists) in 29 career games against the Rangers.

If the game means anything to the Lightning, they figure to use starter Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Rangers are one of two teams with a winning record against the two-time Stanley Cup winner; he’s 6-8-2 against New York with a 2.86 GAA and .910 save percentage.

Just not quite yet.

Beat writers Mollie Walker (New York Post) and Peter Baugh (The Athletic) each reported that de Haan had a few choice words about his situation with the Rangers on his way to the ice for an optional practice in South Florida on Sunday.

The 13-year NHL veteran reportedly said that it’s “f—-d” how the Rangers have treated him since he was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1, as part of the Ryan Lindgren trade. He also reportedly said “just wasting time,” perhaps about taking part in practice after being a healthy scratch for 18 straight games.

De Haan told the reporters he’d speak with them after practice. However, after speaking to a member of the Rangers public relations staff, he begged off and said he’d speak another day, likely on breakup day later in the week.

Because his initial comments were posted on social media, de Haan posted a lengthy statement on X (formerly Twitter) to explain himself.

“I’m not trying to be the villain or gain attention or throw shade on the organization, I would have preferred a scrum setting to chat about how my time with the Rangers has gone,” de Haan stated in part. “As a player you have to respect the lineup decisions whether you like them or not, it’s just been frustrating not being able to compete and do what I love to do. I hope everyone understands.”

Going to get ahead of this now…

I was hoping that I would have been able to express in a scrum setting versus a quote as I was going onto the ice and having it on the Internet 30 seconds later. I said what I said because I am frustrated , and any competitor who says that they…

— Calvin de Haan (@cal_dehaan) April 13, 2025

Related: Mark Messier believes ‘spirit was missing’ for Rangers during this miserable season

Rangers will turn to rookie Matthew Robertson instead of Calvin de Haan against Panthers

It seems that de Haan held his tongue until the Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention, which they were Saturday following a 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 33-year-old played three games in a row after the trade, and the Rangers snagged five of six points (2-0-1). He hasn’t played since, after Carson Soucy was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in a pre-deadline trade. The Rangers are 6-10-2 in the past 18 games without de Haan in the lineup.

Soucy, Urho Vaakanainen and Zac Jones each have received playing time instead of de Haan, who had one assist and was plus-4 in the three games he played with the Rangers. He had seven assists and was minus-8 in 44 games earlier this season with the Avalanche.

“Did I help win those games I played, maybe? Maybe not? But we still won and collected some crucial points to climb the standings,” de Haan said in his statement. “I understand the youth movement in the NHL, and I’m getting older in hockey years and I may not play every single night. I feel like I can still contribute and help teams win. I know I’m not going to play 20 minutes a night in the role I’ve been in the past few years, but again I feel like I can still keep up and help a team in certain facets of the game.”

Maybe the final straw for de Haan was that the Rangers recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday and coach Peter Laviolette said the 24-year-old will make his NHL debut against the Florida Panthers on Monday.

Braden Schneider won’t play the final two games of the season because of an upper-body injury. The Rangers were carrying two extra defensemen before electing to sit Schneider, but added Robertson to give him an opportunity with nothing on the line for the Blueshirts.

De Haan is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Since he is not part of New York’s future, it makes sense to get a look at Robertson instead.

The Rangers close out the season Thursday at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. So, de Haan should have the chance to get things off his chest either Friday or Saturday.

Having spent much of his freshman season on the fourth line for Western Michigan University, Ty Henricks can add a new word to his playing resume: Champion. Henricks had two shots on goal and a minor penalty for slashing Friday when the Broncos defeated North Dakota 6-4 to capture their first Penrose Cup in program history as NCHC regular-season champions. Western Michigan also ensured it will be headed to the NCAA tournament with its 24th win of the season.

Henricks had his best game of the season Saturday, scoring twice in the third period during a span of 2:03 to give the Broncos a 3-2 lead. His first goal came at even strength after finding a loose puck and firing a shot into the open goal at 8:31.

Ty ties it!🔥#BroncosReign pic.twitter.com/UXDv7pEZZ5

— WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) March 2, 2025

Western Michigan took the lead at 10:34 when Henricks fired a one-time shot past the North Dakota goalie for his second goal of the game.

Twice as nice! 🏒🔥

Ty Henricks buries his second of the night to keep WMU rolling!#BroncosReign pic.twitter.com/hEbIqGmXua

— WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) March 2, 2025

North Dakota came back to win 4-3 in overtime. Henricks finished the game with two goals on five shots and a plus-2 rating. The freshman winger improved his season totals to five goals and five assists for 10 points in 31 games played.

The Broncos finish the regular season March 7 and 8 at Miami of Ohio, and will begin the NCHC playoffs as the No. 1 seed. They are fourth in the USCHO.com Men’s Division I Poll and fifth in PairWise Rankings with a record of 24-7-1.

Minnesota captured a share of the Big Ten Conference championship over the weekend. The Gophers lost 4-3 in overtime Friday to Penn State. Junior Brody Lamb did not have a shot on goal. Lamb recorded one face-off win Saturday during a 5-3 victory. He sits at 16 goals and nine assists for 25 points in 35 games played. With an overall record of 24-8-4, Minnesota is third in the USCHO Poll and third in PairWise. The Golden Gophers will host Notre Dame in a best-of-three Big Ten playoff series beginning March 7.

Related: Hartford Wolf Pack weekly — Jaroslav Chmelar, Dylan Roobroeck step up

Rangers top prospect Gabe Perreault finishing season strong for Boston College

In Hockey East play, 2023 first-round pick Gabe Perreault had two assists with three shots on goal, one blocked shot, and a plus-2 rating Friday when the Boston College Eagles defeated New Hampshire 4-1. In the second period, Perreault had the primary assist on BC’s first goal, an even-strength goal which tied the game at 1-1. It was Perreault’s 30th assist this season. The sophomore added another assist in the third period on Boston College’s third goal to put the game away.

Teammate Drew Fortescue was credited with the primary assist on BC’s fourth goal, an empty-netter with 2:37 remaining. It was the defenseman’s 10th point, all assists, this season.

The Eagles skated to a 1-1 overtime tie against New Hampshire on Saturday before gaining an extra standings point via a shootout win. With his team trailing 1-0 in the third period and on a power play, Perreault fired the puck just over the goal line to tie the game up at 1-1 for his 13th goal of the season.

Perreault ties it up and Powell picks up his 100th career point with the primary assist!

Watch on @ESPNPlus | https://t.co/2kwsFhxFKs pic.twitter.com/YBkaHj23b1

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 2, 2025

The goal improved Perreault’s season totals to 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points in 33 games played. He is tied for the team lead in points, and tied for seventh nationally in scoring. Fortescue had one blocked shot in the game.

Boston College is at the top of the USCHO Poll and PairWise Rankings with an overall record of 25-6-2. Merrimack College is the final regular season opponent Saturday for Senior Day. A regulation win over the Warriors would clinch the Hockey East regular-season title for Boston College and a first round bye in the conference tournament.

In other Hockey East action, defenseman Jackson Dorrington had two shots on goal and one blocked shot Friday when Northeastern lost to UConn 5-2. The junior had one shot on goal, a minor penalty for roughing, and was a minus-3 during a 7-1 loss Saturday. This was the third straight loss for Northeastern, which fell to 11-18-3 overall. The Huskies conclude the regular season with games at Merrimack on Thursday and Senior Night against Providence College on Saturday.

Harvard captain Zakary Karpa won 10 of 20 face-offs Friday in a 4-3 victory over Yale on Friday. The senior center was a minus-1 with no shots on goal. Playing in his final regular-season game for the Crimson, Karpa had an assist when they played to a 3-3 overtime tie against Brown before losing in the shootout.

Karpa earned the primary assist on Harvard’s first goal to finish the regular season with six points (all assists) in 27 games played. Harvard concluded the regular season with an overall record of 11-15-3 and will host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this Friday in a single elimination game to determine who advances to the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals.

2024 first-round pick EJ Emery did not play for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in their series against Western Michigan University due to an injury. Emery has a single assist in 30 games played during his freshman season. North Dakota is currently outside of the NCAA tournament field with an 18-13-2 overall record and 18th place in both the USCHO Poll and PairWise Rankings. The Fighting Hawks conclude NCHC regular season play at home against Omaha.

Swedish defenseman Rasmus Larsson missed his fourth straight game for the Northern Michigan Wildcats due to injury, and his freshman season came to an end then they finished ninth in CCHA standings, missing out on the conference playoffs. Larsson was without a point for his first 25 games before finishing with three goals in his last four games played. The Wildcats were 62nd out of 64 teams in PairWise Rankings with an overall record of 5-27-2.

Cornell defenseman Hank Kempf is no longer in the Rangers organization. He was included in the trade which sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche in return for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen, and conditional second and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 2021 seventh-round pick scored four goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 127 career NCAA games with the Big Red.

What that means in the Eastern Conference playoff race is that the Rangers slipped out of a postseason berth, but just barely. They’re percentage points behind the Ottawa Senators, who secured two points Wednesday with an overtime win over he Chicago Blackhawks. The Rangers and Senators each have 67 points, but Ottawa is in the second wild card because it’s played one less game than New York.

We’ll have plenty more to report on this, but, man, that’s a big game between the Rangers and Senators on Saturday afternoon in Canada’s capital.

As for the game Wednesday, it was frustrating for the Rangers not to get that second point, especially since they were less than 10 minutes away from a regulation win. But the Capitals are first in the East and second overall in the NHL for a reason, and they shut down the Rangers in that third period, buying time for Alex Ovechkin to score the tying goal. The Rangers aren’t the first team he’s burned with a clutch goal this season or over the past two decades!

That bitter enemy Tom Wilson scored the winner at 4:07 of OT just adds to the pain of this loss for the Rangers, who are 7-3-1 in their past 11 games, but struggling to defeat the League’s best teams.

The Rangers were winless this season against the Capitals (0-2-1), though could flip that script should the Metro rivals meet this spring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Related: Winners, losers from bitter Rangers’ OT loss to Capitals

Three takeaways from Rangers OT loss to Capitals

Here are three takeaways from another a frustrating overtime loss for the Rangers on Wednesday.

1. Let’s get physical

In a tightly-played defensive game that had the feel of a playoff matchup, the physical play was ratcheted up by each team. There were 58 combined hits, two fights, numerous post-whistle skirmishes and plenty of ill will.

The Rangers set the tone in the first period, when they were credited with 16 hits. They finished with 36, and all but six skaters recorded at least one. Rookie Brennan Othmann, who was shaken up briefly by a Matt Roy hit from behind in the second period, led New York with six hits in just 11:07 TOI. Newcomer Calvin de Haan continues to impress after arriving from the Colorado Avalanche; he had five hits and three blocked shots in 14+ minutes of ice time. And Matt Rempe was a bull with four hits and a key blocked shot in the third period.

Sam Carrick and Brandon Duhaime drop the gloves 🥊 pic.twitter.com/oRO5sMOqux

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 6, 2025

Sam Carrick and Juuso Parssinen dropped the gloves for New York, which was up for this big challenge, even it ended up on the wrong side of the final score.

2. What’s up with the number 3?

It appears the number 3 is no friend of the Rangers. On Wednesday, for example, they blew a third (there’s a 3) and lost 3-2 (and another 3). It was their third (yup, 3 again) straight loss this season to the Capitals.

But here’s the real issue with the number 3. The Rangers cannot win three games in a row any more. They failed again Wednesday and haven’t won three straight since Nov. 14-19, three-plus (3 again) months ago. Wednesday was the sixth time they failed to extend a win streak to three games since mid-November.

3. Didn’t finish strong

The Rangers didn’t generate much offense all night, but it dried up completely in the third period, allowing the Capitals to tie it up. The Rangers had 13 shots through two periods, but managed only three in the third. The Capitals deserve credit here for a strong commitment to defending tightly in five-man groups, but the Rangers didn’t win nearly enough puck battles in the O-zone nor get to the net enough to create traffic in front of Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren.

In overtime, the Rangers had one shot, and it was a beaut. Zac Jones was all alone in the low slot with the game on his stick less than a minute into OT. But Lindgren made the game-saving stop. That was that.

“He was solid. Tonight, as far as puck play goes and defending hard in the zone, I thought he was our best D tonight,” Bednar said postgame. “It’s not flashy, he’s not gonna wow you, but he’s effective getting things done.”

Lindgren played his first game with the Avalanche in a 4-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even though he was wearing a sweater other than the Blueshirt for the first time in 388 NHL games, it was familiar territory for Lindgren to play against the Penguins, a Metropolitan Division rival of the Rangers.

But instead of playing with Adam Fox on defense, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad up front and Igor Shesterkin in net, Lindgren’s new team featured its own stars, led by defenseman Cale Makar and forward Nathan MacKinnon.

Lindgren logged 20:33 TOI, including 1:52 on the penalty kill. He had one hit and one blocked shot. But his underlying numbers weren’t great.

Per Natural Stat Trick, the Avalanche were outshot 14-7 with Lindgren on the ice 5v5 and out-chanced 7-2, though he was not on for either a goal for or against. His xGF was not pretty, 24.14 percent.

COL #GoAvsGo Game Score Report Card vs PIT – 2025-03-04

Best Players: Artturi Lehkonen / Cale Makar
Worst Players: Miles Wood / Ryan Lindgren pic.twitter.com/fx4FsCXwLH

— HockeyIceStorm (@HockeyIceStorm) March 5, 2025

Still, Bednar was pleased with what he saw from Lindgren, and the defenseman appeared satisfied with his debut, as well.

“Personally, I thought I had a pretty good game,” Lindgren said. “I’m still learning obviously, learning the systems … but, yeah, being here at Ball Arena, it’s a lot of fun, it’s a great crowd here, great energy. It was a lot of fun tonight.”

"Being here at Ball Arena, it's a lot of fun."

Ryan Lindgren pic.twitter.com/xfbDPAWwOC

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 5, 2025

Makar, Devon Toews and Samuel Girard each logged more ice time than Lindgren among Avalanche defenseman. Bednar said after Lindgren was acquired that he could see the former Rangers defender playing a similar role as he did in New York, helping lighten the load on Colorado’s top defensemen.

“That’s a big add … getting another really strong penalty killer, the physicality around the net front and down low in your own zone to be able to help close plays out,” Bednar said about Lindgren. “He can play a lot, and I think that will lighten the load and allow us to be able to, especially on the penalty kill, save some ice time off of 7 and 8 (Toews and Makar) so their energy can be used in some other situations.”

Related: Rangers trade grades after acquiring Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen from Avalanche

Ryan Lindgren says good to ‘move on’ with Avalanche after trade from Rangers

The Rangers traded Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey to the Avalanche on Saturday for defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and a second- and fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Lindgren and Vesey were respected veterans in New York, but each is a pending unrestricted free agent, and neither was going to be re-signed this offseason by the Rangers. The draft picks received from Colorado were crucial to making the deal from New York’s point of view, to help rebuild draft capital.

Parssinen is a wild card in the trade, a 24-year-old with good size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) and flashes of skill. He centered the third line in consecutive Rangers wins against the Nashville Predators and New York Islanders, though clearly was finding his way on the ice where he had minimal impact.

De Haan had an assist in his Rangers debut Sunday against the Predators and has played well on a defense pair with Zac Jones. The 33-year-old is a pending UFA and not expected to return next season.

As for Vesey, his Avalanche tenure began the way most of his final season with the Rangers was spent — in the press box as a healthy scratch. Still, Bednar is happy to add the 31-year-old to Colorado’s roster.

“Jimmy’s a little bit of a Swiss Army knife,” Bednar explained. “Over his career, he’s been moving around a little. Another top penalty killer as a forward – you can’t have enough of those.”

The Avalanche (36-24-2) are the first wild card in the Western Conference, three years after winning the Stanley Cup. They’ve retooled a bit this season, trading pending UFA forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a massive in-season deal that saw forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury land in Colorado. The Avalanche also swapped goalies, acquiring MacKenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks for former Rangers netminder Alexandar Georgiev earlier in the season.

“Obviously a lot of emotions go on, but to find out you’re coming to Colorado and what a great team they have here and just meeting all the guys, I’m just really excited to be here,” Lindgren shared.

The heart-and-soul warrior also added this about leaving behind what was a messy final season with the Rangers.

“New York definitely was up and down. There was a lot of stuff going on, so it’s nice to just come here and move on. It’s a new chapter here. Gotta get up for the playoffs, so I’m really excited.”

After shutting out the woeful Nashville Predators 4-0 Sunday at MSG, the Rangers must do away with the Islanders on Monday. These are games the Rangers must absolutely win, and if they can in decisive manner, even better.

They did so last week with a 5-1 road victory against the Islanders, and again Sunday against the third word-worst team in the NHL standings. Now, it’s the Islanders again, this time on home ice. Throttle them. Let them know this playoff race is about you, not them.

It’s right there for the Rangers (30-26-4). Despite trading away Ryan Lindgren this weekend and with a clear focus on the coming offseason, the Rangers can still — and probably should still — earn their way in to the postseason. And winning games against teams they should beat is a big part of that game plan.

Win Monday and the Rangers are tied in points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. That’s no matter what the Ottawa Senators, even with the Rangers at 64 points, or Montreal Canadiens, one point behind New York, does in their respective games Monday.

The Rangers have won three of four and six of nine. A victory Monday and they carry nice momentum into a tough matchup Thursday at home against the first-place Washington Capitals. Keep in mind that the Caps have hit a rough patch, losing three straight. Then there are games with massive playoff implications against the Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets next weekend.

But first, next, just do what’s expected and knock off the Islanders on Monday.

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New York Rangers news

Here are three Rangers takeaways from their shutout win against the Predators, including how the new guys led the hit parade in a physical victory.

We handed out Rangers trade grades after they acquired Calvin de Haan and Juuso Parssinen from the Colorado Avalanche.

And those new Rangers were thrown right into the lineup Sunday, 24 hours after being acquired from the Avalanche.

The Hartford Wolf Pack allowed four straight goals in a 5-2 loss to Providence on Sunday.

NHL news

There wasn’t a lot of good news for the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, despite Jacob Marskrtom’s return from a long injury absence. The Devils lost 2-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights and star center Jack Hughes exited late in the game after crashing hard into the boards after a Jack Eichel hit that went unpenalized. That led to Devils coach Sheldon Keefe being ejected from the game for arguing with the on-ice officials.

Charlie Lindgren landed a three-year, $9 million contract with the Washington Capitals. The goalie could’ve been an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Matthew Tkachuk was placed on LTIR with a groin injury by the Florida Panthers.

Macklin Celebrini may not be able to play Monday when the San Jose Sharks visit the Maple Leafs because of a lower-body injury.

Jonas Brodin is week to week with a lower-body injury for the Minnesota Wild.

Without Brodin in the lineup, the Wild shut out the Boston Bruins 1-0, bringing to an end David Pastrnak’s 17-game point streak.

The Seattle Kraken recalled veteran goalie Philipp Grubauer from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their fifth straight game, a wild 6-5 overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Watch William Nylander score the game winner in OT for the Maple Leafs.

The Dallas Stars continue to roll, following a 6-3 win against the St. Louis Blues.

Watch Wyatt Johnston record a hat trick in the Star’s latest victory.

Seabstian Aho scored his fifth overtime goal this season, when the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Calgary Flames 2-1.