The Rangers have fired Peter Laviolette after two seasons and are again within the teaching search pool. This will likely be common supervisor Chris Drury’s third search in 4 seasons; he needs to be very conversant in the method and the choices by now.
Even if the Rangers job has primarily been a two-year teaching internship for the previous two males to carry the place, Gerard Gallant and Laviolette, there are many candidates. Drury talked to greater than 10 prospect coaches when he employed Laviolette, and that wasn’t so way back, although a few the coaches who impressed the Rangers GM are already spoken for. Spencer Carbery, one of many few candidates Drury thought-about in 2023 with none NHL head teaching expertise, is probably going going to win the Jack Adams award as coach of the yr in his second season with the Washington Capitals.
This will likely be one other thorough search, with one caveat: If the title on the prime of this listing is accessible, the Rangers will transfer heaven and earth to deliver him in and interview nobody else.
So right here is our listing of candidates, in no explicit order when you get previous the highest man.
Mike Sullivan
Sullivan stated Friday that his intention is to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he’s beneath contract via 2027 — but when the door opens even a bit of bit for a mutual parting with a crew in limbo, the Rangers will likely be one of some groups able to drive a truck full of money via the opening. They absolutely have already been backchanneling to gauge Sullivan’s curiosity in coming again after his stint with them as an assistant beneath John Tortorella from 2009 to ’13.
Sullivan will command a serious wage if he turns into a free agent, possibly the very best within the league, and loads of different groups may have curiosity, together with the Boston Bruins, the place Sullivan first coached within the NHL and the place his son-in-law, Charlie McAvoy, performs.
If the Rangers may lure in Sullivan, who was Drury’s best choice in 2021 and would have been his best choice in 2023, then Drury will lastly have gotten what he wished out of his many teaching carousels. There’s no assure it’s even potential, after all. If Sullivan’s dedicated to staying in Pittsburgh, then this possible turns into a extra widespread search.
John Tortorella
The largest professional for Tortorella on this search is that Madison Sq. Backyard chairman James Dolan is a fan. The largest con is that Drury is just not a fan. Tortorella, in a Rangers teaching stint from 2008 to ’13, was the one who needed to inform Drury his taking part in profession was primarily over after the 2010-11 season. That’s a very long time in the past, after all, and Tortorella has not improved his standing in his teaching stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers since, however Dolan’s favorites often get consideration for jobs.
The 66-year-old Tortorella is just not often called an innovator however does get his gamers to play arduous and defend, two issues the Rangers did little or no of this season.
Joel Quenneville
The 66-year-old three-time Stanley Cup champion coach has been out of the league since 2020, when revelations about his position within the Kyle Seaside sexual assault case with the Hawks emerged. He’s been cleared by the league to teach once more — Stan Bowman, his Chicago Blackhawks GM, is again within the league with the Oilers — however hasn’t jumped in but. The Rangers, a largely veteran crew with proficient items in key spots, is likely to be essentially the most interesting place to get again into the league for Quenneville, who might be not on the lookout for a rebuild alternative.
In gentle of The Athletic’s story from Thursday detailing Artemi Panarin and MSG settling a sexual assault allegation final summer season, nevertheless, the primary thought on Quenneville’s potential candidacy is that this: How may the Rangers herald a coach who tried to brush a sexual assault beneath the rug? The following thought: Would Quenneville wish to come to a crew with a sexual assault settlement simply revealed?
Rick Tocchet
The Canucks coach interviewed for the Rangers job that went to Gallant 4 years in the past so Drury is conversant in him. Tocchet’s work in Vancouver, the place present Ranger J.T. Miller was a fan, has most likely helped his standing across the league. The Canucks reportedly wish to hold Tocchet, however the 61-year-old could also be on the lookout for a unique choice.
Many have linked him to the Philadelphia Flyers job, however the Rangers may curiosity him as properly. Tocchet needed to deal with loads of drama in Vancouver; drama is the Rangers’ default setting today, so possibly he’d desire someplace a bit calmer.
Peter DeBoer
If Drury takes his time with this search, one or two present coaches may shake unfastened. DeBoer is an effective coach who’s gotten the Dallas Stars to consecutive Western Convention finals however not over the hump. That’s been the knock on him in his 5 NHL stops, despite the fact that his groups are nearly all the time superb. If the Rangers miss out on Sullivan and wish to be affected person, DeBoer could possibly be on the market if Dallas stumbles.
David Carle
The 35-year-old Carle is the buzzy title in the meanwhile. After two NCAA titles and back-to-back World Junior gold medals with the U.S. crew, he’s displaying he’s bought one of many higher beginner resumes of any current coach to make the leap. Loads of groups, particularly these with younger cores, will likely be lining as much as interview him this offseason.
Dolan has employed two coaches in his 26 years working the Backyard who had zero head-coaching expertise. Just one, David Quinn, got here from the school ranks, and as soon as Dolan determined he was completed with John Davidson, Jeff Gorton and the Rangers rebuild, Quinn was out. It’s arduous to see Dolan and Drury going again to a zero-NHL expertise coach, particularly one who would command a excessive value due to the extent of curiosity.
Jay Pandolfo
One other school coach, however that is one with connections: Pandolfo and Drury had been teammates for 2 years at Boston College, and now Pandolfo, who performed 899 NHL video games, is the BU coach. Drury’s school connections almost yielded a unique coach two years in the past, when former BU teammate John Hynes was the runner-up to Laviolette earlier than getting the Minnesota Wild job.
Pandolfo is an extended shot due to his lack of NHL head-coaching expertise, however he performed within the league for years and was additionally a Bruins assistant for 5 years. He will not be able to tackle the NHL and the Rangers’ pressure-cooker can also not be the place to start out, although.
Bruce Boudreau
He’s bought essentially the most Gallant- and Laviolette-like resume of all these candidates, having made 4 earlier NHL teaching stops. The 70-year-old is named a gamers’ coach who will get respectable regular-season success however not sufficient within the playoffs. He’s additionally been out of the sport for a pair years after the Canucks fired him in 2022-23, and he wasn’t a candidate when Laviolette bought the job.
Drury will possible be thorough, so he’ll need a few fall-back candidates. Boudreau will not be in anybody’s prime selections, however neither was Gallant and he ended up with the job.
Jack Capuano
One other NHL veteran who’s at present Hynes’ affiliate coach with the Wild. Capuano’s lone head-coaching gig was six seasons working the New York Islanders, a crew that featured little or no expertise however made the playoffs thrice. He’s a coach’s coach — a man with twenty years within the league. He was additionally the runner-up to Tortorella in Philly three years in the past. Not the sexiest candidate, however once more, you want a deep bench in searches like these.
Dan Muse
It’s arduous to see how any of Laviolette’s assistants could be within the working to switch him, however Muse, the least identified of the three coaches Laviolette introduced in, has had a considerably constructive impression. “Guys actually like him,” stated a supply near a number of Rangers. Muse was Gabe Perreault’s coach on the U.S. Nationwide Workforce Growth Program. It’s way more possible that the Rangers will clear home with Laviolette’s firing or at the least wait to see what the subsequent coach will do with assistants nonetheless beneath contract than to offer Muse an interview, however he’s a future NHL head coach.
Mitch Love
Amongst professional coaches who don’t have any NHL head teaching expertise, Love is likely to be a scorching candidate this cycle. The 40-year-old had success briefly stints within the WHL and AHL and is now one in all Carbery’s assistants with the Caps, one other success story. He could be much less of a shock than Carle or Pandolfo however would nonetheless be a departure from what the Rangers usually search for in a coach.
Cam Abbott
The previous Swedish League coach is having an honest first season with Chicago within the AHL. When he was with Rögle within the SHL, he was thought-about an outside-the-box NHL choice. That intrigue could put on off the longer he’s on this facet of the Atlantic, however he’s undoubtedly completely different.
(Prime images of Mike Sullivan and John Tortorella: Steph Chambers and Winslow Townson / Getty Pictures)
