its season
As the offseason continues, the New York Rangers coach’s options will become clearer. Throughout the past week in the wake of Gerard Gallant’s sacking, just about every possible name has been linked to Rangers. Joel Quenneville, Mike Babcock, Chris Knobloch, Peter Laviolette, and others are all mentioned. But are any of these guys real coach options for the Rangers?
Joel Quenneville / Mike Babcock
Quenneville and Babcock have both been linked to the Rangers. Quenneville’s rumor was quickly disproved, and it was good to see. Rangers don’t need that unnecessary PR with a move like this.
Babcock’s name has come up recentlyIt was not surprising to see his name as one of the options for the Rangers coach, but it was not expected either. Babcock has not coached since being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs and allegations of severe verbal abuse.
It is worth noting that Babcock’s company has not had much success, especially recently. His Red Wings Cup team had four Hall of Famers plus Brian Rafalski and Chris Osgood’s career-best season.
Neither Quenneville nor Babcock are realistic options.
Mark Messier
no.
Mike Sullivan
Until he is left by the Penguins, he is not an option for the Rangers head coach. We know, and we’ve known since November at least, that he was always the best choice for Chris Drury.
Bruce Boudreau
Interestingly enough, Bruce Boudreau’s name isn’t actually mentioned much. He is more of a player coach than a vocal man in the locker room. So while he might get a lot out of the team offensively, which is something the team desperately needs, the coach’s style will be very similar.
There is an argument that the Rangers need a guy to get them right, and Boudreau isn’t really that kind of guy. He is great when it comes to generating attack and possession. It’s not the best option, but it’s far from the worst.
Daryl Souter
Daryl Sutter’s name was first mentioned here by Rob, and it was met with the expected response. Of all the New York Rangers coach options, Sutter is the most divisive, not including Quenneville and Babcock. Sutter gets results, but he does so at the cost of his relationship with the players.
It’s hard to argue with Sutter’s results on the ice. He’s won two LA Cups and his teams are always in the top half of the league in shot share and xG share. He went down in Calgary due to poor goalkeeping, and they barely missed the playoffs despite that. There’s a strong argument that he’ll get the kick in the pants the Rangers need. But at what cost?
In general, Sutter plays his teams more conservatively, which may not sit well with the current roster. In addition to his skill level, you have to wonder if he’s the guy to go for Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. History shows that it is not.
Peter Laviolette
Of all the Rangers coach options mentioned so far, Laviolette is the only rematch that makes sense. A cup winner with Carolina, Lafollette generally likes to play a more aggressive style, but has been known to tailor his systems based on individuals. His success with Nashville highlights those adjustments in a more conservative system based on his roster.
Laviolette hasn’t seen much success since Nashville. It’s a good mix of systems and the right personality, but it’s another revamp.
Did you know that only one coach has won the Stanley Cup with multiple teams? It’s Scotty Bowman.
No reinvented trophy winner has ever won another with his new team. no one. It’s not the best argument against a renewal, but it’s certainly something to consider when looking at Rangers head coach options.
Chris Thom
Which brings us to Kris Knoblauch. Knoblauch has no NHL experience, but he’s proven to be a good coach wherever he goes. He won a WHL championship with Kootenay in 2011. He coached Alex Debrincat, Dylan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, Warren Foegele, and Erik Cernak to an OHL championship in 2017.
He spent two seasons as an assistant with the Flyers, coaching highly skilled players such as Claude Giroud, Jacob Voracik, and Sean Couturier.
He’s now been Hartford’s head coach since 2019-2020, working with Chris Drury and John Davidson to help restore the Wolf Pack’s reputation from dumpster fire to a respected AHL franchise. In doing so, he has worked with Rangers Philip Chittell, Ryan Lindgren, Igor Shesterkin, Braden Schneider, Rangers Will Coyle, Zack Jones, and Matthew Robertson.
Plus he has experience with some AAAA players like Jonny Brodzinski, Libor Hajek, and Jake Leschyshyn.
Of the Rangers coach options, Knoblauch is the most popular of the bunch, and comes with the highest level of risk, but also the highest reward. Looks like he or Laviolette at the moment. Laviolette is a reconfigurator tailored to the needs of systems/communications. Knoblauch is the unknown who looks ready for the show.
John Cooper. Jared Bednar. Coaches need to start somewhere.
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Rated: Offseason