Look, I know there is a groundswell here for Roy, but that seems to me more of a reaction to how lackluster the other possibilities are and how little Lavi seems to bring to the table.
It wasn't that Roy was not a good coach in Colorado or isn't now; the reason why he was let go was that he wanted control over player acquisition, etc. No GM is going to hire a coach with that kind of track record. He was literally run out of the NHL and coaches who are let go, not for poor performance or underachievement, but for clashing with management, rarely get rehired.
If this rumor that the Rangers do not consider him a possibility is true, and honestly, who knows, than I have no idea where Drury goes. Hiring a coach almost by default and by the process of elimination is poor management. The situation with Gallant must have been far worse than any of us could imagine. If nothing else, Gallant proved that he was a winning coach. What happened to the team in the playoffs cannot be blamed totally on him: Drury's trade philosophy failed, the players underperformed. Drury has put himself in a bad situation.
I have felt that hiring Roy was either going to be a flaming success or a colossal failure, with little middle ground. And to me, failure was more likely than success. Part of me, though attracted to Roy's passion, is relieved that he will not be hired.
Maybe Drury circles back to a younger coach (I have no problem with Leach or Knoblauch). I don't think Drury had a plan here, he was so desperate to can GG.
Way back in, I think 1989, the Rangers did not hire a coach (Roger Neilson) until mid-August. The front office was in turmoil and literally nobody wanted to coach the team. It's not that bad now but it will soon become dire. If Roy is out, I'm not upset, in fact relieved.
