Speculation: Rangers Head Coach Search (Laviolette being finalized? According to Vince and Friedman)

[I Eat Crow]

Hooooray. … more stretch passes. It’s been working wonders for us the past decade

And more man to man Vigneault defense! Can't wait to see how our defensive corps sans Miller looks!

 

[Leonardo87]

I feel it‘s more of a lateral move. I just think the issue goes beyond the coaching, but if Laviolette can correct the issues, then it’s all good. But have my doubts.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Yeah I mean, full disclosure, I liked the Gallant hire for sure. Same for Vigneault. Neither proved to be the move to ultimately push us over the top. It can be hard as a fan to assess who really is and isn't the right fit, especially when you don't know what the FO has planned in terms of roster construction.

To reiterate, I'm not inspired by Laviolette. Hopefully I'll be wrong again, LOL.

Oh I absolutely did too. I thought Gallant and AV were good moves.

But you made the key point. We don't know a lot of what the FO has planned.

Many people see the coach selection as some magic bullet if done right. Rarely that's the case.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If he pushes for Wilson maybe he can toss Panarin a bit harder during practice.

 

[mike14]

5 playoff game wins in the past 5 seasons. And even when he's making the SCF his teams seem to almost be one-and-done regarding getting there (not that it really matters if you actually win).

I don't pay enough attention to coaching to know whether this would be a good or bad hire, or what other candidates would be a clearly superior choice, but it does seem like a very 'safe' hire and one that is built around the assumption that our team is good enough if they had him behind the bench instead of GG.

Feels like we might just be treading water for the next few seaons and then going through all this again, but hopefully he proves me wrong!

 

[bobbop]

Wonder what this means for roster composition, I could see an unexpected trade incoming to get the roster to fit Lavi’s style a bit more.

I am cautiously optimistic, Lavi is essentially a more vocal Gallant which may be helpful to this roster given the mention of players asking for guidance and help in the exit meetings. The biggest test for me will be how he treats the kids and what kind of results we see from them.

A trade to get the roster composition where Laviolette likes it would likely be a young playe(s) for and older player(s)

Oy

 

[bobbop]

Until Larry Brooks tweets it, it ain’t true.

 

[Chalfdiggity3]

More of the same trash from the rangers If this is true. He’s a cooked coach who leans on his vets and doesn’t develop talent. Who does this sound like?

Need more cowbell! Lol

i expect this team to be just good enough to make the playoffs and get crushed every year till this bum is gone and we can trade some vets.

f*** lovy and this team if they hire him

 

[TheGortonConspiracy]

This guy is so washed but I'm willing to hold judgement until after the first 5 games of the season

 

[Hire Sather]

Not my first choice but not my last either

 

[Synergy27]

Many people see the coach selection as some magic bullet if done right. Rarely that's the case.

Some people might see it that way. I think more people, particularly around here, view it more as insight into the organizational philosophy/plan.

Drury doesn’t communicate. We don’t know why GG got fired. We don’t know why Rammer was let go. We don’t know what his plan is to get Laf and Kakko going, or to take the next step in the playoffs.

This move reeks of “safe”. Let’s put out the fire. Steady the ship. Let’s continue to exude “class”, take care of people, do things the “right” way.

This move gives no information. The status quo has been maintained.

People just want to know what the plan is.

 

[RangersFan1994]

More of the same trash from the rangers If this is true. He’s a cooked coach who leans on his vets and doesn’t develop talent. Who does this sound like?

Need more cowbell! Lol

i expect this team to be just good enough to make the playoffs and get crushed every year till this bum is gone and we can trade some vets.

f*** lovy and this team if they hire him

I got proof here:

Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Flyers that tuned out to be good players

Couturier 18
Brayden Schenn 20
Jakub Voracek 21
JVR 22
Simmonds 23
Giroux 23
Bob 22 (finally in the finals)
Mike Richards 25
Jeff Carter 25


Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Hurricanes that turned out to be good players
Andrew Ladd 19
Eric Staal 20 (100 point season under Lavy)
Cam Ward 21
Williams 23
Vasicek RIP 24


Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Islanders that turned out to be good players

Trent Hunter 21
Brad Isbister 24
Mark Parrish 24
Oleg Kvasha 23
David Scrachard 25


Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Nashville Predators that turned out to be good players

Dante Fabbro 20
Kevin Fiala 22
Ryan Hartman 23
Colton Sissons 24
Filip Forsberg 24
Viktor Arvdsson 24
Jussi Saros 23
Seth Jones 20
Ryan Johanson 23
Roman Jodi 25
Ryan Ellis 23
Craig Smith 25
Auston Watson 23
Mathias Ekholm 25

Yea Laviolette really favors the old vets. Some of these young players flourished under Laviolette and some did not. If play the way Laviolette wants then you will get ice time. The pamper towards vets need to end.

 

[RUNYR]

Seriously, what is the NHL’s obsession with retread coaches? Are there not assistants out there who could be a fit for jobs? It’s like the same carousel of HCs each year.

That being said, Laviolette was probably my first retread choice. Sutter a close second, but I could see that blowing up sooner rather than later. With the retread route, I would have rather stuck with Gallant another year.

 

[Chalfdiggity3]

I got proof here:

Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Flyers that tuned out to be good players

Couturier 18
Brayden Schenn 20
Jakub Voracek 21
JVR 22
Simmonds 23
Giroux 23
Bob 22 (finally in the finals)
Mike Richards 25
Jeff Carter 25


Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Hurricanes that turned out to be good players
Andrew Ladd 19
Eric Staal 20 (100 point season under Lavy)
Cam Ward 21
Williams 23
Vasicek RIP 24


Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Islanders that turned out to be good players

Trent Hunter 21
Brad Isbister 24
Mark Parrish 24
Oleg Kvasha 23
David Scrachard 25


Laviolette coached players younger than 25 with Nashville Predators that turned out to be good players

Dante Fabbro 20
Kevin Fiala 22
Ryan Hartman 23
Colton Sissons 24
Filip Forsberg 24
Viktor Arvdsson 24
Jussi Saros 23
Seth Jones 20
Ryan Johanson 23
Roman Jodi 25
Ryan Ellis 23
Craig Smith 25
Auston Watson 23
Mathias Ekholm 25

Yea Laviolette really favors the old vets. Some of these young players flourished under Laviolette and some did not. If play the way Laviolette wants then you will get ice time. The pamper towards vets need to end.

most of these guys became something after he left and the others like isbister and ward do nothing for me. Staal is a f***ing staal lol.

id love for him not to pamper the vets but you literally in one sentence say he really favors vets and the next you say the pampering to the vets needs to end. Lovy is the pamper to the vets but with structure. Just more of the same.

 

[haveandare]

Laviolette isn't exciting but which option is..... why is everyone acting like an unknown is such a better option ? last time rangers went unknown we got Quinn why is this time going to be different?​

Knoblauch was an exciting idea imo. He helped Hartford adjust, by all accounts he seems to be emotionally intelligent.

Laviolette brings nothing to the table imo. Maybe he can light a fire under the right guys - it’s not like Maurice is a known brilliant coach but the Panthers are killing it because the right guys are fired up - but I don’t see it being likely.

 

[huerter]

That’s the producer of Spittin Chiclets, one of the most reputable sources for this stuff

He's not the producer and he's not reputable.

 

[effen]

Anti Panarin hire.

Good.

 

[Kravtsov420]

I’m in mourning. I’m getting close to my limit.

If the Hail Mary doesn’t work, which there’s a 90% chance it won’t, idk about me being serious about hockey anymore tbh.

There’s other things in life for me to focus on until Dolan dies (hopefully him first before me)

I think we need to send Edjovo in and make sure Dolan eats as much pizza hut as possible

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

This is the most Rangers move ever.

Meet the new coach, same as the old coach.

Can't wait for people to f***ing optimistically talk about our young players being gritty two way 50-point players while we talk about establishing a defensive identity and tightening up our coverage as we mediocre our way into round one of the playoffs with our goalie standing on his head while the media, coaching staff, FO, and ownership all pretend they've got a serious contender.

Score some f***ing goals.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Anti Panarin hire.

Good.

I hope they clash. If this forces Panarin wanting out. Drury would be considered a genius for this move if it happens.

 

[TheWrongWay]

Would love for someone to paint the upside case for this franchise right now.

This screams 2-3 lost years to me, factored into everything else roster and development wise seems more like 10+ lost years.

Really not seeing the upside case where Laviolette is the answer. The only one I can make is for Drury’s personal reputation and job security because it’s the easiest lowest risk decision he could have possibly made.

Sorry, I never feel like there’s an upside case under Dolan. And the sad reality is, there doesn’t have to be one.

Silly example, but say I buy a car. The engine doesn’t start and the wheels fall off. If I keep buying this same car brand, what real reason does the manufacturer have to change the car?

The NYR operate with this same lack of accountability.

One Cup in 83 years and the team's value keeps going up. The black-and-white solution to try to force change is for consumers to stop financing the broken product (stop buying tickets, merchandise, TV, etc).

But we all know sports teams are not so black and white.

A natural pride we feel with our local teams, an entertainment value if the product is decent enough, and perhaps most important is the connection shared by the team’s fans.

My expectations are low. But in a world that can at times feel insanely busy, isolated, and unrelenting, I still think there’s a lot to be said for that common bond/camaraderie factor.

So we’ll hope the new coach somehow does well. But more likely we commiserate, drink too much, and go to AA meetings together when he doesn’t.

This is the way.

 

[TheWrongWay]

This is the most Rangers move ever.

Meet the new coach, same as the old coach.

Can't wait for people to f***ing optimistically talk about our young players being gritty two way 50-point players while we talk about establishing a defensive identity and tightening up our coverage as we mediocre our way into round one of the playoffs with our goalie standing on his head while the media, coaching staff, FO, and ownership all pretend they've got a serious contender.

Score some f***ing goals.

Props for The Who reference lol

 

[RangerBoy]

Until Larry Brooks tweets it, it ain’t true.

All of the Rangers beat writers have been quiet on the news concerning Laviolette. They don't like the hiring. They discussed Laviolette on their podcasts. Vince would have preferred an outside the box candidate. Mollie mentioned Laviolette's teams haven't won a playoff round in five seasons. She would have preferred them keeping Gallant than hiring another retread. I don't think Brooks is enthralled with Laviolette.

 

[Nickmo82]

Assume something like a 5 year contract that'll last 2 tops.

Hope the kids get a true chance to shine.

Not overly optimistic.

 

[tlk]

Is there literally anyone happy with the prospect of this happening?