Who Do You Want to be the Next Head Coach of the NY Rangers?

[RangerBoy]

Probably head coaching. Seems like it's going to be a retread.

The retread will be here two years or maybe three years. The Rangers won't win again. We will have a new GM.

Mostly conjecture but the latest from Staple

Staple wrote the relationship between Galllant and some of the players such as Panarin and Lafremiere was not very good. Wait until the Rangers get a look at Babcock's relationship with his players.

 

[RangerBoy]

Laviolette couldn't reach reach some of the veteran Capital players who have big resumes and huge egos. Kuznetsov. Good luck with this group. The Caps are a flawed team. The injuries to Wilson and Backstrom didn't help. True. Laviolette couldn't reach Mantha who was a healthy scratch. Siegenthaler had the two best seasons of his career after being trade to New Jersey. Laviolette doesn't work cheap. He was making $5M per to coach the Caps. Babcock was making around $6M per in Toronto. Gallant was making $3.5M.

 

[alkurtz]

Great idea!!!

He has done worse than Gallant with better personnel.


You've been around as long as me.

You should have reached the conclusion that coaches don't matter.

I've probably been around longer. I remember when Red Sullivan was fired and replaced by Emile Francis (I think that was 1965). I remember when GM Francis was always trying to replace coach Francis with, first Bernie Geoffrion, then Larry Popein, then Ron (almost said Rod) Stewart. Never worked. I remember when Phil Esposito replaced Michele Bergeron right before the playoffs. I remember when the Rangers were in such disarray after the Esposito era that they were not able to hire a coach until August 15th (Roger Neilson). When they hired Tom Webster but had to replace him because an ear infection left him unable to fly.

Actually, I tend to disagree, to a degree. I think hockey is one of those sports where coaching does matter. It's not so much in game tactics (I don't think there is really that much difference between coaches although there is a spectrum of effectiveness and GG was on the low end) but off-ice, behind the scenes stuff that we never see, that determines how effective a coach is. Handling disparate personalities, players at different points in their careers, dealing with player's personal and off-ice issues like family, is where a coach earns his bread and butter. That is what puzzles me somewhat about all the hearsay from the breakup day conferences. GG was supposed to be a players' coach, at least that was what we were told and led to believe. I still think that the job he did in the first year of Vegas's existence is one of the greatest coaching job ever, in any sport. He created an atmosphere where those castoffs thrived.

I'm still not sure of the direction I want this team to go. My gut reaction is to go with a younger, first time coach like Knoblauch. But then I back away thinking that, with this team at this time, that is not the right move. Why do I think that, in the end, it will be Laviolette, or Babcock, or some other retread? There is always Sather (ugh), or Espo (I don't think he is in the best of health), or the ghost of Roger Neilson!

 

[Cygnus 2112]

It seems like nobody is a standout. So bring in Mess for the 30th anny year, hope and pray and then move on. It’s not like Knobby would be a lock for a cup. F it. Bring in Leetch and Gravy as assistants. And get Tikkanen out of jail for a few inspirational speeches. I’m in.

 

[LOFIN]

I know his record in the playoffs is abysmal, but I'd rather have Keefe than Babcock TBH. I think Keefe will have a great career as a coach in the NHL, plenty of teams should be all over him.

If he's fired of course, but I think that's pretty likely.

 

[HANK30]

The retread will be here two years or maybe three years. The Rangers won't win again. We will have a new GM.


Staple wrote the relationship between Galllant and some of the players such as Panarin and Lafremiere was not very good. Wait until the Rangers get a look at Babcock's relationship with his players.

Drury seems to be in a no win situation. if you hire a players' coach like Gallant, they are too soft. If you hire a hard a$$ like Sutter, Babcock, or Torts, the players hate him and complain. I don't see any candidates that are a happy medium between the two extremes. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[East Coast Bias]

Is Babcock the most overrated coach of all time?

Hasn’t coached in years. In the 10 previous years he had a missed playoff, 6 first round exits and 3 second round exits.

Definitely a guy we gotta bring out of the retirement home.

 

[pld459666]

What am I missing with Keefe??

I'm not impressed with him, like at all.

 

[turcotte8]

Is Babcock the most overrated coach of all time?

Hasn’t coached in years. In the 10 previous years he had a missed playoff, 6 first round exits and 3 second round exits.

Definitely a guy we gotta bring out of the retirement home.

He was good 20 years ago so that makes him the perfect Ranger.

 

[LOFIN]

What am I missing with Keefe??

I'm not impressed with him, like at all.

He did put up a good system with the Leafs. Which is something we have lacked for years.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Keefe is a good coach. I’d be okay with him.

Problem wouldn’t be him as much as our roster. Panarin makes Marner look like Tkachuk

 

[LOFIN]

Keefe is a good coach. I’d be okay with him.

Problem wouldn’t be him as much as our roster. Panarin makes Marner look like Tkachuk

It would be interesting to see what Keefe can do with our players offensively when he has a good goalie to fall on, and an actual #1D-man as well.

 

[will1066]

We’re all just fans, it’s not that serious

@bleedblue94 Why so serious?

 

[East Coast Bias]

He was good 20 years ago so that makes him the perfect Ranger.

Ultimate “back in my day” franchise.

 

[will1066]

Whoever it is, that person needs to put everyone on notice on the first day. In a respectful but serious we're not f***ing around manner. The new culture begins immediately. Get to work. The fun comes back when you've earned it as a group.

 

[RangersFan1994]

MSN

 

[Profet]

Drury seems to be in a no win situation. if you hire a players' coach like Gallant, they are too soft. If you hire a hard a$$ like Sutter, Babcock, or Torts, the players hate him and complain. I don't see any candidates that are a happy medium between the two extremes. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

You go with the hardass. Why?

1) Players' coaches have been tried twice, they aren't working with this group.
2) If it's not working with a hardass, at least you have a chance of some of these NMC contracts getting waived so significant roster moves can be made. Something that isn't an option right now.

 

[Priorae]

Drury seems to be in a no win situation. if you hire a players' coach like Gallant, they are too soft. If you hire a hard a$$ like Sutter, Babcock, or Torts, the players hate him and complain. I don't see any candidates that are a happy medium between the two extremes. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It’s an impossible hire. The next guy will take over for a highly successful and respected coach that won a lot, whether it was the right decision or not. It was likely the right call to move on, but there’s nothing out there that fits.

If we objectively lined up the traits we want in a coach, the best one on the open market is probably the one we just fired.

 

[SA16]

Drury seems to be in a no win situation. if you hire a players' coach like Gallant, they are too soft. If you hire a hard a$$ like Sutter, Babcock, or Torts, the players hate him and complain. I don't see any candidates that are a happy medium between the two extremes. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It's a no win situation because everyone will hate the coach unless he:

1. Wins a Stanley Cup
2. Coaches exactly as the specific person wants him to coach.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

They don’t need a Hard ass. You can hold players accountable with out being a dick.

Who ever the next guy is needs to be someone who doesn’t placate to the high priced players here. Gallant f***ed up by not benching/scratching Panarin early in year 1 when he was sucking. At that point it isn’t only about letting the player know that their level of play is unacceptable, but putting the team on notice that that shit won’t be tolerated from anyone.

Cooper has done it in Tampa with out being a raging asshole about it.

They also need to be able to put a good system in place. Accountability means nothing if you don’t have structure in place.

 

[tomobson]

I like the idea of a Jay Leach/Knobhead combo.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

 

[RangerBoy]

If I am Chris Drury and I going down with the ship on the next coaching hire, I am not hiring an old retread.

I am hiring Jay Leach as the head coach. Kris Knoblauch is being promoted to NY to run the PP and the forwards. Ryan Huska is being hired from Calgary to run the PK and the defense. Huska has worked Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington and Jusso Valimaki in Calgary. Ask Don Maloney for permission to speak with Huska. The Hawks were interested in hiring Huska as their head coach last season. We will hire another veteran assistant coach.

Knoblauch worked with Hakstol in Philly. Hakstol and Leach are working together in Seattle. Huska worked with Geoff Ward in Calgary. Leach worked with Ward in Germany. Symmetry.

All of them have been head coaches at the AHL level. All of them have had experience being an assistant coach in the NHL.

Work with Leach to identify the new AHL coach in Hartford.

They say the Rangers didn’t really have a system with Gallant. It was all Igor.

Hire a competent staff with a system. The staff needs to help in the development of the young guys because the Rangers don't have much cap space and too many restriction clauses to make major changes. They need internal Improvement. The Rangers need more out of Miller and Schneider. Lafreniere and Kakko. Othmann and Cuylle. Jones. Is a veteran coach getting the most out of those players?

Don’t think you’re too far off with those two names. Artemi Panarin’s inability to mesh with Gallant was pretty well-known around the locker room and Lafrenière’s inconsistency — plus his relative lack of playing time — probably didn’t do the Laf-Turk relationship much good. Whether those two spoke up in the exit meetings isn’t clear — and whether Drury would have heeded negativity from two top-nine forwards that combined for two points in the playoffs isn’t clear either — but a fresh start for Panarin and Lafrenière under a new coach will be intriguing.

Hearing Kaapo Kakko say he wants more ice time, especially power-play time, on breakup day was noteworthy too. Like many NHL coaches, Gallant defaulted to going with his experienced guys most times. We’ll see who comes in next and whether Lafrenière, Kakko and Filip Chytil have different roles once the change happens.

Rangers mailbag, part 1 —All things coaching

There were many questions regarding the Rangers' coaching change.

theathletic.com

Panarin is a lost cause.

Drury needs to do his job too.

 

[MrAlmost]

chelios once accused him of being anti-american…

He is. He sat Modano for 2 weeks so he didn't hit 1000 games.

He was known for making it difficult on young players, especially young non-Canadians.

 

[pld459666]

He did put up a good system with the Leafs. Which is something we have lacked for years.

And time after time spit the bit when it mattered most