The New York Rangers are reportedly leaning towards hiring Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, according to Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet.

“I think a lot of people are beginning to lean Peter Laviolette on this one,” Friedman said during a SportsNet broadcast. “I think if it is Laviolette, we're going to find out next week. So that's kinda where I sit with the Rangers coaching job.”

Peter Laviolette is a veteran NHL coach who won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also coached with the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He took the Flyers and the Predators to the Stanley Cup Finals.

He was let go by the Capitals after the 2022-2023 season in which the team missed the playoffs. If the Rangers are looking for an experienced coach, Laviolette is one of the top names available.

The Rangers fired head coach Gerard Gallant after the team was eliminated in the first round in seven games by the New Jersey Devils. Gerard Gallant's team held a 2-0 lead in the series, winning the first two games of the series on the road. The Rangers lost three in a row, then won Game 6 before losing Game 7.

The pressure is on for Chris Drury. The Rangers have Stanley Cup aspirations. After a trip to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022, a first-round loss is disappointing. Chris Drury hired Gallant in the summer of 2021, now he hopes to find a coach who can help the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup since 1994.