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The New York Rangers are in a bad way. After starting the 2024-25 season 12-4-1 and again looking like a President's Trophy contender, the Blueshirts have lost six of seven dating back to November 21.
With that, the club has been ousted from a top-three spot in the Metropolitan Division; all six of the defeats have come in regulation. And head coach Peter Laviolette's job might be at stake as the struggles continue, reported RG's Marco D'Amico earlier this week.
“Laviolette doesn’t have long there,” an NHL source told the hockey insider.
Now 13-10-1 and just fighting to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference, it's becoming clear the Rangers need some type of change. But whether it will come on the ice or behind the bench is still up in the air.
If New York does end up making a coaching swap, former Chicago Blackhawks bench boss Joel Quenneville could be an option to make his return after two years away from the game.
“I’m hearing Quenneville could be the guy there if that’s the route [GM Chris Drury] goes,” the source said. “Think of the respect he’d bring into that dressing room. A three-time Cup champ and one who is hungry to coach again.”
Quenneville is a proven winner at the NHL level, although his eventual return will certainly be met with mixed reactions from the hockey world. Regardless of the route Drury goes, the Rangers executive looks ready to shake things up, especially after a brutal 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Rangers outclassed by Devils on home ice
The Devils are one of the league's better teams in 2024-25, and the Rangers did direct 39 shots at Jacob Markstrom on Monday night. But it ended in another regulation loss, and this roster just can't stop the bleeding right now.
Reports have surfaced stating that Drury is willing to trade two key veterans in Chris Kreider and captain Jacob Trouba. The latter getting moved wouldn't be overly surprising, as his name has been swirling in trade rumors for months. But the former has been part of the organization since being drafted No. 19 overall in the 2009 NHL Draft.
Kreider is a heart and soul player for New York, and him being moved mid-season is probably as close as Drury could come to hitting the panic button in 2024-25.
Laviolette is a proven winner, having captured a championship with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He also took the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 and 2017, respectively. The 59-year-old is an effective coach, but the roster as currently constructed might just need a fresh start.
And there's a very real chance that Quenneville could be the successor — if he doesn't end up with the Detroit Red Wings, another team he's been linked to.
“In New York, [Quenneville] might provide the veteran leadership necessary to supercharge a team with championship aspirations,” D'Amico wrote.
If things keep going the way they are, there could be seismic changes coming for at least one Original 6 franchise.
