The New York Rangers appear to have their sights set on Peter Laviolette as the franchise's next head coach, according to Elliotte Friedman. Though there is no deal in place, both sides are trending toward a contract.

Laviolette and the Washington Capitals parted ways in April after his three seasons in charge. The Capitals failed to win a playoff series under Laviolette and missed the postseason entirely this season.

The Rangers would be Laviolette's sixth team in what would be his 23rd season as a head coach in the NHL. Laviolette played all 12 of his NHL games as a player with the Rangers during the 1988-89 season.

He led his teams to 13 playoff appearances in 22 seasons, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final. His peak accomplishment came in 2006 when he won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. He has an overall record of 752-503-25 with a 78-76 record in the playoffs.

The Rangers are the final team with a head coaching vacancy after the Calgary Flames reportedly hired Ryan Huska on Monday. Gerrard Gallant left his post as the Rangers bench boss after two seasons in charge.

Laviolette continues the Rangers' trend of hiring a veteran head coach, with the exception of David Quinn who they hired out of the college ranks in 2018 without any NHL coaching experience. The hire might not move the needle for Rangers fans, but Laviolette is a proven winner in the NHL and has led teams to deep playoff runs throughout his career.

Peter Laviolette would be the 37th head coach in New York Rangers history if a deal were to come to fruition.