The search for a new head coach for the New York Rangers rolls on and the team is expected to be interested in several veteran minds with championship experience over the course of a career.
Lucky for them, there are several top names that have not only won championships over the years but have remained consistently excellent throughout their move across a changing NHL landscape. General manager Chris Drury has said that he would leave no stone unturned during this process which leaves the Rangers with the unenviable task of trying to find the right coach for their top stars and young budding players.
We continue our search for the right man for the Rangers job this morning while looking into one of the most successful American-born coaches in NHL history.
Coaching Profile: Peter Laviolette
Former Title: Washington Capitals head coach
Age: 58
NHL Experience: 21 years at the NHL level (Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Predators, Capitals)
Pros to hiring Laviolette
- former Stanley Cup-winning coach
- Took three teams to the Cup Final
- experience with winning over a veteran locker room
Cons to hiring Laviolette
- prefers aging veterans to young players in development
- little adjustments made throughout time with Caps
- his message gets stale after a while like most veteran coaches
- Not a strong x’s and o’s coach and teams have struggled on special teams under him
Final Breakdown:
There are a lot of veteran coaches out there that the Rangers could consider that have a far worse resume than Peter Laviolette. The former Islanders’ head coach is eighth on the all-time list in wins – just 30 behind the great Al Arbour. Laviolette has shown the ability to lead different teams to the Stanley Cup Final and has plenty of experience that would command respect from some of the veterans in the locker room.
But for the New York Rangers, they need a guy who can develop young talent, while fielding a competitive team that is going to be good throughout a year, not just in spurts. Laviolette’s inability to get the Capitals to the playoffs last year made a lot of people wary that the game could have passed him by.
With any coaching hire like this, there will be fans and executives torn on if the team should go after a veteran bench presence or a young and inexperienced person that grows with the club. Whenever Drury ends up choosing his next head coach though, will largely be determined by the vision the newcomer believes in.
And in Laviolette’s case, it’s hard to argue his vision is worse than others around the league.
For more New York Rangers news, turn to AMNY.com
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