The New York Rangers can’t seem to climb out of the hole they’ve dug themselves into. Coach Peter Laviolette is aware of the team’s ongoing struggles but has yet to find a solution. Following the controversial decision to scratch forward Kaapo Kakko, which backfired on the Rangers, Laviolette felt compelled to set the record straight amid the trade speculation.
The sports fanbase in the city that never sleeps is desperate for new silverware in the concrete jungle, and the Rangers looked like the best shot at a championship going into the NHL season. However, it’s quickly shifted and the Blueshirts are not looking like the best contender for Lord Stanley at the moment.
The Rangers have lost seven of their last ten games and they are plummetting towards the bottom of the Metro Division. During the 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, fans got a déjà vu of a recent trade.
As Kaapo Kakko was a healthy scratch for the clash with the Blues, fans quickly drew comparisons to Jacob Trouba, who was also a healthy scratch before his trade to the Anaheim Ducks. The rumors surrounding a potential trade for Kakko grew loud in no time. However, Laviolette was even quicker to shut them down.
New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) waits for play to begin during the game between The New York Rangers and The New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.
“We were putting fresh legs into the lineup tonight,” Laviolette said postgame, via Athlon Sports. “That’s based on the decision we made to go with this lineup. Those are the things we worked on internally through the day.”
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Skepticism on Laviolette’s explanation
Despite the head coach’s comment on the decision to scratch Kakko, fans and insiders are still wary of the situation and believe a trade involving the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL entry Draft could be in the works. General Manager Chris Drury’s memo to all teams stating ‘the Rangers were open for business‘, definitely doesn’t help clear the air.
Kakko, a young forward with plenty of room to develop, remains a desirable asset for many franchises and New York could get a fair deal in return. However, many fans oppose the idea of trading away the 23-year-old winger and believe he’s not among the players responsible for the dreadful campaign in Manhattan.
Regardless, Kakko has not played to his standards, either, and through 29 games he tallies only four goals and ten assists. Whether moving on from him is the appropiate move for the Rangers is a whole other story.
New York Rangers Right Wing Kaapo Kakko (24) reaches for the puck during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders on May 1, 2021, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
Adam Fox makes bold admission on team’s straight losses
The Rangers have lost ten of its last thirteen games. In the midst of this concerning stretch, the team traded away Trouba and extended Igor Shesterkin to a ludicrous contract, yet New York has no results to show for it.
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Following the loss to the Blues, defenseman Adam Fox made a straightforward confession on this rough patch for which the Rangers have found no answers.
“I don’t even know how to describe the feeling right now,” Adam Fox said, via The New York Post. “It’s definitely not good. We talk, we talk as a group and say to just try and be engaged. It definitely wears on you when you’re in kind of a streak like this.”
The New York Rangers will take on the Nashville Predators on Dec. 17 in a duel between two struggling teams in desperate need of wins to restore morale and hope to their unraveled seasons.
