Going into the game, Laviolette cast Chris Drury and the Rangers’ front office in a bad light, and things didn’t look any better for the brass when Laviolette‘s Kings blew the Blueshirts out of the water at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Making his season debut and fresh off signing a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, Reimer saw his night end in the first intermission after allowing three goals on eight shots and a 9.00 GAA. Rather than throw the goalie under the bus after the game, Sullivan showed mercy and instead blamed only himself for putting the 38-year-old in a tough spot against Los Angeles.

“I put [Reimer] in a tough spot. That’s on me,” Sullivan said postgame, via Mollie Walker of the New York Post. “For Reims, to come in the way he has in short order and come into a game like this, it’s not an easy challenge. It’s a tough challenge. I just felt like maybe Reims needs a little bit more preparation before we put him in that circumstance.“

Sullivan addresses NY Rangers’ current state

“Let’s just acknowledge we’re in a difficult circumstance when our top two goalies are injured,” Sullivan added. “We’re trying to find a way to shore this thing up as best we can. I think Dylan [Garand] has given us some really good games. His workload is mounting.“

The truth is, the Rangers as a whole are in a rough spot, but the troubles are only magnified when it comes to their crease. On the one night Sullivan hoped to give rookie-turned-starter Dylan Garand a breather and some much-needed rest, the 24-year-old was called into action and ended up playing most of the game.

Goaltending struggles

As great as Garand’s start to the year was, missing both Igor Shesterkin and Joonas Korpisalo was never going to be an easy storm to weather, and the Blueshirts are now figuring that out. Through his last five outings, Garand is 1-3-1 and has allowed an average of three goals per game while posting a .888 save percentage. It doesn’t help when the rookie’s number is called up just 20 minutes into what was supposed to be a night off.

Clearly, Garand isn’t to blame, as his recent poor numbers are a consequence of fatigue and consecutive starts. In Sullivan’s eyes, Reimer isn’t to blame either. It may all be part of the natural cycle of life in the NHL, but the Rangers are finding out that even teams fully bought into an identity will feel the effects of losing their franchise goaltender for the season, while the $4 million veteran netminder they traded for to serve as his backup is also sidelined with an injury.

NY Rangers need to snap losing streak

The only way for New York to see the light at the end of the tunnel is for the skaters to play lights out and give their goalies a chance, but even then, it might not be enough. The Rangers have lost four of their last five games. In their last six outings, they have been outscored 28-17.

Allowing an average of 4.7 goals per game will lead to far more losses than wins for any team in the NHL, and it takes more than a shaky goaltending room to concede that many goals on a nightly basis. The red-hot start is clearly over, and it’s time for Sullivan and the Rangers to take a long look in the mirror and figure out where they go next.

Key takeaways

• Mike Sullivan accepted the blame for James Reimer’s first game with the New York Rangers.
• Three goals allowed on eight shots ended James Reimer’s debut in the first intermission.
• Four of their last five games have resulted in losses for the New York Rangers.

After showing Laviolette the door, the Rangers were determined to flip the script. Even though Mike Sullivan’s first season in town was nothing like what the team had expected, his second year is off to a much better start. And if Laviolette’s experience serves as a lesson, it might actually be for the best.

“It was kind of a tale of two years. The first year was really good, I mean, most wins and most points and a very storied franchise. Took it to three rounds to Florida and lost in Game 6, and that was disappointing.

“Overall, looking back at that year, it was really good. It was something that I’ll remember being here in New York. Obviously, the second year was not as smooth and had problems inside of it,“ Laviolette admitted, via Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

Laviolette shines light on Rangers’ problems

Laviolette’s statement isn’t exactly groundbreaking news. The Rangers’ struggles in the 2024-25 NHL campaign were impossible to miss, and it all started up in the suite level with the front office. Thus, Laviolette taking aim at the problems within the organization is a clear, if not-so-subtle, shot at Drury and company.

In Laviolette’s final season in New York, he witnessed a flurry of moves, including the trades of Kaapo Kakko, Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, and Jimmy Vesey, among many others. In the end, Laviolette got the shortest end of the stick and was fired just one year after helping New York reach the Eastern Conference Final, record the most points and wins in franchise history, and win the Presidents’ Trophy.

Laviolette vs NY Rangers

The magic was lost in 2024-25, and the Blueshirts didn’t hesitate to show Laviolette the door. Meanwhile, Drury and company stayed in charge, with both hits and misses ever since.

Finally, after spending a season away from the league, Laviolette is at the helm of the Kings and will face the Rangers again in the NHL. And if it wasn’t clear heading into the matchup, there are still doubts that all is water under the bridge, with some bad blood seemingly remaining.

Key takeaways

• Peter Laviolette targeted Chris Drury and front-office leadership following his New York Rangers exit.
• Mike Sullivan enters his second season coaching after replacing Peter Laviolette in New York.
• The New York Rangers fired Peter Laviolette one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

“Peter Laviolette will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Kings,“ Elliotte Friedman reported through his X account. Laviolette will take over after interim coach DJ Smith, who in turn replaced Jim Hiller midway through the 2025-26 NHL campaign.

With Laviolette off the coaching carousel, Edmonton has been put on notice. Time is of the essence. Although recent buzz suggested the Oilers could run a one-year experiment with McDavid and company if Bruce Cassidy isn’t allowed to interview with them, the team may be steering in a different direction.

Apparently, roads are now leading Edmonton to Babcock, who has been out of the NHL since 2023. However, to go down that road the Oilers may have to evade a minefield.

Babcock could bring trouble

“The Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock,” Darren Dreger of TSN reported on X. “Further investigation may be required.”

The last thing the Oilers need heading into such a high-stakes season is more off-ice trouble. For Connor McDavid, who has two years left under contract, but could very well ask out of Edmonton at any given moment, such a controversial hiring could be the last straw.

In more ways than one, Stan Bowman could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire by hiring Babcock immediately after the polarizing firing of Kris Knoblauch. Bowman is walking on thin ice in the Gateway to the North, and such a hiring could be all she wrote for him—as well as McDavid’s patience with the organization.

What happened with Babcock?

Babcock was thrown into the eye of the storm in 2023, shortly after signing on to become the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Amid allegations that he invaded players’ privacy (reports stated he went through players’ phones and photos), he resigned from the position before he even coached a game in the Discovery City.

He’s been out of the league ever since and recently shut the door on McDavid and the Oilers by admitting he was loving his time away from the NHL. Whether something has changed for him or Edmonton comes up with an offer too good to resist remains to be seen.

A priori, it seems the two sides aren’t seeing eye to eye, but if Bowman and the Oilers’ brass are truly interested, there may be no mountain high enough and no legal trouble too risky to deter them.

“Toronto has reached out about Trocheck in the wake of Max Domi’s back surgery complications,” the New York Post reported. “Domi is out indefinitely, which puts the Maple Leafs in the market for a second-line center.”

Additionally, according to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Buds will interview Laviolette this week as part of their head coaching search. Toronto may be the new New York after all, and there’s a scenario in which Trocheck is back under Laviolette’s orders, only this time on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River.

Trocheck’s trade clause

As much pull as the Maple Leafs may have in convincing the Rangers, it could all come down to Trocheck’s preference. If the Maple Leafs are on his 10-team no-trade list, then there is nothing that may change his mind, and a trade to Toronto would remain forever an utopia.

Based on reports from around the trade deadline, most teams on Trocheck’s no-go list were located in the Western Conference, as the veteran wanted to remain on the East Coast—where his family is. However, whether he’s willing to move to Canada is a reasonable question to ask. Another logical question is whether Toronto has the assets to trade for Trocheck.

NY Rangers’ reported price for Trocheck

According to most sources at the trade deadline, and as repeated by the New York Post, the Blueshirts are asking for a first-round pick, a current NHL player, and a high-end prospect in return for Trocheck.

However, just like the Rangers could profit from Jonathan Toews’ reported retirement and a thin free-agent class, their asking price may have gone up since March 6.

Trocheck’s contract at roughly $5.6 million per year, signed for the next three NHL seasons, looks like an offer too good to pass up for any team. But just like the Maple Leafs, there will be countless suitors knocking on the Rangers’ door. New York understands that to perfection and thus will be asking for an arm and a leg from each and every one of them.

Toronto may not have right offer for New York

Even if the price remains unchanged, the Maple Leafs may not have as strong an offer as other bidders. Toronto has a first-round pick in 2026 that New York would kill for, but the Buds will never part ways with. That leaves room for their first-round pick in 2027, which originally belonged to Colorado.

There’s a very small chance the Avalanche end up with a lottery pick next season, meaning it’s of little use to the Blueshirts. Toronto has no first-round pick of its own in 2027 or 2028. Waiting for the 2029 first-rounder may not be worth it for the Rangers. After all, they are based in New York, and the City That Never Sleeps isn’t known for its saint-like patience, nor are the fans in town.

As for a roster player and prospects, the Rangers have plenty of options to choose from on the Maple Leafs. Whether the Buds will accept, that’s another question. But if the two sides can’t reach an agreement on the draft pick involved, then they could be in a cul-de-sac right from the get-go.

Toronto could be a contender again

Indeed, Toronto missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a mile in 2026. However, it came away with the No. 1 selection in the upcoming Draft, and that could land the Maple Leafs the ultimate rebound.

With Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and others in town, adding Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg—and perhaps Vincent Trocheck—the sky could truly be the limit for them, provided the Leafs address their blue line.

All they could be missing is a mastermind behind the bench, and perhaps that key piece is Peter Laviolette. Still, this perfect scenario for Toronto hinges on two big “ifs,” and that’s whether the Buds can make an appealing offer to the Rangers and whether Trocheck looks forward to—or at the very least can’t veto—a move to The Six.

“Peter Laviolette is on [the Oilers’] radar. Gerard Gallant probably fits the bill,” insider Chris Johnston said on the Chris Johnston Show. Laviolette continues to be a name to watch in the coaching carousel. According to reports, the former Rangers head coach could make his NHL return with the Oilers.

As for Gallant, his candidacy for Edmonton’s vacant gig is more surprising considering he has been away from the league since he stepped down from his job in the Big Apple after the 2022-23 NHL campaign.

Oilers are the new Rangers

It appears having strong regular seasons with the Blueshirts is something that stands out to the front office in the Gateway to the North. Whether that’s wise on Edmonton’s part or not, that’s a question for another day.

Gallant coached the Rangers to back-to-back 100-point seasons in his first two years in New York City—becoming the first coach in franchise history to achieve such a milestone. As for Laviolette, he led New York to the most wins in franchise history with 55 victories during the 2023-24 NHL season.

They both had something in common, however: they could not add another trophy to the Rangers’ Stanley Cup collection. Now, they share another trait in that they are contenders for the Oilers’ vacancy.

Question marks around Gallant

While he proved his value throughout his NHL coaching career, there are several questions around Gallant that need answering, and they aren’t exclusively hockey-related. Back in January, Gallant relinquished his position as head coach for the Shanghai Dragons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

According to reports at the time by Pierre LeBrun and TSN, Gallant prioritized his health and chose to focus on the illness he is battling. Gallant returned from Asia’s Magic City to be back home on Prince Edward Island.

Whether he will be interested in taking a demanding 24/7 job on the opposite coast of the Great White North—as well as whether the Edmonton Oilers are serious about hiring him—remains to be seen.

“The Kings have held preliminary discussions with Peter Laviolette regarding their head coaching position,” as reported by Russell Morgan and Pierre LeBrun on X.

Once again, the Kings find themselves testing waters near the Edmonton Oilers. In addition to Los Angeles reaching out to him, former Rangers head coach Laviolette could make his NHL return with the Oilers, who are reportedly rating him highly. Laviolette may be reaching a fork in the road.

To be a King or an Oiler: that is the question

As things stand, the Kings and Oilers appear to be the frontrunners for Peter Laviolette. In the coming days, other potential suitors may emerge while others fade from the picture. With Bruce Cassidy possibly headed for a year away from coaching in the NHL—much like the one Laviolette is now coming off—the former Rangers bench boss has become one of the most intriguing names on the market.

For Laviolette, choosing between Los Angeles and Edmonton presents quite the dilemma. In the City of Angels, he’d reunite with Artemi Panarin, who totaled 209 points—including a career-best 120-point campaign in 2023-24—during the two seasons Laviolette spent in Manhattan. He could also reconnect with goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who served as the Washington Capitals starter in 2022-23, the last season Laviolette spent in The District.

Taking the job in Edmonton, meanwhile, would offer Laviolette the opportunity to coach the best player in hockey, Connor McDavid, while helping one of the league’s most historic franchises avoid slipping into dormancy. After navigating the New York market through soaring highs and difficult lows alike, Laviolette may be uniquely equipped to handle a hockey market as desperate for success as the one in the Gateway to the North.

Laviolette’s past is mainly in the East

Both opportunities present new challenges and uncharted territory in his coaching career. In fact, he’s been head coach for six different organizations, but only one in the Western Conference: the Nashville Predators—which, located in Music City, are not exactly Western. Nashville is in the Central Time Zone and sits east of the banks of the Mississippi River.

It is clear Laviolette (born in Massachusetts) is an Eastern creature. Joining the Kings or Oilers would mean he would settle on the West Coast for the first time in his career. In Edmonton, he would take over a Canadian franchise for the first time, too.

However, the Kings were quicker to knock on his door. If it really comes down to first come, first served, Los Angeles—who has Panarin as an ace up its sleeve—may run away with one of the top candidates on the carousel.

“I’d put Craig Berube below Peter Laviolette right now,” insider Chris Johnston said during an appearance on The Nielson Show about the Oilers‘ search for Kris Knoblauch’s replacement.

Although his last memory behind an NHL bench is not too exciting, Laviolette remains an intriguing name. McDavid and the Oilers reportedly have no way of hiring Bruce Cassidy away from the Vegas Golden Knights, which virtually leaves them searching for the next best coach available. Laviolette may very well be it.

Laviolette’s tenure with NY Rangers

Indeed, his New York Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs during the 2024-25 NHL campaign with a 39-36-7 record, one year removed from their Presidents’ Trophy win in 2023-24. Still, Laviolette led New York to its third Presidents’ Trophy and the most wins in a season in franchise history.

In more ways than one, it feels like McDavid and the Oilers could do much worse than hiring Laviolette as their head coach going forward. Especially if Vegas is serious about its blockade against Edmonton. The organization in Oil Country may wait for things to develop around Cassidy, but that could mean risking Laviolette signing somewhere else.

Laviolette wants to coach again

As the former Rangers head coach admitted weeks ago, he enjoyed his one-year vacation from the league—his first season in 25 years without an NHL job—which the Blueshirts had to pay for since he was still under contract. But he is ready to get back in the game.

The Oilers’ head coaching gig may be the most appealing vacancy on the continent. If Edmonton indeed extends him a formal offer, it may not take long for Laviolette to pounce on the opportunity.

With Gabriel Perreault set to make his season debut with the Rangers, Sullivan knows the transition to the NHL can be a lot to take for the young talent. However, pressure makes diamonds, and such a gem is just what the franchise in New York City might need in crucial times.

Perreault made his NHL debut last season, when Peter Laviolette and the Rangers’ brass called him up for the final games of the campaign. All hope had been lost in the Big Apple, and the Broadway Blueshirts turned to their most exciting prospect from the pool of up-and-coming talents, hoping to give fans a reason to attend the otherwise meaningless games. However, Laviolette and his staff assigned Perreault to a bottom-six role, virtually eliminating any real chance for him to showcase his abilities in the NHL. Now, Sullivan is taking a completely opposite approach.

“Our intention is to try to set [Perreault] up for success so he can play with strengths,” Sullivan told media after Monday’s morning skate per Newsday Sports’ Colin Stephenson. “So in other words, I don’t know that it makes a whole lot of sense to call a player up like that and put him on in the bottom six role.”

No worries

As Perreault makes his first NHL appearance of the season—sixth of his career—the 20-year-old will be searching for his first career point. Through five games with the Rangers last season, the former 23rd overall pick in 2023 was held scoreless.

Being surrounded by the best players in the lineup, he hopes for better luck this time around. Moreover, Perreault is fully healthy, as he admitted his recent missed games in the AHL are nothing fans or the team should be stressing about.

“It was nothing bad. It was just a precautionary thing, and I’m good to go,” Perreault told media in New York, as reported by The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano.

Less is more

The Rangers are anxious to snap the losing streak at home. Being winless after seven games at Madison Square Garden, it’s easy to see why New York is playing with such urgency in front of its fans. In line with J.T. Miller’s honest confession exposing the team’s struggles, Sullivan believes such mindset is not doing the team any favors.

“I think our guys want to win at home so badly that sometimes they’re trying too hard. And that can cloud judgment, decision-making. It has a ripple effect on players, and that’s the human element of sports,” Sullivan admitted. “It may appear as though, ‘Hey, they’re not trying hard.’ When my experience has been with players, it’s just the opposite. But it’s not instinctive, because they’re trying to force things. They’re pressing, and that’s our challenge, is to help each other through that process.”

Hope, at last

With Perreault joining the mix, the Rangers may be fueled by the young talent’s energy. The rookie winger can bring much-needed winds of change to the locker room in hopes of turning the NHL season around. Otherwise, the Blueshirts seem destined for the basement. Now, a bright beacon of hope shines over New York City’s skyline—and it comes in the form of a 20-year-old rookie born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, 411 miles away from the Big Apple.

Bedard and the Blackhawks had been waiting for quite some time to learn about their new bench boss, and an announcement was finally made by the organization. Blashill is now the 42nd head coach in franchise history, succeeding Luke Richardson and interim coach Anders Sorensen, who will stay as an assistant coach in the Windy City.

Though Sorensen is set to remain in Chicago, Kevin Dean, who did a great job developing the team’s defensemen, is expected to move on into new horizons and challenges. However, Blashill has already found a replacement for Dean, bringing in a key assistant coach in New York.

Filling his void will be Michael Peca, the former two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and former assistant coach for the Rangers during Laviolette‘s tenure in New York City.

With Peca’s arrival, Bedard and the rest of Chicago’s forwards could take significant steps toward playing a full 200-foot game—becoming key contributors at both ends of the ice and helping Blashill’s squad evolve beyond the bottom-feeding identity fans have grown used to in recent years.

Closing in on Penguins assistant

Blashill and the Blackhawks are not done making moves and twitches to their coaching staff, as reports indicate the arrival of another assistant coach is already in the works. And, apparently, Bedard’s Hawks are targeting a former staff member from Mike Sullivan and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

“Another assistant coach is to be named, Mike Vellucci [former assistant under Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh] has been in the running,” insider David Pagnotta stated on his X account.

Rest assured

While the hiring of Blashill wasn’t immune to the noise surrounding the franchise on 1901 W Madison St in Chicago, general manager Kyle Davidson delivered a firm vote of confidence to the brand-new bench boss in Chi-town.

“Jeff [Blashill] is an incredibly smart and talented coach who boasts more than 25 years of coaching experience across developmental leagues, the NHL and the world stage,” Davidson stated. “He’s thrived when in a position to develop young players and has shown he’s capable of blending that into overall team success, a vision and philosophy we share for where we are today and where we see our team in the future. We couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come under Jeff’s direction.”

Davidson’s statement perfectly reflects the Blackhawks’ mindset heading into the 2025–26 NHL season. They aren’t chasing silverware just yet—they want to see their young players blossom and further solidify their status as starters and potential stars. That will be the measuring stick by which Blashill is judged.

The Rangers are hoping to move on from their last NHL season, for which disappointing would be a massive understatement. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy during the 2023-24 campaign, the Blueshirts missed the postseason the very next season.

Urgent times require immediate reactions, and it’s made clear general manager Chris Drury doesn’t shy away from making drastic decisions. Thus, the Rangers fired Laviolette, signing two-time Stanley Cup champion, Sullivan, to replace him behind the bench.

Sullivan has more than enough experience coaching in the Metropolitan Division. And, even though, he guided the Pittsburgh Penguins to just one divisional title in the regular season, his postseason success has far eclipsed that stat.

As Sullivan enters the organization in Manhattan amid their most turbulent times in recent years, the 57-year-old bench-boss has made something clear to Shesterkin and the stars on the roster immediately upon arrival, while taking a subtle shot at Laviolette’s work.

“As we all know, talent alone doesn’t win championships. Teams win championships,” Sullivan boldly stated during his introduction as head coach in New York. “I think that’s going to be our challenge from Day 1, is to become a team in the true sense of the word.

“I can’t really comment on what’s evolved here in the past. All I can speak to is what we can potentially build here moving forward.”

Aftermath

Sullivan’s comments are far from cliché, they are carefully tailored to the Rangers’ situation as they head into the NHL offseason with several question marks floating around at Madison Square Garden.

For starters, Sullivan has entered an acephalous locker room without a named captain for the upcoming campaign. After Jacob Trouba’s trade to the Anaheim Ducks, the Blueshirts witnessed their captain’s departure, and that role has been vacant since, with many new voices emerging and making their candidacy clear to wear the ‘C’ for the Rangers next season.

“I think that’s a discussion that I’ll have with Chris [Drury] here moving forward, we haven’t got that far quite honestly,” Sullivan said when asked about whether a captain has been decided yet. “The one takeaway that I have from those conversations is I think there’s a fair amount of leadership in that room. So, whether you wear a letter or you don’t wear a letter, leadership manifests itself in so many different ways.”

Reunited with the Americans

Last season, Vincent Trocheck became one of the most powerful leaders in the locker room during the roughest stretches of the year. However, his is not the only name in contention.

What appears clear is that the next captain in New York will most likely be an American—one whom Sullivan coached during Team USA’s runner-up finish at the 4 Nations tournament. Potential candidates include Vincent Trocheck, J.T. Miller, Adam Fox, and Chris Kreider. “What I learned is that they’re fierce competitors and they have an insatiable appetite to win,” Sullivan stated.

The Rangers completed a humiliating feat during the 2024-25 campaign, becoming the fourth team in NHL history to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs one season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. To rub salt in the wound, New York became the only team to ever register such dubious feat twice as it previously accomplished it in the 1992-93 season.

If it’s of any comfort for the Broadway Blueshirts, they had gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the 1993-94. If history is to repeat itself in The Big Apple, it won’t be Peter Laviolette who guides the Rangers to their fifth championship.

Drury and the Rangers have reportedly played their cards and are now really close to announcing their new head coach, which fans and media in New York City believe is really down to one name, which recently became available.

“The Rangers will have their coach by the end of the week,” insider Frank Seravalli stated during an appearance on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast.

Clear frontrunner

Mike Sullivan, who led the Pittsburgh Penguins on back-to-back Stanley Cups during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, has parted ways with the organization in Steel City after ten years.

Sullivan has been a strong candidate during every offseason coaching search in New York, especially since Drury became General Manager in May 2021. Prior to signing Gerrard Gallant as head coach in the 2021 offseason, Drury had put negotiations in halt, waiting for any indication that Sullivan might become available. This time around, they aren’t losing sight of their target.

“I cannot imagine [the New York Rangers] allowing anyone to outdo themselves in the pursuit of Sullivan,” insider Elliotte Friedman said in an interview with NHL Network.

Finally, the stars have aligned in Manhattan, and it appears Sullivan will at last take over behind the bench. He’s no stranger to the Metropolitan Division—though he’s never captured a divisional title—and could provide an immediate spark to a locker room that’s been through the wringer lately and is in need of stability after a rollercoaster NHL season.