The District Attorney's Office of Chester County says Michelle Mercogliano
began a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old male student and also provided him with marijuana
Mercogliano has been charged with institutional sexual assault
The charges come just two days after the Tredyffrin Township Police Department said it was notified of an inappropriate sexual relationship between Mercogliano and the male student on Monday
Tredyffrin police quickly launched an investigation that included interviews with the student and several of his family members
The student told police that he and Mercogliano had sex approximately 12 times
He also said the teacher would provide him with medical marijuana which they smoked together before having sex
Police say the student was able to describe Mercogliano's bedroom in her parents' Tredyffrin home
where he said he and the teacher smoked marijuana and had sex
The student also told police that his relationship with Mercogliano began early in the school year when he was late for school and Mercogliano asked his friends for his Snapchat handle to offer him a ride
The detective who spoke with the student on Monday said he observed that the teacher repeatedly messaged the student on his cell phone during their interview
the detective approached Mercogliano outside Conestoga High School and seized her cell phone
and her attorney is arranging a time for her to turn herself in
The office also said police immediately worked with the Tredyffrin/Eastown School District to prevent Mercogliano from having further contact with students
"Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers," Chester County District Attorney Christopher L
"The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust
Mercogliano's LinkedIn profile says she has been employed with Tredyffrin/Easttown School District for more than 10 years
first as a special education paraeducator and more recently as an autistic support teacher
Tredyffrin Township Police and the Chester County District Attorney informed the District that charges have been filed against a Conestoga High School teacher
related to alleged unlawful conduct with a Conestoga High School student
Mercogliano was placed on leave yesterday immediately after the District was made aware of the investigation
and she no longer has access to District property
The District appreciates the work of the Tredyffrin Township Police Department and District Attorney and is cooperating with the investigation
Out of respect for student privacy and the integrity of the investigation
the District will not provide additional comment or details at this time."
Mercogliano began teaching at Conestoga this past fall
She was a teacher at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024 and a paraprofessional at Hillside Elementary and Valley Forge Elementary Schools from 2014 to 2018
We have no information at this time to indicate that the criminal investigation involves other students
if you have details you believe are relevant to this investigation
please contact Tredyffrin Township Police at 610-644-3221."
"We are deeply troubled by these allegations
The District remains committed to providing a safe and supportive school environment for all students
We encourage you to contact your child’s Principal if any child needs support."
Anyone with information related to the case should contact the Tredyffrin Township Police Department at 610-644-3221
Authorities allege that Michelle Mercogliano also provided the student with marijuana
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A 35-year-old Pennsylvania teacher has been arrested for having sex with a student
with whom she repeatedly messaged during a police investigation about their alleged relationship
Michelle Mercagliano's LinkedIn page indicates that she works as an "Autistic Support Teacher" within the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District
had a sexual relationship with a student at Conestoga High School
the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said
The alleged victim told detectives that his communication and relationship with Mercogliano outside of class began early in the school year when he was late for school and Mercogliano asked one of his friends for his SnapChat handle
according to the affidavit obtained by Daily Voice
Mercogliano messaged the student to offer them a ride
The victim said he had sexual intercourse with Mercogliano approximately 12 times and that Mercogliano performed oral sex on him on a similar number of occasions
The first time the two had sex was at the victim’s home in Wayne (Treddyffrin Township)
The victim said that Mercogliano would secretly pick him up in the back parking lot of apartments near Conestoga High School and would drive him to his home or to a local marijuana dispensary in Phoenixville
The teacher would buy the marijuana and give it to the child
Mercogliano has given the victim marijuana about once a week since last December
Mercogliano and the alleged victim would then smoke the marijuana together and have sex
The alleged victim’s father found medical marijuana with Mercogliano’s name on the label in their bedroom closet
The alleged victim’s sister told their parents about the sexual relationship happening between Mercogliano and her sibling
Police learned of the conduct earlier this week
and immediately worked with the Tredyffrin Eastown School District to prevent the Defendant from having further contact with students
“Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers," Chester County District Attorney Christopher L
"The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust
Mercogliano was charged with institutional sexual assault
The Defendant has not yet been arrested but is cooperative and arranging an appropriate time to turn herself in via her attorney
Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardChester County teacher faces charges over allegedly having sex with Conestoga High School studentMichelle Mercogliano faces 63 counts for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student
Authorities in Chester County have charged a Conestoga High School teacher with dozens of offenses in connection with a sexual relationship she allegedly had with a student at the school
faces 63 counts for allegedly having sex with the 16-year-old student
filed by Tredyffrin Township police Wednesday
She also allegedly provided the teen with marijuana
“Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher L
”The defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust
The investigation into Mercogliano began Monday after family members of the victim contacted police
His father gave police medical marijuana packaging he had found in his son’s closet
The victim’s parents said they learned of the inappropriate sexual relationship from the victim’s sister
who learned about it directly from the teen during a trip out of town
and said he and Mercogliano had had sex about 12 times
A majority of the sexual contact was at Mercogliano’s parents’ home in Wayne
Mercogliano allegedly provided the victim with marijuana weekly since December
She communicated with the victim through Snapchat “as to go undetected,” as well as via text messages
She does not currently have access to district property
and no other students are believed to be involved in the investigation
was a relatively new teacher at Conestoga High School
The complaint stated that she worked at the school as a special education reading teacher
Gusick said that prior to working at Conestoga
Mercogliano served as a teacher at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024
and previously was a paraprofessional at both Hillside and Valley Forge Elementary School from 2014 to 2018
The investigation into Mercogliano’s case is continuing
Investigators asked anyone with further information to contact the Tredyffrin Township Police Department at 610-644-3221
Staff writer Vinny Vella contributed to this article
The Rangers worked quickly to snatch up their top coaching candidate, officially hiring Mike Sullivan only four days after he was let go by the Pittsburgh Penguins
Multiple reports suggest the new contract will make him the highest-paid coach in NHL history
which shows how much team president Chris Drury and owner James Dolan coveted the man who several league sources believe has been their No
Mike Sullivan: 3 things to know about the Rangers' new head coach
That cost former head coach Peter Laviolette his job and opened the door for Sullivan
He'll be facing numerous questions − many of which will take months
to answer − but we'll begin by examining seven of the most pressing dilemmas
Can he win without Sidney Crosby?We’re going to find out
Sullivan won back-to-back Stanley Cups behind the best player of this generation
which is an easy way for critics to try and discredit those accomplishments
But Crosby had only won once in 10 seasons before Sullivan’s arrival and has always spoken glowingly about the coach’s influence in propelling the Penguins back to the top
Crosby has maintained his high level of play into his late-30s
but the rest of the Pittsburgh roster has crumbled around him
Diminishing returns from co-stars Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang
shaky goaltending and a scarcity of young talent has led to three straight seasons missing the playoffs
Sullivan shares some of the blame for that falloff
but the whole situation had grown stale in recent years
Now he’ll get a chance to start fresh and prove he can win without the great No
One of the few gripes Penguins fans had with Sullivan was the lack of development on his watch
but the other side will argue that he was working with one of the league’s weakest prospect pools
Pittsburgh consistently traded away draft picks to chase Cups
leaving their pipeline thin on impact players who could help the NHL club
When Sullivan had notable young talent during the championship years – specifically forwards Jake Guentzel
defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Olli Määttä and goalie Matt Murray – he didn’t hesitate to unleash them
It will be critically important for him to elevate the next wave of Rangers
That’s been a struggle for Sullivan’s predecessors
with both Laviolette and Gerard Gallant reluctant to trust the products of the rebuild era
led to frustration and fractured confidence
Brennan Othmann and top prospect Gabe Perreault
It’s hard to envision the Rangers bouncing back and sustaining any level of success if several of those players don’t graduate to more prominent roles and provide production
3. Can he salvage Mika Zibanejad?Pretty much all the Rangers’ core veterans are coming off down years, so Sullivan will have his hands full trying to help them rediscover the magic of years’ past. But none seem quite as vexing as the 32-year-old Swede
Zibanejad’s play has slipped for two consecutive seasons now
but the first half of 2024-25 was downright alarming
He looked like a shell of himself while managing only 21 points (six goals and 15 assists) through the first 36 games and spoke openly about the mental struggles it caused
And while he rebounded with a much-improved second half
concerns about how a contract that pays him $8.5 million annually and has five years remaining will age have been amplified
but Zibanejad controls his own destiny with a full no-movement clause and doesn’t seem particularly interested in leaving
it will be one of Sullivan’s primary responsibilities to reinvigorate a player who not too long ago ranked as one of the NHL’s top scorers and better all-around centers
Whether that means permanently moving him to right wing
where he found some success late in the season
or shifting him back to the middle is a key question
But the bottom line is the Blueshirts need more out of Zibanejad
One of the most perplexing storylines to emerge in this lost season was the precipitous drop of the Rangers' once-vaunted power play
For a five-year run that began with the 2019 arrivals of Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin
New York's PP ranked fourth in the league with a 24% conversion rate
They were remarkably consistent − a pillar of the team's success during that time
But despite returning all five members of their top unit − Fox
Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck − the 2024-25 power play plummeted all way to 28th while converting only 17.6% of the time
with the Rangers going 5-for-55 in their final 22 games while allowing four shorthanded goals
Their 9.1% success rate in that span ranked dead last
How could such an accomplished unit look so lost and disjointed
Sullivan will have to figure that out and make the right choice for whichever assistant coach is tasked with overseeing that effort
Sullivan will also have to pick the right person to coach up a group of defensemen who all stagnated or regressed under Laviolette and associate head coach Phil Housley
Helping Miller and Schneider take the next steps will be crucial, but they're not the only ones who experienced more downs than ups under the previous staff. Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba went from physical tone-setters to borderline liabilities, which led to both being traded, and even Fox seemed to lose some of his magic
The 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner didn't make his usual dynamic plays with the same frequency and wore down under the weight of difficult defensive assignments
It will likely require outside help to upgrade a D corps that's not on par with the big
tough and mobile groups we see excelling in the playoffs
putting the onus on Sullivan and his defensive signal caller to get them trending back in the right direction
Sullivan will become the latest coach to take a crack at trying to transform a bunch of east-west
That was an endless source of frustration for Gallant and Laviolette (and even David Quinn before them)
raising questions about whether any coach can shake the Rangers of their bad habits
The 57-year-old is expected to implement a fast-paced, straight-ahead system that gets pucks deep and applies pressure with a relentless forecheck, which sounds similar to what Gallant and Laviolette tried to achieve but didn’t have the horses for
One notable difference is that Sullivan prefers a zone defensive scheme
which could be a good thing after the Rangers often looked lost in Laviolette’s demanding man-to-man coverage
but achieving a lasting buy-in the previous two coaches couldn’t maintain beyond their first seasons will be the true test
this dare-we-say-soft version of Blueshirts tend to lose battles in the high-danger areas and fall back on high-risk passes that lead to inordinate odd-man rushes against
That’s why they ranked as one of the NHL’s worst defensive teams this season
but if Sullivan somehow changes that − or shows the ingenuity to adapt his system to this personnel − it will serve as proof that he’s one of the best coaches in the world
Drury can help the cause by bringing in players who fit the mold of what his new coach wants to accomplish
For all the on-ice problems to fix – of which there are many – there may be just as many fences to mend off of it
A walking-on-eggshells feeling took over as the season wore on and surely contributed to the lackluster results
It’s going to take a savvy culture-setter to effectively bridge the gap that seemed to widen between players and management
Sullivan has a reputation for being just that
which earned him high marks and wide respect from those he coached in Pittsburgh
And he's known for being an upfront communicator who cares but doesn't sugarcoat and prioritizes making sure players know where they stand
Drury defended Laviolette's communication process
which by all accounts was an improvement over Gallant's hands-off methods
but there was too much smoke for there not to be any fire
Multiple players expressed frustration with how they were handled and lamented uneven accountability
who has developed his own reputation for being secretive and ruthless
Much of the sagging morale and general paranoia stems from the top
Sullivan is uniquely positioned to effect change under a general manager who seemingly values his opinion and can't afford to get this hire wrong
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano
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Pennsylvania police charged a woman on Wednesday with having sex with a teen student on multiple occasions
Michelle Mercogliano, 35, a special education teacher at Conestoga High School
allegedly had sex with the 16-year-old student 12 times in February
WPVI reported that most of the encounters transpired at Mercogliano’s parents’ home
Mercogliano was also accused of purchasing medical marijuana for the student about 15 times
the victim said communication outside of class with Mercogliano began early in the school year when he was late for school and Mercogliano asked his friend for his Snapchat handle
Mercogliano allegedly messaged the boy on the platform and offered him a ride
The boy reportedly said he and Mercogliano first had sex at his home
He also claimed that she has been giving him marijuana once a week since December
Mercogliano — who has not been arrested — was charged with institutional sexual assault
Chester County prosecutors said she is expected to turn herself in with her lawyer present
The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District has placed Mercogliano on leave
Richard Gusick said they have no indication that the criminal investigation involves other students
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It’s been nearly six weeks since I last published any thoughts on the 2024-25 New York Rangers and an undetermined number of diaper changes
Thanks again to everyone for your well wishes and understanding while I was doing my “Mr
(The cashier at our local grocery store bestowed that nickname after watching me shop with one son bouncing around the cart and another strapped to my chest.)
When I covered my last game just before Christmas, the Rangers were in the pits. None of us will soon forget their embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Devils on Dec. 23 – a game in which respected veteran Chris Kreider was a surprise healthy scratch and the team managed a measly 12 shots on goal without him
It felt like a low point in a season that already had multiple candidates for that unwanted distinction
and with two more losses coming out of the holiday break
the Blueshirts entered the new year having lost 15 of their previous 19 games
this was the ugliest and most dysfunctional stretch I’d seen
The season was on the verge of full-blown catastrophe
but the Rangers mustered enough of a January rally to at least keep things interesting
They’ve gone 11-5-3 since the calendar turned to 2025
with a .658 points percentage that ranks sixth in the NHL in that span
And while they remain on the outside of a crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture
they’re only three points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot with 27 games to play
but perhaps the biggest key will be sticking to – and building on – the defensive improvements they’ve shown in the new year
They entered 2025 bleeding shots at an alarming rate
with an average of 31.6 shots against per game that ranked 30th in the league
They’ve reduced that number to an even 28.0 over the last 19 games
The quality they’re allowing has decreased
with their pre-2025 rate of 13.03 high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes (which sat 31st in the NHL
according to Natural Stat Trick) dropping to 10.67
they’ve gone from 2.87 expected-goals against per 60 (tied for 29th) to 2.57
This isn’t meant to paint the Rangers as a defensive juggernaut – this core will never be that and remains especially vulnerable against the rush – but a return to structured respectability has allowed them to steady the ship
They were spending far too much time pinned in their own zone during that hellacious stretch in November and December
but the possession scales have been much more balanced since then
What does that mean for the rest of the season
but Saturday's 4-3 win in Columbus − their third comeback victory in the last four games − sent them into this two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament well within striking distance
which is why more changes are coming regardless of this season’s outcome
But I also think there’s more pride in that locker room than some have given the players credit for
and with many of them in the 30-or-older club and aware they only get so many cracks at this
I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if they find a way into the dance
The Rangers are undoubtedly in better position to make that push with Miller in the fold
His impact has been evident through his first five games back with New York
with four points (two goals and two assists) in that span and plenty of quality play that didn’t result in points
His 61.66% xGF is easily best on the team during that admittedly small sample size
Head coach Peter Laviolette has described the 6-foot-1
218-pounder as "a bull out there," and it's easy to see why
in part because he viewed Miller as one of the very few non-rental trade options who could change the complexion of the lineup
but more specifically because the versatile veteran brings grinding elements that the Rangers' other top players lack
Miller's physical presence on the forecheck
at the net front and along the walls has been glaring since his return
with an eagerness to get to those contested areas and a highly competitive spirit once he arrives
There have been goals scored where he doesn't touch the puck but clearly effects the play by sticking his nose into places that demand the opposition's attention
It's a starkly different style than the graceful
Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad prefer to play
which these Rangers have sorely needed for years
And the exciting part is that Miller combines that blue-collar approach with a skill level that's on par with those talented players
Only Panarin has produced more points (308) than Miller's 284 across the previous three seasons
the Blueshirts are absolutely better off with Miller than they would have been with Filip Chytil
who I began hearing a couple weeks before the Jan
31 trade went down would be the main NHL piece heading back to Vancouver
I also heard from multiple league sources about some of the rough-around-the-edges personality traits that caused friction at Miller's previous stops
including his first stint with the Rangers
but it's probably fair to say that Drury wanted to add a little spice into a locker room that doesn't have many fiery leaders since the ousting of Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba
A changing of the guard is clearly underway
and with Miller under contract for another five seasons after this one
he'll be part of the new core that emerges from this season's turmoil
Miller's $8 million average annual value shouldn't be the focus of criticism regarding the biggest trade the Rangers have pulled off under Drury
had largely ridden a roster built by his predecessor
News of the NHL's rapid salary-cap escalation in the coming years means that New York should have plenty of financial wiggle room, especially after unloading Trouba's full $8 million AAV to Anaheim
I'm currently projecting close to $18 million in available space for this summer − granted
they'll have some key spots to fill − and by the time the league's cap ceiling rises to $113.5 million in 2027-28
Miller's cap hit will account for just over 7% of it
That's a bargain for a player expected to be your No
The bigger concern is the lack of youth down the middle and how it may shorten their window to contend
will be 37 by the time his deal expires in 2030
All four current Rangers' centers are 31 or older
with Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick both under contract until age 35
It's hard to imagine all four stretching their prime years that far
Having 25-year-old Chytil at a manageable $4.4375 million AAV provided some balance
but his injury history made this a palatable sacrifice
Drury walled off forward Alexis Lafrenière and defenseman Braden Schneider in trade talks with the Canucks and convinced them to accept a player who's missed a combined 81 regular-season games the past two seasons
I've heard there were some teams who wouldn't discuss Chytil for fear of what another blow to the head could mean for his career, with those concerns hovering over his every move in the New York the past two years
He's a dynamic talent who's as determined as any player the Rangers have had during this post-rebuild era
but the constant threat of losing him for extended stretches hampered them
They understandably view Miller as more of a sure thing
which made the age tradeoff acceptable in Drury's mind
He also insisted on top-13 protection for the first-round pick included in the deal
and once the two sides agreed on gifted-but-raw defenseman Victor Mancini as the prospect heading to Vancouver
Getting a player of Miller's caliber for a package centered around a player who
was increasingly difficult to count on and didn't have a robust trade market
seems like a wise move on the risk-reward scale
Even more so when you consider the badly needed elements Miller brings to the lineup that we've already discussed
But it also puts added focus on the organization's poor development track record in recent years − particularly at center
where they've allowed the problem to fester by going seven consecutive drafts without using a first-round pick on hockey's most important skating position
There are no centers currently in the pipeline who project as future top-six options
and it's fringy if any will even carve out bottom-six roles
Chytil and fellow 2017 first-rounder Lias Andersson were supposed to occupy spots for years to come
but now the former has been traded and the latter busted out of the NHL entirely
Even the highly drafted non-centers who came out of the rebuild era have largely disappointed
where he's been given the increased ice time he always wanted and responded with 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) through 24 games
And while Lafrenière and Schneider remain from a 2020 class that looks like Gorton's best work − and
his last draft before being fired in 2021 − neither has reached the heights the Rangers hoped for when drafting them
with Lafrenière's game falling off dramatically ever since he inked a seven-year extension in October
Will Cuylle is a second-round success story who looks like part of the long-term solution (credit Gorton for flipping Andersson to get him)
and there are lofty expectations for top prospect and Hobey Baker finalist Gabe Perreault whenever he arrives on Broadway
But at a time when the veterans were supposed to be passing the reins to the next generation
there's a dearth of players who look ready to accept that responsibility
Without any budding stars among the Rangers' youth
it seems increasingly likely that they'll have to rely on free agent and/or trade acquisitions to elongate their contention window
I'm expecting Drury to continue reshaping this roster in the next 18 months
with more familiar faces moving on in favor of culture-changing additions
with at least one or two more sure to be dealt before the March 7 trade deadline
The purge will continue this offseason and could be heading toward a major splash by 2026
when Panarin's big contract is set to expire and star centers Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid loom as possible free agents
How far the Rangers can go with this facelift will hinge on what happens with Zibanejad
who holds a full no-movement clause until it becomes partial in 2029-30
It's not even worth discussing if he'd consider waiving his NMC prior to this year's deadline because
But I have spoken to league sources who wonder if that subject will be broached over the summer when Zibanejad has more time to process
especially if he finishes the season as the clear No
To be fair, the 31-year-old Swede has been much better in 2025, with 16 points (five goals and 11 assists) through 19 games while sporting a 56.46% xGF. Some of the confidence that was so clearly waning earlier this season has returned
but it's no secret this has been a difficult year for him
I've seen fans accuse him of quitting on the team
and while he very well may be among the faction of players who isn't thrilled with how certain situations have been handled
I believe his struggles stem from caring so much that the pressure often consumes him
I know he loves living in New York and values stability for his family
but could there come a point where he determines a clean slate elsewhere would clear his head and refresh his career
That may depend on how the rest of this season plays out
Shifting him to right wing on the top line with Miller and Panarin caught many by surprise
but they sure looked good while posting a 63.47% xGF through 45:34 time on ice together
Laviolette abruptly changed course during Friday's 3-2 letdown loss to the Penguins
but will he go back to that arrangement after the break
Zibanejad will likely be relegated to a diminished role at five-on-five
where only six of his 16 points have come during this recent resurgence
He hasn't looked like a play driver at even strength in quite some time
which is why many believe the Rangers would like to explore trade options and allocate his $8.5 million AAV elsewhere if he entertains the idea after the season
The more immediate questions center around the upcoming trade deadline
Everyone wants to know if the Rangers are going to be buyers or sellers
but the reality is they'd like to do a little of both
And with a projected total of close to $16.5 million in available cap space by March 7
It would be extremely shortsighted to employ Drury's strategy of trading draft picks for rentals for the fourth straight season
but doing it year after year is an unsustainable practice that limits the franchise's long-term viability
We've already outlined the need for an infusion of youth
and with the Rangers holding only two picks in the first two rounds of the next three drafts combined
this could be an opportunity to recoup assets
It would be borderline malpractice not to explore trades for players on expiring contracts who they don't expect to re-sign
namely forwards Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey and defensemen Zac Jones and Ryan Lindgren
on top of possibly weaponizing their cap space to take on excess salary in return for picks
That's not to say Drury shouldn't look at add
But any deal should be made with one eye on next season − and beyond
That means acquiring players with multiple years left of team control
if he can uncover any who are available (not an easy task) and who fit the vision of what he's trying to build
The Miller trade was a clear indication that the thinking has shifted in that regard
as was the decision to offer defenseman Will Borgen a five-year
$20.5 million extension after acquiring him in the Kakko trade
The hard truth is that the Rangers haven't played well enough
Drury should restock the cupboard for future seasons while simultaneously clearing the path for a few prospects to finally get their shot
And if it also helps with this year's playoff push
NEW YORK ‒ Let’s just come out and say what many of us have been thinking for the better part of four months
Mathematically, there’s still a chance. Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden didn’t eliminate the Blueshirts from playoff contention
But the last two-and-a-half days have seen those odds plummet
with just about every result working against them
"It’s terrible," star forward Artemi Panarin said bluntly
Not only have the Rangers (36-34-7) continued to bury themselves with back-to-back losses, displaying an alarming lack of fortitude considering the make-or-break circumstances. But the team they’re chasing, the red-hot Montreal Canadiens
including back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday
That’s left New York six points back for the Eastern Conference’s final wild card with five games to play
"It’s no longer a waiting it out kind of thing
where we win a game and wait to see what they do,” forward Jonny Brodzinski said
The Rangers can’t finish higher than 89 total points
which Montreal would achieve with only two more wins
And if the Habs capture five or more of the remaining 10 points available to them
it wouldn’t even matter if the Blueshirts won out
That’s basically what they need to do in order to have a chance
but they haven’t been able to string together three consecutive wins since mid-November
Does anyone in their right mind believe the Rangers can win five in a row now
"We needed to win a game tonight," head coach Peter Laviolette said
It's been a lot of that through the course of the year."
A damning 1:45Would you believe me if I told you the Rangers were the better team for the first 12 minutes of Monday’s contest
earning 12 of the game’s first 13 shots on goal
Brennan Othmann and Matt Rempe was buzzing on their first few shifts
with Rempe making his return after missing the previous four games with an upper-body injury
And the power play showed signs of life after flat-lining for a number of weeks
including a rebound chance for Vincent Trocheck that forced Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to make a desperate
But a hooking penalty on Chris Kreider crashed any early momentum for New York and swung it dramatically in Tampa’s favor
third and sixth shots of the game were all converted into goals
effectively burying the Rangers in a backbreaking span of just 1:45
it’s kind of like everything is harder for us," Panarin said
It started with a failed Blueshirts’ shorthanded rush that turned into an easy counter for Tampa
Adam Fox lost the puck deep in the offensive zone on a spinning pass attempt
allowing Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point to attack in transition
then raced to the far post for a tap-in finish on the return pass
The Lightning lead would double on the very next shift
when Yanni Gourde outworked newest Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy − who has done little to inspire confidence he should move forward on a top pairing with Fox − to a juicy rebound in front of the net and backhanded it in
Tampa culminated the devastating stretch with the second of its three power-play goals
this one coming on Point’s 40th tally of the season to make it 3-0 at the 14:54 mark
"It was not tying up guys in front or small stuff around our net that cost us," Brodzinski said
It was emblematic of this wholly disappointing season
The Rangers fold at the slightest hint of adversity
with one bad play snowballing into multiple on more occasions than I can count
It's led to some especially lopsided losses
with Monday marking the 11th by a four-goal margin or worse
The players haven't been able to offer much of an explanation as to why
steadying impact while guiding the Blueshirts to the fourth Presidents' Trophy in franchise history in his first season has seemingly lost his voice a year later
"I don’t have a message right now," he said
"I don’t go into the locker room after the game."
The Rangers regrouped enough to control much of the second period
where they registered 18 shots on goal while allowing only five
with Mika Zibanejad redirecting a pass from Panarin for New York’s second power play goal in its last 12 games and third in a span of 47 attempts
The PP had several chances at the end of the period
but couldn’t breakthrough that time to cut the deficit to one heading into the third
just to get it to 3-2 and make that push towards the third period," Laviolette said
It was the best the power play has looked in recent memory
with crisp puck movement and lots of volume from the high-danger areas
they could have used that much sooner than April 7
"I would say it looked more confident," Panarin said
It didn’t take long for Laviolette to move away from giving the youth coveted opportunities and revert back to leaning on underperforming veterans
Rookie forwards Othmann and Gabe Perreault spent two whole games in the top six before being dropped down in the lineup to begin Monday’s contest
“Some of that had to do with the opponent tonight and their top line
just making sure we had the pieces out there that we thought could handle that line,” the coach said
Point and Kucherov did a ton of damage on the power play but were held in check at five-on-five
Miller and Zibanejad taking on the bulk of that responsibility
They registered a 9-1 advantage in scoring chances while out-attempting the Lighting
Laviolette’s move worked out from that standpoint
but it didn’t come close to changing the result
it spoke to his reluctance to trust the kids who are vital to the Rangers’ future
The Othmann-Brodzinski-Rempe line was New York’s best in terms of creating O-zone pressure
while generating a 6-1 edge in scoring chances
But Perreault was rendered ineffective while playing on a leftovers line with Kreider and Sam Carrick
with zero shots on one attempt in 13:06 time on ice
NEW YORK - The Rangers have been pushed to the brink of elimination in this depressing
Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the lowly Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden was the latest blow to their playoff chances
leaving the locker room in its most dejected state yet
"I’m not going to get into what’s going on in the room," said a stoic J.T
"But I think the frustration is probably evident."
"It’s a [expletive] feeling in here," defenseman Adam Fox added
"We’re hanging on by a thread at this point."
There's no escaping the harsh reality of the hole the Rangers (36-35-7) have dug themselves into
That might feel like an appropriate end to one of the most disappointing seasons in the franchise's nearly 100-year history
"Let's be honest: We haven't really helped ourselves over the last couple weeks," Mika Zibanejad said
We're not in this position solely because of tonight
Gabe Perreault: Rangers make head-scratching decision to remove top prospect
Sean Couturier dealt the final merciful blow to give the Flyers the lead for good
Tyson Foerster added salt to the wound a short time later with a critical insurance goal before adding an empty-netter to complete his hat trick
A second empty-netter from Owen Tippett capped a horrid defensive period in which the Rangers allowed six goals
It added up to the 22nd time this season they've surrendered five or more in a game and fifth time they've given up seven or more
"We've been struggling back and forth with that all year," Zibanejad said of the rampant defensive breakdowns
"I'm trying to come up with something else to say
I just feel like I repeat myself every time we have these scrums after a loss
having entered Wednesday with the worst record in the Eastern Conference
They controlled much of the opening period
with a 12-5 advantage in shots and a shorthanded goal from Vincent Trocheck that gave them a 1-0 lead at the 11:33 mark
It was setup by a strong play from Zibanejad
who stole the puck from Philly forward Karsen Dorwart and flipped a backhanded lead pass to Trocheck
with Trocheck faking to his right before roofing a backhander past Flyers rookie Aleksei Kolosov
But nothing good ever lasts too long for these Rangers
who coughed up the lead by allowing the first two goals of the second period
who whipped a wrister by Jonathan Quick at the 9:03 mark following a couple failed clear attempts from New York defenseman Braden Schneider
Garnet Hathaway put Philly ahead 7:40 later
capitalizing on yet another Rangers’ power-play flop to make it 2-1
It came off the rush after a failed zone entry
with Trocheck getting crunched by Hathaway at the blue line to jar the puck loose
That made it four shorthanded goals allowed by the Blueshirts in the last six games
their own power play has only scored four times in the last 19
including an 0-for-3 performance Wednesday
"The shorthanded goals have been coming from us not executing getting into the zone
or being over-aggressive and kind of staying in – especially playing against some of the teams that are attacking a lot on their kill," said Zibanejad
who finished with a season-high four assists yet still landed with a minus-one rating
“We should have been able to do a better job."
with their most reliable source of offense coming through to knot the score at 2-2 just 1:49 later
Artemi Panarin had briefly gone to the locker room after taking a puck to the face
then returned to score his team-leading 35th goal of the season and 300th of his career
The back-and-forth action escalated in a sloppy third period that certainly won't be used as a tutorial for youth hockey players
"I didn't like the way we attacked the period," head coach Peter Laviolette said
it’s in the balance of who's gonna decide it
And they played a better period than we did
We made mistakes and it ended up back of our net."
The Rangers surrendered 17 shots in the final 20 minutes
with Swiss-cheese coverage and Charmin-soft net-front protection that’s been problematic all season
It came while missing defenseman K'Andre Miller for the second straight game due to illness
confusion on who's got who and guys are left wide open
There's times where we’ve got D running out high
trying to stick to their man and some miscommunications
While Fox accurately depicted the issues that have plagued the team in Laviolette's preferred man-to-man system
the bench boss continued to dig his heels in as questions about his job security swirl
"There was no confusion out there," he insisted
It sounds like we may be talking about the same thing here
but the bigger question is why those lapses are still happening with such frequency 78 games into the season
"I’d love to have an answer for you," Fox said
The third-period collapse started with Noah Cates beating Fox to the net for a prime chance that was saved by Quick
but a juicy rebound came right to Travis Sanheim
who buried it to give the Flyers a brief 3-2 lead
Miller rallied with two goals in a span of 1:23 to put the Rangers back on top
with defensemen Zac Jones and Will Borgen drifting completely out of the picture
left Jakob Pelletier and Emil Andrae all alone around the New York crease
The former had a clear path to a rebound he would finish to tie the score at 4-4 with 11:59 remaining
with both Flyers scoring to render a late goal from Chris Kreider meaningless
Couturier's go-ahead tally came on yet another appetizing rebound given up by Quick
who finished a shaky night in net with only 22 saves on 28 shots faced
That dropped his season save percentage to .893
which is where it could stay heading into a long summer
with the Rangers already making significant changes to their roster
Kaapo Kakko and Jimmy Vesey and defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba
(Maybe even by the time you’re reading this story.) That’s created roster and salary cap flexibility moving forward
The Blueshirts are a team in transition, who also happen to find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. Monday’s 4-0 win over the Islanders moved them into a tie for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot with 21 games to play
Takeaways: Rangers move into a tie for playoff position
Team president Chris Drury doesn’t want to derail the postseason push
it’s also fair to acknowledge that his on-the-fly retool has yielded stronger returns than most anticipated
It started with the Dec. 6 deal that sent Trouba to Anaheim
Pulling that off without retaining any of the former captain’s $8 million average annual value for this season or the next felt like a heist
with the contributions made by depth defenseman Urho Vaakanainen a nice cherry on top
The jury is still out on the Dec. 18 trade that shipped Kakko to Seattle
Will Borgen has solidified the right side of New York’s defense and earned a five-year extension
posting 19 points (six goals and 13 assists) through his first 28 games
The Rangers sold low on a young talent they failed to properly foster
but that’s the only in-season trade that doesn’t feel like a clear win
The big one, obviously, came on Jan. 31, when they snagged J.T. Miller and a couple depth defensemen from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Chytil
defenseman prospect Victor Mancini and a top-13 protected first-round pick
Miller has been an ideal fit based on his unique combination of skill
and given the injury cloud that constantly hangs over Chytil
there’s no denying the Blueshirts are better for having made the deal
which replenished the Rangers’ draft capital while adding a young center with multiple years left of team control in Juuso Pärssinen
went above what most expected he would get
Those trades cleared over $4.5 million in total cap space while netting five picks and at least three players who could play depth roles beyond this season
But don’t count on it all happening this week
My sense is that the Rangers are heading toward an eventual split with their longest-tenured player
He’s been on the trade block since Drury included his name in that memo
and while the rumors have quieted down in the months since
two people with knowledge of the situation told lohud.com
that New York remains motivated to move him
I had been hearing Kreider could be dealt before the deadline
but it’s hard to imagine his current status on injured reserve won’t hurt those odds
The 33-year-old winger missed time earlier this season with back spasms that have caused on-and-off problems
and his most recent five-game absence is apparently the result of a separate ailment
One league source believes a trade is still possible this week
but others point to a summer transaction as the more likely scenario
Kreider has two more years on his contract at an AAV of $6.5 million
so this isn't a situation that needs to be resolved immediately
signs are pointing toward the Rangers parting ways with the franchise's all-time leading playoff goal-scorer
The only imminent trade prior to Friday's deadline will involve Smith
but I've heard the Maple Leafs have other priorities
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it'll likely be a U.S
The Rangers sent a 2027 second-round pick and a 2025 conditional fifth to Pittsburgh to acquire Smith last summer
but it's hard to see them matching that return at this stage
while the new acquiring team will only get him for a couple months
The consensus I've heard is a third-rounder this time around
with anything more than that another feather in Drury's cap
The front-office boss would like to do more − as would just about every GM
I'm sure − but it's possible he gets what he can for Smith and then let's this group play it out
There was some initial shock and ill feelings in the locker room when the purging began
but they've picked themselves off the mat and finally seem to be committing to the direct
tenacious style Drury and head coach Peter Laviolette desire
but there's been an obvious injection of energy from hungry young players such as Brett Berard
The Rangers need to try them in different roles and see what they have moving forward
but their opportunities aren't solely about the future
The hustle elements they've brought to the lineup are also aiding the cause for this season
Recouping assets for their pending UFAs and filling those spots with the kids is a fine course of action after years of gutting the system for short-term goals
That's not to say the Rangers aren't trying to add
but it's been well-publicized that they aren't in the rental market − for good reason
Drury is focused on acquiring players with term who can help beyond this season
and if he does trade for anyone on an expiring contract
antennas should be up for a possible extension
Left-handed defensemen are the most obvious area of need
mainly because none on the current roster are signed for next year
K'Andre Miller has been bandied about on the rumor mill
He's had an up-and-down season but has turned it on lately and represents the only proven top-four option among the organization's lefty D
but it should be manageable with the cap escalating rapidly in the coming years
And I still believe in the upside of the 25-year-old
who at the very least has proven to be an elite skater and capable minutes eater
the Rangers have been shopping Zac Jones for weeks
with his future in New York much less certain
But my understanding is they couldn't find any takers who were willing to meet their price
Fox's injury created an opening for the 24-year-old and he's handled it quite well
That may pique teams' interest and reignite Jones' market
with a trade still on the table if one of them ups their offer
But the Blueshirts are thin on replacements and could decide it's better to keep him around for the playoff chase
as opposed to settling for mid-round pick or fringy prospect
Vaakanainen has surpassed Jones on the depth chart and could be re-signed for next season
but he's probably best served on the bottom pair
the goal should be finding another lefty who can slot in on one of the top-two pairs
likely to fill Lindgren's spot next to Fox
Two names that sources have wondered about are San Jose's Mario Ferraro and Vancouver's Carson Soucy
who are both under contract next season at identical cap hits of $3.25 million
But is either a top-four D on a contending team
Or would they add to the glut of bottom-pair fillers along the lines of Jones
Vaakanainen and newly acquired Calvin de Haan
The better bet might be waiting for the offseason and targeting one of the top LHD free agents
Dmitry Orlov and Ivan Provorov could possibly hit the market
The Rangers are also looking for non-rental forwards who help them shift in the bigger
stronger and faster direction they're heading
with Philadelphia's Scott Laughton a name I've repeatedly heard they're interested in
The problem is several teams are vying for his services
and Drury may not have the ammunition to get into a bidding war
He already traded this year's first-round pick in the J.T
Miller deal and doesn't have a ton of appealing prospects to offer
especially not in a deal for what amounts to a third-line center
I believe the few substantial chips he has are being saved for something bigger
The disappointing Predators have a couple respected veterans in Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos who have been rumored
Tommy Novak and Colton Sissons are more feasible targets with term and reasonable cap hits
The Rangers were sniffing around on Novak at this time last year
I did notice Preds GM Barry Trotz and owner Bill Haslam hanging around the Madison Square Garden press box for Sunday's game
the probability is it's for someone we aren't even talking about
and therefore aren't in a position to pay premium prices for marginal or temporary upgrades
That's what led them to reclamation projects like Pärssinen and Vaakanainen − players who faltered early in their careers but have untapped potential and can be had for reduced cost
It's essentially shopping in the discount aisle and hoping to uncover a hidden gem
with limited downside if you don't have to give up much to get them
Big-game hunt is comingThe big-game hunting will likely come at a later date
Miller and Igor Shesterkin give the Rangers a core they believe they can build around
Braden Schneider and the next wave of prospects are being penciled in for important supporting roles
But to truly catapult back into the NHL's upper echelon
there's an understanding that another leading man or two must be added
They hoped to develop that from within coming out of the rebuild era
but many of those prospects and draftees never quite hit their ceilings
That's forced Drury to perform in-season surgery and set his sights on who might be available in the months to come
with Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk the big fish every GM around the NHL is hoping will shake loose one day
particularly with a 2026 class that could be led by Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid
there's a chance none of those players are going anywhere
but the larger point stands: Expect the Rangers to be in on pretty much any star talent who hits the market this summer or the next
The Rangers opened the trade-deadline floodgates on Saturday by moving two of their pending free agents in one deal
Forward Jimmy Vesey, defenseman Ryan Lindgren and D prospect Hank Kempf are heading to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for center Juuso Parssinen
defenseman Calvin de Haan and two 2025 draft picks in the second and fourth rounds
New York is also retaining 50% of the $4.5 million average annual value on Lindgren's expiring contract
according to a person with knowledge of the situation
The second-round pick will be the better choice between Carolina's or the Rangers' original pick
which they sent to Utah (formerly Arizona) in a 2022 trade to offload the Patrik Nemeth contract
The fourth-round pick will the better between Colorado's and Vancouver's
It represents a solid return for a couple players the Blueshirts were planning to move on from anyway
with lots of moving parts in the aftermath
Thread-the-needle approach comes into focusThis trade signals what multiple league sources were already anticipating − that team president Chris Drury will try and thread the needle as both buyer and seller in the lead up to Friday's 3 p.m
The Rangers sat four points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot following Friday's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs with 23 games remaining on their schedule
The goal from ownership on down is to make the playoff this season
but their inconsistent play has led to a more measured deadline approach than we've seen in years' past
Postgame takeaways: Rangers play better, yet find a way to lose
It's clear that Drury wants to recoup whatever assets he can for his pending UFAs
rather than allowing them to walk for free this summer
That puts the focus squarely on forward Reilly Smith
who figures to be the next veteran in the trade crosshairs
One league source suggested the most likely return is a third-round pick
The Rangers will simultaneously attempt to plug those holes with external additions, such as Parssinen and de Haan, and their own prospects. Rookie Brennan Othmann made his season debut Tuesday
with fellow winger prospect Brett Berard likely to be recalled if/when Smith is dealt
The strong preference for any player they acquire is team control beyond this season
Drury has gutted his pipeline by trading away draft picks for rentals the previous three years
and now he's determined to restock the cupboard while aiming to uncover role players who can help both now and next season
He has ample financial maneuverability to pursue more trades
with an updated projection of over $16 million in available salary cap space for the deadline
Lindgren should be remembered fondly for giving his heart and soul for this franchise over seven seasons
which included winning the coveted Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 2022-23
but his fearless style of play has led to a slew of injuries and diminishing returns
That made the Rangers hesitant to commit long term
with the writing on the wall when they only offered a one-year contract last summer
This season began with a difficult jaw injury sustained during a preseason fight with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield
That cost him much of training camp and the first few games of the regular season
setting the stage for the 27-year-old's worst season in New York
He's notched a career high with 19 points (two goals and 17 assists) through 54 games
but he's been increasingly victimized in defensive coverage
with underlying numbers that have almost all slipped into negative territory
Vesey's second stint with the Rangers began with a 2022 professional-tryout contract
His career had sputtered in previous stops with Buffalo
but he revived it with a couple solid seasons as a reliable fourth-liner and penalty killer
Both Lindgren and Vesey were popular figures in the Blueshirts' locker room
with their exits adding to the feeling that the guard is changing
Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba as players who were lineup staples for years but have been traded as part of Drury's recent upheaval
The Rangers' goal was always to net a second-round pick in exchange for Lindgren
who figured to be the most valuable of their pending UFAs for his hard-nosed defending and playoff experience
But they were also able to land a couple assets they believe can help now
Parssinen is a secondary piece they firmly wanted included in the deal
He was traded from Nashville to Colorado in December and has struggled to gain proper footing across three partial NHL seasons
but the Blueshirts have scouted him extensively over the years and believe the 24-year-old has untapped potential
One league source indicated they were in discussions with the Predators before the Finnish center was traded to the Avs
with 48 points (18 goals and 30 assists) across 126 games
including 11 (four goals and seven assists) with a minus-six rating in 37 appearances between Nashville and Colorado this season
His offense is limited and he's not an especially strong skater
but he brings the size the Rangers have been looking for 6-foot-3
212 pounds and adds youth to their thinning pool of centers
They believe he can be developed into an effective bottom-sixer and plan on giving him that opportunity right away
The other selling point is that Parssinen will be a restricted free agent this summer
he should sign as a cheap roster filler if they decide to keep him
De Haan, on the other hand, is a pure rental, but the Rangers preferred to add a defenseman if they were trading Lindgren. Adam Fox was placed on injured reserve this week
which leaves them with patchwork D corps until he returns
Will Borgen and K'Andre Miller will function as the top pair
Braden Schneider and Urho Vaakanainen attempting to hold the fort on the other two
The 33-year-old de Haan will be playing for his sixth team in the last eight seasons
The left-handed shooter has appeared in 676 career NHL games and provides needed depth
but there are obvious limitations if he's counted on in a regular role
He's posted seven points (all assists) with a minus-eight rating and 49.59% xGF in 44 games this season
But the picks should have the most lasting impact
The Rangers boosted their total selection count in the coming draft from six to eight with this deal − and it could be as many as nine
depending on whether they keep their top-13 protected first-round pick or send it Vancouver as part of the J.T
They had dealt away their second-rounders in each of the next three drafts
but this trade adds one back into their arsenal
The picks alone made this a worthwhile move
with anything they get from Parssinen or de Haan considered gravy on top
NEW YORK – Rangers fans still showed up Thursday at Madison Square Garden
to witness the end of a season which offered them very little to be proud of
They’ve endured a disastrous 2024-25 campaign all the way through
beginning with a turbulent summer that pitted management against its leadership group and ending with a disturbing report from The Athletic alleging sexual assault claims against star forward Artemi Panarin
Report: Artemi Panarin accused of sexual assault by Rangers employee
Much of what happened in between wasn’t pretty
"Kind of empty," veteran Mika Zibanejad said of his feelings as a season that started with high expectations comes to a bitter end
"Coming into the rink this afternoon with the weather being like it is
you're used to kind of gearing up for playoffs
The Rangers became the fourth team in NHL history to miss the postseason one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy
dropping from a franchise-record 55 wins all the way down to 39
They managed a 4-0 win over the Lightning in Thursday's regular-season finale
Tampa Bay had already clinched its eighth consecutive postseason berth
while the Rangers are heading toward an offseason that’s filled with questions but promises more upheaval
"Nobody really knows what this team is going to look like next year," center Vincent Trocheck said
but the first order of business will likely involve head coach Peter Laviolette
who’s expected to be relieved of his duties in the coming days
"Those are things I can't control," Laviolette said
"The year certainly wasn't where it needed to be
The coach won’t be the only one to pay the price for this mess
who may have suited up for the final time as a member of the home team at MSG − exactly 13 years and one day after debuting as a fresh-faced kid straight out of Boston College
Signs have been pointing in the divorce direction for months
with prevailing belief that the longest-tenured Ranger will be aggressively shopped this summer
He's had a tumultuous season that saw his production fall off and his name appear in team president Chris Drury’s late-November trade memo
which caused rifts in the locker room and sent the team into a tailspin
Kreider has rarely talked in postgame settings since and had a PR staffer tell reporters he'll wait until players gather to clean out their lockers and conduct exit interviews to address his situation
The Garden crowd seemed to recognize the moment by greeting the 33-year-old forward with warm cheers when he was announced as part of the starting lineup
He was appropriately reunited with Zibanejad
then netted his 326th career goal at the 4:02 mark of the third period
That moved Kreider within 10 tallies of Jean Ratelle for second of the franchise’s all-time scoring list
with Will Cuylle immediately gathering the puck as a potential memento
Everyone in the building had a sense of what could be coming
but we just tried to get to play together again," said Zibanejad
who scored two goals of his own to hit 20 for the eighth consecutive season
We just wanted to finish off the season in a good way and try to have some fun
The MSG faithful also saluted legendary broadcaster Sam Rosen in the final game of his 40-year career as the Blueshirts’ play-by-play voice
chanting his name as the final seconds ticked off the clock
but the memories he gave this passionate fan base will last a lifetime
who played in spite of Thursday’s allegations but will have a cloud hanging over him until they’re addressed head on
but declined multiple questions about the accusations
“The Club retained an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation
We consider the matter closed.” But when asked by lohud.com
if the investigation substantiated the accuser’s claims
“The League statement is the extent of what we have to say on the subject.”
The lack of transparency will allow speculation to run rampant
while the truth will remain a point of contention heading into a long summer
It’s as if none of the teams vying for the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot have any interest in claiming it
The Rangers blew multiple two-goal leads Friday in Anaheim on their way to a heartbreaking 5-4 overtime loss to the up-and-coming Ducks
Mason McTavish won it 59 seconds into the extra period after Owen Zellweger burned New York off the rush to tie it with 1:45 left in regulation
The result was the Blueshirts’ ninth loss in their last 12 games and seventh OT loss in nine tries − further evidence that last season's knack for coming up clutch has fizzled into a habit of tripping over themselves in those moments
It was yet another devastating blow in a season that’s been filled with them
with these bumbling Rangers (34-32-7) utterly undeserving of a postseason berth
the other teams in the race have been nearly as bad and are allowing them to hang around
which meant a Blueshirts’ win would have moved them back into the second wild-card position
Instead, they find themselves in a three-way tie with the Blue Jackets and Canadiens, who both have the edge in points percentage with more games remaining on their respective schedules. Columbus has 11 left and Montreal has 10, while New York is down to only nine. The Islanders are right there
trailing by one point with 11 games of their own to play
It’s a jumbled mess with no clear front-runner
but it’s impossible to have any faith in the Rangers when they continue to play this brand of sloppy
K'Andre Miller: Rangers reaching a crossroads with D-man in contract year
Even with the walls (and defense) crumbling around him
Igor Shesterkin is trying to will the Blueshirts into the playoffs
He was brilliant in Friday’s first period to prevent Anaheim from putting up a crooked number early
The Rangers have had a tendency for poor starts all season
with the Ducks' speed and skill in transition posing predictable problems
Anaheim racked up 16 shots and a whopping 10 high-danger scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes alone
It came on a shorthanded rush from Alex Killorn
who had his first attempt saved by Shesterkin but stayed with it and buried his own rebound
the 29-year-old had denied each of the first 12 shots he faced
including a sprawling left-pad save from his stomach on a wide-open Killorn
He finished with 28 saves and was hung out to dry on most of the five shots that beat him
No goalie in the league has faced as many shots (1,591) or expected goals (167.38)
with Shesterkin stopping 23.4 goals above expected entering Friday
which ranked third overall according to moneypuck.com
He’s on pace to set a new career-high for appearances while playing behind one of the NHL’s poorest defenses
with Friday marking the first time he’s ever started nine consecutive games
Building a leadThe Ducks don’t play much defense
which allowed the Rangers to build an early lead
with Jackson LaCombe breaking his stick and coughing up a puck that led to New York’s first goal
who banked a spinning pass off the back boards
A charging Adam Fox beat LaCombe to the far post and finished for his seventh goal of the season at the 3:20 mark
The Ducks tied it on Killorn’s tally with 3:05 remaining in the opening period
but the Rangers retook the lead less than two minutes later
as he found himself in the right place at the right time when Alexis Lafrenière’s intended pass for Will Cuylle ended up right on Miller’s backhand for his 19th of the season
The Rangers upped their lead to 3-1 on another Anaheim mistake 14 seconds into the second period
Miller got in deep on the forecheck and pressured former Ranger Ryan Strome into a giveaway
leading to a prime chance in front and goal No
The newly formed Cuylle-Miller-Lafrenière line made a positive impact through the first two periods
but they got torched at critical moments in the third
The first instance came 2:22 into the period
when rising Ducks star Leo Carlsson beat K’Andre Miller at the New York blue line and ripped a shot from the high slot to cut Anaheim’s deficit to 3-2
Mika Zibanejad scored a power-play goal 2:13 later to push the Rangers’ lead back to two goals
but they protected it with the resolve of a wet tissue
The next goal started with a neutral-zone turnover from Jonny Brodzinski
whose centering pass was intercepted by LaCombe
It led to another prime chance for Carlsson
with Cutter Gauthier positioned to clean up a juicy rebound and make it 4-3 with 5:48 left in regulation
Miller each getting caught deep in the offensive zone and failing to chase down the play when possession flipped and the Ducks took off
Zellweger ended the ensuing four-on-two rush with a wicked roof shot that tied the score at 4-4 and left the Rangers with their heads hanging
The Rangers’ defensive breakdowns were largely to blame for this loss
but they had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach
They were awarded a season-high seven power plays
And while Zibanejad scored on one to snap an 0-for-17 drought that spanned nine games
they came up empty on each of the next four opportunities
That included a five-on-three that lasted 1:34 shortly after Zibanejad’s tally
the Rangers’ most effective line of Panarin
Vincent Trocheck and rookie Brennan Othmann turned only one of their 11 scoring chances into a goal
There were encouraging signs from that trio
11-1 in scoring chances and 6-0 in high dangers
But the other three lines finished with negative ratios in most of those categories
while the defensive pair of Will Borgen and K’Andre Miller had an especially shaky night
They were on for three goals against while being outshot
Jacob Trouba leaves with injuryThis marked the first meeting between New York and Anaheim since the Dec. 6 trade that sent former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba across the country
He vaguely referenced the messy divorce while speaking to reporters prior to the game
labeling the end of his Blueshirts' tenure and ultimate ouster as "a little rocky." But he also seemed at peace with how it all turned out
"I feel like the page has already been turned."
including one that knocked Othmann to the ice in the second period
but headed to the locker room after crashing into the boards with 14:44 remaining and did not return
The hockey world is still buzzing from the 4 Nations Face-Off – congrats to Canada on Thursday's big win – but fans’ attention will quickly shift back to an NHL season that’s entering the home stretch
Friday marks exactly two weeks until the league’s March 7 trade deadline
with several moving parts to monitor between now and then
The Rangers have already pulled off four trades since the start of the season – most notably last month’s blockbuster that brought a package headlined by J.T. Miller from Vancouver to New York – but the expectation is that more moves are coming
That’s a complicated question – and one that may not have a black-and-white answer
Igor Shesterkin: Goalie deems himself ready to go following brief injury
on the condition of anonymity indicated that the next two weeks – during which the Rangers will play a dizzying stretch of seven games in 12 days – may influence team president Chris Drury’s approach
who entered the 4 Nations break sitting three points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot
management – and ownership – will be motivated to continue that push for the playoffs
But if they fall further behind in the race
the chances of selling off parts would presumably increase
“The eyes are on us,” head coach Peter Laviolette said
Drury's strategy can’t solely be based on such a small sample size
with 55 games played and months of information gathering already factoring into the plan
That's why many around the league believe he may try to thread the needle and do a little of both
the Rangers would like to add players who are under contract beyond just this season
but they’ve gone down the rental road each of the previous three seasons
which has left their draft capital depleted and their prospect pool thin at critical positions
It feels like an unsustainable tactic to use on an annual basis
particularly when this year's team hasn’t played well enough to merit going all in
including only two picks in the first two rounds of the next three drafts combined
the Rangers can’t afford to use their biggest remaining chips on players who may only be here for a couple months
Drury has clearly decided that this roster needs a shakeup
That cleared salary cap space while also bringing in players who are expected to be part of a remodeled core
specifically Miller and defenseman Will Borgen
That facelift will continue over the summer
but the Rangers are on the hunt for any pieces they see as multi-year fits in the lead-up to the deadline
Drury is exploring what he can get for current Blueshirts he doesn’t view as part of the long-term plans
He'd like to recoup some of the assets he’s surrendered in recent years if he has a chance
which can then be used to either restock young talent through the draft or flip in future trades
They could end up providing a positive boost or even outperform the players they're replacing
with New York projected to accrue over $15 million in available cap space by the deadline
the possibility exists for Drury weaponize that space by absorbing salary in three-team trade scenarios
It may only net a mid-round draft pick in return
There are four Rangers who league sources are watching closest – forwards Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey and defensemen Zac Jones and Ryan Lindgren
Smith and Vesey – will almost surely be leaving as unrestricted free agents this summer
which adds to the motivation to get something for them while they can
And it’s become clear that Drury and Laviolette don’t trust Jones with a full-time role
which has led to a mutual understanding he’ll have to go elsewhere for that opportunity
Jones and Vesey have been fairly open about their openness to a change of scenery
and while Drury has made efforts to acquiesce
the market has yet to yield any competitive offers
Smith should garner more interest as a former Stanley Cup winner with top-six and special-teams experience
The return may be limited to a mid-round pick or B-level prospect
Berard or Othmann could step in and immediately fill his shoes
He’s in the midst of his worst season as a Ranger and has far more wear and tear on his battered body than the average 27-year-old
which is why he was only offered a one-year contract last summer
But he remains a top-pair defenseman for this team and a beloved teammate
Some will argue the Blueshirts would benefit from removing him from their lineup
but the reality is they don’t have any good internal options to fill his spot
Lindgren is valued around the league for his playoff scars and overall toughness and considered the most valuable trade chip among the Rangers’ pending UFAs
If Drury can net a second-round pick and/or quality player in return
does he decide to keep a loyal solider around for one last hurrah
That may depend on whether he’s able to find a capable defenseman to replace him
The last name we’ll mention is admittedly a longer shot to be traded
Let’s not forget that the longest-tenured Ranger was included in Drury’s November memo to the other 31 GMs around the league that triggered this upheaval
Those rumors have cooled down in recent months for two primary reasons: A) It's widely known that Kreider is nursing a nagging back injury; and B) He's having his worst season in years
which includes 16 goals and zero primary assists through 47 games
His inclusion in that memo has caused additional strain in the relationship between player and organization
according to two sources who believe a divorce could be the ultimate resolution
And if the 33-year-old power winger remains available
many believe there are teams around the league that would be very interested in acquiring him
Any trade is considered likeliest during the offseason
with Kreider’s 15-team no-trade list adding a significant hurdle
it's a possibility that can't be dismissed
This is the trickiest question of them all
Most are in the agreement that the Rangers would prefer to avoid rentals
which rules out many of the pending UFAs circulating the rumor mill
But when it comes to players with multiple years of team control
very few have a read on who the tight-lipped Drury is targeting
That’s at least in part because the pickings are slim
with far less urgency for opposing GMs to deal pieces who are locked up beyond this season
The Rangers are seeking players who bring a straight-line
That last one is especially important because none of the LHD on the current roster are under contract for next season
because everyone wants one and few are available
Philadelphia’s Scott Laughton ($3 million AAV through next season) is a player the Rangers have had previous interest in
but the Flyers’ asking price is said to be high
where battle-tested veteran Ryan O’Reilly ($4.5M AAV through 2026-27) may be on the block but 6-foot-6
232-pound bruiser Michael McCarron ($900,000 AAV through next season) feels much less risky
Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell ($5 million AAV through 2027-28) could be one of the best scorers on the market with 48 points (25 goals and 23 assists) through 56 games
He played on a line with Mika Zibanejad for Team Sweden
There isn’t as much chatter surrounding Utah’s Nick Schmaltz ($5.85M AAV through next season)
would provide a significant offensive jolt if he ever shook free
the Rangers could look to a couple familiar trade partners in their effort to bulk up on the left side
Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak ($4.6M AAV through next season) and Vancouver’s Carson Soucy ($3.25M AAV through next season) are a couple monsters on skates at 6-foot-5 or taller who could help fill the void left if/when Lindgren moves on
San Jose’s Mario Ferraro ($3.25M AAV through next season) is a much smaller alternative
but he brings a similar D-first mindset with a ton of heart
There isn’t enough out there to firmly connect the Rangers to any one of those targets
but they're some of the most feasible options if they’re determined to swim in the non-rental pool
Within moments of Peter Laviolette's firing on Saturday − and maybe even sooner
for some − Rangers' fans thoughts began drifting to who comes next
but it's also the nature of professional sports
The reality is that the Rangers need a new head coach
with team president Chris Drury embarking on his third hiring process in four years
are that Drury will once again prioritize experience in his search — although he said during Saturday’s Zoom call with reporters that “my eyes are wide open,” adding that he isn’t opposed to hiring a first-timer
Despite a wholly disappointing season in which New York missed the playoffs for the first time in four years
no one in the organization is looking at this as a rebuild situation
Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad will all be 32 or older next season
while star goalie Igor Shesterkin is in his prime with his 30th birthday approaching in December
The goal is to retool and get right back to contending
even though a regressing roster and limited salary cap space will add layers of difficulty to the task
Drury is expected to aim high with his top coaching choice
A few outside-of-the-box candidates should make the lengthy list of interviews
but it will mostly be comprised of retreads who have bounced around with varying levels of success
here are eight candidates to keep an eye on:
The two-time NCAA champion coach at the University of Denver would certainly bring a fresh approach
He's only 35 and considered by many to be the most intriguing young coach in the college ranks
And while I've heard the Rangers are likely to make a call and gauge his interest
there are serious doubts about whether it will go anywhere
who's among the hottest commodities on the market
is in a position of bargaining power and may stay in school until the ideal NHL opportunity arises
Multiple teams are expected to try this summer
but the dysfunction that's gone on at Madison Square Garden and under Drury is a drawback some believe will work against the Rangers
The 45-year-old received an interview on the previous go around
so there's already a known level of interest
He's one of the few on this list with no NHL head coaching experience
having only served in that role in the AHL before working as an NHL assistant the past four seasons in Seattle and then Boston
Will the Rangers take a leap of faith on a first-timer in this cycle
but Leach would likely be in the mix if some of the more established candidates don't work out
Another assistant expected to get an interview is the 51-year-old who got his first taste on an NHL bench while serving on Laviolette's staff the past two seasons
the extent of Peca's coaching experience was in the Ontario Junior Hockey League before shifting to the NHL as a player development coach for the Washington Capitals in 2021
He also spent a couple seasons as an assistant in the AHL
but it would represent a big leap to take over as the leading man in a pressure-packed New York environment
Maybe that's just the kind of chance the Rangers should be taking
with the two-time Selke Trophy winner embodying the hard-nosed style Drury wants to move toward and already holding the respect of current players
But two sources indicated that both Peca and fellow assistant Dan Muse
who’s also expected to be interviewed in some capacity
are more viable in supporting roles than as the head coach
Would Drury really go down this road given the controversy that's already swarming the organization
but Quenneville is a name that continues to come up when I ask around
That doesn't necessarily mean the Rangers would do it
but multiple sources indicated that 66-year-old badly wants an opportunity and views New York as a coveted landing spot
The three-time champion coach would certainly bring some shock value to a locker room that some believe could use it
but he would also come with the baggage of what the NHL deemed "an inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the team’s video coach.” Still
clearing the way for a potential return to the bench
with their connection through USA Hockey deepening that affection
the two-time Stanley Cup winner is under contract in Pittsburgh for two more seasons
telling reporters that he intends to coach the Penguins next season
expect the Rangers to go full bore in their efforts to pry him away
Tocchet is currently tied to another team and may very well stay there
But the key difference in his situation is that the 61-year-old's contract with the Canucks just expired
A difficult season in Vancouver has some wondering if the two sides will decide it's best to move in different directions
in which case Tocchet could certainly land on the Rangers' radar
He was one of the finalists before they hired Gallant in 2021
so we know there's at least some level of admiration there
But his relationship with Miller could be a determining factor
Word is they clicked for a while with the Canucks
which led to a strong season for the team and player in 2023-24
but things soured in the drama-filled lead up to Miller being traded to New York
Would the Rangers really go for round two with Torts
I’ve been told not to rule out the possibility
but multiple sources believe he could work his way into the mix if Sullivan (and to a lesser degree Tocchet) isn't available
It absolutely sounds like the 66-year-old wants to continue coaching
with belief that he'd be excited by the chance to come back to New York
Tortorella would demand more tenacity out of a group that's been lacking in that department
but his abrasive tactics could easily backfire
The 48-year-old is more of an under-the-radar candidate
but he'd check the experience box after manning the Edmonton bench for two-plus seasons
with the Oilers compiling a 79-41-13 record and winning a few playoff series
But a slow start last season led to an abrupt firing
with Edmonton turning to former Rangers' AHL coach Kris Knoblauch before going on a run to Game 7 of the Cup Final
Woodcroft is putting himself out there lately
And while he'd probably begin pretty far down on the Rangers' list
a couple sources brought him up as a possible interview
If the Rangers continue to get dominated for periods at a time
it won't matter what happens with the teams around them in the playoff race
The current wild-card leaders in the Eastern Conference
opening the door for the Blueshirts to move past the Canadiens for the second and final position
But instead they came out flat and ultimately fell to the Kings in Los Angeles
The lack of urgency is alarming considering the stakes
The Rangers (34-32-6) have 10 games remaining to make their push
but their recent play isn't inspiring any confidence
They've looked like they're skating in quicksand while losing four of their last five and eight of their last 11
That feels like a mountain to climb for a team that has trouble scoring (or even generating shots) and doesn’t defend particularly well
6 thoughts: Why the personnel doesn't fit the system and much more
Their offensive ineptitude has been most glaring in the opening 20 minutes
They've been held to six shots or fewer in four of their last six first periods
That's one more than they had to begin Saturday's bewildering 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks
After posting two shots in the opening 3:46
the Rangers failed to register another for the next 17:07
The scoring chances were 14-1 Kings in the first period
which assessed New York with a mere 0.02 expected goals in the period
The Rangers recorded such low totals because they could barely get out of their own zone
is one of the best teams in the NHL at clogging the middle of the ice
and just about every pass New York attempted from the outside was either fumbled or flatly turned over
and therefore very few opportunities to shoot
The Kings deserve some credit for that − they're now an incredible 26-3-4 at home this season − but these problems are persisting for the Blueshirts regardless of opponent
We've seen enough evidence to conclude that they're simply a bad possession team
We can say this for the Rangers: They haven't been folding after these slow starts
They rallied on Saturday for a comeback win over the Canucks and responded Tuesday with a markedly better second period
It was as if they swapped jerseys and rolled out new players after intermission
The Rangers racked up 14 shots on 26 attempts in the second period
generating eight high-danger scoring chances after failing to record one in the first
They flipped a switch and went into attack mode to finally start penetrating the Kings' airtight defense − and when they got into shooting positions
Miller helped turn the tide 2:10 into the period when he got to the front of the net and hammered home a behind-the-net feed from Alexis Lafrenière
goalie Darcy Kuemper scrambled just in time to save the shot with his right pad
But a replay review showed that the puck made it across the goal line before Kuemper pushed it back out
That gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead and new life
but a rare off night from their penalty kill proved costly
The PK entered Tuesday ranked fifth in the league
but Kevin Fiala and Phillip Danault netted a pair of power-play goals in a span of 6:54 during the second period to put the Kings on top for good
Those would be the only blemishes for Igor Shesterkin
who was otherwise rock solid again with 30 saves
He's the only reason the Rangers have kept many of these games close
but it hasn't been enough to prevent him from hitting an undeserved milestone of 30 losses (24-26-4) after never eclipsing 21 in his first five seasons
Perhaps the biggest letdown lately has been a power play that's completely lost its way
Head coach Peter Laviolette made a tweak to the top unit Tuesday
removing Miller and replacing him with Vincent Trocheck
with the first two attempts especially deflating while producing zero shots
They earned three shots and four HD scoring chances on their third and final try
but Kuemper made a few clutch saves to keep them off the board
It's now seven straight games without a power-play goal while going a combined 0-for-13 in that span
The slump dates back even further than that
with New York 4 for its last 47 overall in the last 20 games
It's a microcosm of how the season has gone for many of the Rangers' go-to players
Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad both failed to record a shot on goal or make much of an impact at any strength Tuesday
while Lafrenière and Adam Fox each posted only one
Trocheck and Artemi Panarin had three apiece
Panarin has now gone without a point in two straight games after collecting at least one in the previous 11
it didn’t take long for Jacob Trouba’s zinger of a quote to make the rounds on various text chains involving people currently and previously associated with the Rangers
“It's a rite of passage to get fired from MSG,” the discarded captain told reporters after being traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec
Trouba delivered the one-liner with a smile
but it hit home with many who know the inner workings of the Madison Square Garden Co
There’s a long history of comings and goings under Blueshirts owner James Dolan
but there’s been an especially noticeable cultural shift in recent years
Several examples were laid out by people with direct or indirect ties to the Rangers
It began in 2021 when Chris Drury maneuvered his way into the team president and general manager chairs at the expense of John Davidson and Jeff Gorton, the latter of whom held the GM title throughout the Rangers’ late-2010s rebuild
That created factions of bad blood and set the stage for the Big Brother environment that has festered today
The exact number of team employees who have been dismissed in the aftermath is unknown
but it’s not hyperbole to describe the changes as wholesale
The upheaval itself is well within Drury’s (and ownership’s) purview
regardless of how many feathers it ruffled in the process
But it’s the escalation of paranoia and secrecy that has created a feeling of walking on eggshells within the organization
which is coinciding with the team's worst results in years and sagging morale
"There was this wall put up," according to one source
Players had varying relationships with those who were let go and peripheral awareness of changes in policy
but the core of the team remained intact and close-knit
with Eastern Conference Finals appearances in two of the previous three seasons
But a series of events have steadily chipped away at that armor
it’s become harder to block out the static
the previously positive vibes have turned negative
and now the on-ice product has taken a hit
it’s human beings that you have here,” said veteran center Mika Zibanejad
who has seen his play drop off more dramatically than anyone
so obviously you're going to have feelings and thoughts that go along with it
I don't think that's something that we get taught
We get taught to just keep doing what you're doing
Try to be professional and go about your business
Rangers trade: Kaapo Kakko sent to Seattle for Will Borgen, draft picks
There have been a few very public examples that clearly affected team morale
Waiving playoff warrior Barclay Goodrow to circumvent his no-trade list last June grabbed everyone’s attention
with the cutthroat and last-minute nature of that transaction stirring unease among certain players
That was immediately followed by a staredown with Trouba
The Rangers tried to force him to accept a trade over a summer
but he used his own no-trade power to block it while getting the message out to other teams that he preferred to stay in New York for family reasons
That dragged an awkward situation into the season, with Trouba finally relenting to the pressure and agreeing to go to Anaheim earlier this month
But while everyone knew something eventually had to give with the captain
whose play had clearly slipped and admitted the whole saga affected his ability to lead
the backdoor methods and general lack of eye-to-eye communication rubbed some the wrong way
"I’m not overly thrilled with how it went down," Trouba said
The inclusion of Chris Kreider in a memo soliciting trade offers from all 31 opposing GMs fueled those sentiments
Multiple players resent the manner in which the longest-tenured Ranger was shoved into the rumor mill with no fair warning
as well as the resulting storm of questions and distractions it generated
It’s the messy side of the business and may be a necessary evil to accomplish what Drury understands must happen, namely a shakeup of a roster that’s grown stale on his watch
But it's undoubtedly caused friction between players and management
to try and do everything we can to help our team," Drury said in a recent conference call
"There's things at our disposal in the (Collective Bargaining Agreement)
I have a ton of respect for Barclay and certainly
I'm just trying to do the best I can to move the team forward and make changes that I think are necessary."
Some have accused the team of taking it all too personally
But those with institutional knowledge stress that it goes beyond Drury’s heavy-handed tactics with players
which date back to a well-documented 2019 incident in which he berated former prospect Vitali Kravtsov in front of AHL Hartford teammates and staff and permanently fractured the relationship with the 2018 first-round pick
Before seeing respected teammates unceremoniously dangled or cast aside
many Rangers were taking notice of other changes
There have been dismissals within the front office
public relations and social media departments
with the latter no longer permitted to travel with the team due to an incident last spring
But the one that hit home for the largest contingent of players was the firing of longtime head trainer Jim Ramsay at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season
There doesn’t appear to be one clear-cut episode or final straw that led to his removal after 29 seasons in that role
with the Rangers declining to go into specifics on this matter or any other recent firing
"We don't comment on employee matters," a team spokesperson said
Multiple sources indicated the shocking dismissal was framed as an ownership decision and had a chilling effect on the team
who privately let their displeasure be known
15 – the night Ramsay returned to MSG for the first time as head trainer for the Montreal Canadiens
He netted a hat trick in the 7-4 win and was one of several players to embrace their former trainer after the game
yet Kreider curiously declined to speak to the media after being named the No
it was because Kreider was so upset by the Rangers’ treatment of Ramsay and refusal to acknowledge his return and feared he might not be able to hold that anger back if interviewed
The other memoDrury’s memo to all NHL GMs has garnered a ton of attention lately
but it was an internal memo − exclusively obtained by lohud.com/USA TODAY − that reverberated throughout the organization earlier this year
In the aftermath of a PR person being fired for having dinner with a player following a media event prior to the new season
as well as Knicks president Leon Rose and MSG COO Jamaal Lesane
was distributed to all team employees issuing “a reminder regarding the expectations of behavior when interacting with the players or coaches of any of our Teams.”
Staffers were told that “absent written approval from an Executive Vice President (‘EVP’) or above,” they were prohibited from staying at the same hotel as any of the teams under the MSG umbrella
including the minor-league Hartford Wolf Pack and Westchester Knicks
or attending team social gatherings or meals
it mandated that employees keep as much distance as possible at the rink
“Interactions between employees and players or coaches must be strictly limited except as necessary to satisfy the requirements of an employee’s role,” it read
“Failure to comply with the directives set forth in this memorandum may result in disciplinary action
This was seen as a step too far by many who value the working
collegial relationships between players and staff
Some responded by boycotting the next team function after the memo was sent out
The result was added tension in a workplace that had become increasingly strained
The question many have raised is how much of that paranoia comes from Drury
The memo being signed not just by the Rangers' president
with multiple sources remarking about how the owner-management dynamic has shifted in recent years
former team president Glen Sather remained very involved as a senior adviser and what one source described as "the buffer" between ownership and hockey operations
Dolan trusted Sather as much as any executive in recent memory
with another source describing Sather as "almost a father figure” to him
who in turn kept the owner at arm's length from Davidson and Gorton
Multiple sources described Sather as having a skill for assuaging Dolan's concerns while tamping down any impulses he might share
The meddling during this period was kept to a minimum
Sather has faded further into the background
culminating with his official retirement earlier this year
The result has been Drury answering directly to Dolan while fielding any complaints
How much has that influence swayed certain decisions
whether they relate to roster construction
And could the message that put Kreider and Trouba on the trade block and escalated locker-room tension have been an attempt to appease an increasingly frustrated owner
Drury has been mostly aligned with Dolan and earned his way into the circle of trust
during which they've lost 11 of their last 14 games
no one believes that confidence has dwindled enough to jeopardize Drury's job
everything is subject to change if the losing continues
That includes speculation about whether head coach Peter Laviolette could face the ax, but sources believe Drury doesn't have a strong appetite for going down that road at this time. The GM and coach were involved in an impromptu meeting in which concerns were aired following a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Dec
but their relationship is said to be in a far better place than Drury and Gerard Gallant in the leadup to the previous coach's firing
"Those are things that I can't control," Laviolette said when asked about his job status prior to Tuesday's 2-0 loss in Nashville
There's always those conversations wherever you go
especially if you've been in it for a long time
My real concern – the main concern – is getting a win tonight
Those are the things that we need to control and stay focused on."
If Laviolette were to get bounced anytime soon
many believe it would be at the behest of ownership
such a move could also turn up the heat on him
Laviolette would be the third coach he's let go in less than four years
How many cracks at finding the right voice will he get
The focus, for now, is on tweaking a roster that clearly needs a refresh. Drury pulled off a nifty bit of bookkeeping by finding a team to take on Trouba's full $8 million cap hit without needing to take back a bad contract
but it's proving difficult to uncover true impact additions at this time of year
Kaapo Kakko, who didn't hold back his frustrations following Sunday's surprising scratch from the lineup
was the latest disgruntled domino to fall in a trade that broke Wednesday evening
2 overall pick was sent to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen and two 2025 draft picks
a modest return that doesn't exactly boost New York's chances of turning this season around
Others are likely to go in the coming weeks and months − but ultimately
it's going to take more than a few trades to rebuild a culture that's springing leaks all over the place
Relationships have fractured and the workplace has become far less enjoyable for players and staffers alike
Too many are spending time looking over their shoulder
and it's costing the Rangers in the standings
The buzzer has sounded on the 2025 NHL trade deadline
putting a pause on the Rangers' ongoing makeover
It was a quiet finish for New York, which let Friday come and go while making only one minor deal with the Buffalo Sabres
it wasn’t for dynamic young forward JJ Peterka
much to the chagrin of the Blueshirts’ faithful.)
But it’s been a whirlwind three months on Broadway. Team president Chris Drury has completed eight trades in that span, beginning with the Dec. 6 decision to ship captain Jacob Trouba across the country to Anaheim that signaled a changing of the guard was underway
among others – a group that combined for 1,951 regular-season games with the Rangers and another 200 in the playoffs
Six of those seven newcomers are under team control for next season
with Vaakanainen the latest to sign after inking a two-year
It’s been a fairly impressive retool considering the self-inflicted circumstances. It took Drury a long time to act on the reality that the previous core was very good but not great
with the sudden shift less than two months into a new season coming off as panicky and ill-fated
The team reacted by turtling for six weeks
but they've since dusted themselves off and rallied back into the playoff race
"I certainly liked how they've responded to the challenges that we faced before the new year," Drury told reporters on Friday's post-deadline Zoom call
we're playing on the right side of the puck
I think that starts a little bit in the (defensive) zone."
but not enough to derail the wheels of change that were already in motion
Shifting back to the shortsighted strategy of surrendering future assets for deadline rentals would have been foolish given the shaky state of the franchise
Drury tried that the previous three seasons when the Rangers were in go-for-it mode
but this was a moment to restock and re-calibrate
They appear to better now for some of their additions, particularly the contagious mix of skill and fire that Miller has brought to the lineup
1 was to put the team in better position to compete next season and beyond
That meant bringing in players with term and upside
while moving off others to increase their salary cap flexibility
A critical component was getting what they could for players on expiring contracts who weren't view as long-term fits
Smith and Vesey – each of whom would have walked for free this summer – into Brisson
including the only second-round choice they own in the next three years
"I was really trying to thread the needle," Drury said
"I was trying to make sure we got some assets back for our (unrestricted free agents) for the future
whether it's a young player like Brisson or some picks – another young player in Pärssinen – while trying to show the group I still believe in them
This isn't all to say the execution was flawless
The process was clumsy and distracting at the start
which caused friction in the locker room and sent it into a temporary tailspin
The Rangers also failed to do more with the oodles of cap space they created heading into the deadline
there are still very legitimate questions about the upside of a roster that’s stagnated in multiple spots and isn’t getting any younger
who will turn 32 next week and is under contract for five more seasons
none of the new additions profile as play drivers on a championship-caliber team
Drury will need to uncover more of those at a later date if the Rangers are going to end their 30-years-and-counting Stanley Cup drought, which remains his ultimate task. There were some cringey moments along the way
but the franchise is in better position to pounce if such an opportunity arises because of the transactions completed in the last three months
the focus shifted to a D corps that was badly in need of a facelift
How effectively the Rangers have pivoted is up for debate
Time will tell if Drury targeted the right pieces
but he’s certainly changed the look and added roster certainty
Borgen, who came over from Seattle as part of the Kakko trade
was quickly identified as a defenseman they wanted to keep around and signed to a five-year
That locked him in with Adam Fox and Braden Schneide as the Rangers’ three right-handed D moving forward
with zero NHL players under contract for next season
with Soucy acquired from Vancouver in exchange for a third-round pick and Vaakanainen inking his extension
The former has had a rough year with the Canucks
defensive track record and team-friendly $3.25 million cap hit appealed to the Rangers
"We think there's a lot of possibilities with Carson
whether it's (pairing) with Schneids or Foxy or (Borgen)
or even having him on the right side at some point," Drury said
He’s someone we could have in for the rest of the year and next year
We were able to do some homework on him the last couple weeks and we’re excited to get him."
Carson Soucy: Rangers continue makeover by acquiring defenseman
who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer and won’t come cheap
it’s feasible to think they have their six regular defensemen in place for next season
Is that good enough to help the Rangers take the next step
and the trade additions have performed well so far
But they still may be lacking a true top-pair lefty to team with their former Norris Trophy winner
Miller has the best chance of becoming that and has been much steadier in the second half of the season
but the talented 25-year-old still has to prove he can do it consistently
Drury will have to look to free agency or another trade to elevate this defensemen group
"We knew we wanted to make some changes as this season got underway," Drury said
"There's certainly some size back there now
you’ve got to be able to play in a lot of different scenarios over the course of an NHL season
We think we have a lot of D back there that can do that."
The Rangers' final trade also involved a defenseman
was traded for the second time this season
with New York sending him to Buffalo in exchange for depth forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel
It's a bit surprising they didn’t trade one of de Haan or Zac Jones
who will both likely be pushed out of the lineup once Fox returns from injured reserve
but Drury must have preferred holding his depth rather than settling for an underwhelming offer
Not using their salary cap surplus to acquire more assets felt like another missed opportunity
and it's not like he can carry it into next season
Alexis Lafrenière and Igor Shesterkin will erase that (and then some)
which means the Rangers will miss the window to weaponize it
They weren't in the market for rental players − for good reason − but they have one remaining retention spot they could have used as a third-party broker for another trade
By offering to take on salary for a cap-strapped team
they could have netted themselves an extra draft pick or prospect
but every little bit counts when you're trying to restock a depleted system
there were very few three-team trades this year
"We looked at a lot of different things," Drury said
Some of the other stuff that we looked at didn't make sense
We're always just trying to make the best decisions we can with the information we have
he declined to comment when asked whether he had trade conversations revolving around the longest-tenured Ranger
"I'm certainly not going to get into any private talks I have with other teams on players," he said
He's been a terrific Ranger for a long time
which is relatively soon – it will be almost like a trade-deadline acquisition with him and Adam
We're hoping he's back soon and ready to help us play and help us reach our goal down the stretch here of getting into the playoffs."
The lack of denial was telling, but we already knew that Drury included Kreider in his trade memo to the other 31 general managers in late-November. And as we've previously reported, multiple signs suggest a divorce could be coming
That may have happened before the deadline if not for multiple injuries this season
the latest keeping the 33-year-old forward out for six games and counting
That reduced what opposing teams were willing to offer − and there are already only 16 the Rangers can talk to as a result of Kreider's partial no-trade list − with Drury deciding this was not the ideal time to maximize his return
The belief is that offers will increase this summer
when Kreider has a full offseason to prove healthy and opposing GMs are emboldened by the fast-rising cap
Trading away the franchise's all-time leading playoff scorer might be a tough sell for fans
but purely from a roster construction standpoint
The organization's deepest position is left wing
where they have Artemi Panarin starring for at least one more season and a host of up-and-comers behind him
Adam Edström and top prospect Gabe Perreault
who could very well sign his entry-level contract at the completion of the NCAA season
who has played right wing out of necessity the last couple years but is a natural LW
Not only are the Rangers well-equipped to replace Kreider
but clearing his $6.5 million AAV for the next two seasons may be required to make the kind of offseason moves they're aiming for
Our current projection has 15 players under contract for next season
with $13.7 million left in available cap space
But a good chunk of that will go to a pair of key RFAs
limiting the Rangers' ability to do much else
their available cap space would suddenly jump over $20 million if they can move Kreider
It still might not be enough to go after the very best free agents
but they could make a significant addition this summer and still be in strong position for a bigger splash in 2026
when Panarin’s contract expires and the books really open up
Nearly five seasons into K'Andre Miller's NHL career
the wait for the talented defenseman to unlock his vast potential is ongoing
The biggest roadblock between turning his tantalizing skill set into consistent performance is seemingly more mental than physical
That's why the 25-year-old has prioritized finding time each day to focus on things other than his profession
before embarking on the Rangers' week-long swing through California
"Just doing a little bit more to keep my mind off the couple hours we're not talking hockey."
It's become a necessary escape for an athlete who's at times been consumed by pressure since entering the league in 2021
Miller felt the scales tipping in the wrong direction earlier this season, when his up-and-down play led to a fair share of criticism
"I had a hard time at the beginning of the year
"Things were getting to me that usually don't
I just tried to push those things to the side the last couple of months and come to the rink with a smile on my face and play hockey
I tried to get back that feeling of confidence and just bringing my energy and upbeat vibes that I know I can."
Gabe Perreault: Will Rangers top prospect sign soon? And is he NHL ready?
The low point came during a 17-game stretch from Nov
when he suffered an upper-body injury that would cost him the next six games
Miller's early-season trial next to Adam Fox produced strong underlying numbers
but the results predictably sagged when he was moved back to a stale partnership with Jacob Trouba
with a 43.57% xGF while Miller was on the ice during that stretch
He registered only four points (one goal and three assists) with a 25-10 ratio of giveaways-to-takeaways
But since he returned from injured reserve on Dec. 28, his play has been much steadier. In the next 33 games, through a 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets on Mar. 15
Miller produced a 50.51% xGF that ranked second among the team's regular defensemen behind only Fox
The Rangers notably went from allowing 4.22 goals and 14.87 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes with him on the ice all the way down to respectable averages of 2.56 GA/60 and 10.84 HDCA/60
"He's been excellent," head coach Peter Laviolette said following the win in Columbus
He and (Will Borgen) have taken on tough minutes
They play against the top lines as much as possible
and I think his game has been right on point
It's really starting to show down the stretch."
Miller deferred some credit to his budding partnership with Borgen, who was acquired from the Kraken as part of the Dec. 18 deal that sent Kaapo Kakko to Seattle
The pair of Minnesotans have hit it off − so much so that the Rangers awarded Borgen with a five-year
$20.5 million contract extension just over a month after the trade
that’s for sure," Miller said with a playful chuckle
I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Borgs
He's been playing the game the right way."
The imposing duo − Miller stands at 6-foot-5
with Borgen not far behind at 6-3 − have taken on a matchup role for Laviolette
who leaned on them heavily while Fox was out with his own upper-body injury earlier this month
but both defensemen's fluid skating as an asset that allows them to close plays quickly and "recover from our mistakes."
those mistakes have a way of rearing their head
which has long been one of the knocks on Miller
His unique blend of speed and length makes him a menace for opposing forwards and a puck magnet
with his 44 takeaways ranking seventh in the NHL entering play Thursday
But the 2018 first-round pick is also prone to his own turnovers
with 89 giveaways that are tied with Braden Schneider for worst on the team
"It’s just realizing who you're out on the ice against," Miller said
whether it's trying to sneak in behind you
or guys who are fast and like to cut up (the ice)
It's just reading your opponent and trying to make them make the first move."
There were a couple glaring examples in last Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs
where Miller finished with a minus-three rating after blowing multiple coverages and failing to connect with Fox on a sequence that led to a key goal against
That reignited criticism from the fan base
with one bad game at least temporarily overshadowing a solid body of work in the preceding weeks
but also noted that finding a balance between risk and reward is a constant point of discussion between player and coaching staff
"Do we want him to be aggressive and attack the game offensively
"Do we want him to be aggressive defensively and do the right things
but mistakes happen on both sides of the ice out there
and then you look to recover from them if you do have them
But I think Key’s played some pretty good hockey for us
we come back the next day and we talk about it."
Miller's expiring contract is an unresolved matter that looms over his every shift
"Pay the man." But a couple hiccups like he had against Toronto sparks inevitable trade chatter
"I've done a pretty good job of just putting it on the back burner for this year," Miller said
"I’m just worrying about getting better every day
and really demanding the best out of myself
While it doesn't do Miller much good to fixate on his next deal
it's a major consideration for team president Chris Drury
He's created some roster certainty by signing Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen to extensions and trading for Carson Soucy
who has one season remaining on his contract
but none of them profile as top-pair fixtures
The Rangers must secure at least one more needle-moving defenseman to revive a D corps that's taken steps back in recent seasons
They rely on Miller more than any defender other than Fox
with the pending restricted free agent averaging 20:36 time on ice or more in each of his five seasons
"It's nothing new," said Miller of the heavy workload
which has risen to a career-high 21:58 ATOI this season
but the question Drury must ponder is whether to bet on the gifted D-man to breakthrough to that next level
Miller is hands down the best left-handed option in the organization and would leave a massive hole to fill if he departs
The unrestricted free-agent market is limited
especially after Washington re-upped Jakob Chychrun on an eight-year
The Rangers wouldn't have been able to swing that kind of deal anyway
but would they go to the necessary lengths to reel in the next-best UFA choices in Vladislav Gavrikov or Ivan Provorov
The former is four years older than Miller and the latter three
An ideal scenario would involve using Miller in a second-pair role alongside Borgen while finding an upgrade to partner to Fox
but a tight salary cap situation might not allow it
Drury may be forced to choose between Miller or someone else
with the decision possibly dictated by the quality of trade offers for a coveted player who has arbitration rights but two years left of team control
Perhaps the Rangers can leverage Miller's perceived upside to address other areas of need while identifying a capable replacement − but if he hits the ceiling
it would be a stinging instance of failing to develop their own only to watch him flourish elsewhere
It sounds like Miller is hoping to stay put in New York
with a strategic short-term deal that takes him to his 2027 UFA summer possibly in the cards
"I’ve been fortunate to call it home for the last five years," he said
"I hope to call it home for a couple more."
The timeline on the Rangers' coaching search may have just been accelerated
"On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization
I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement
I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons
He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history
not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups
for his love and loyalty to the organization
This was not a decision that was taken lightly
but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period
we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”
Mika Zibanejad: What's next after 'toughest' season of his career?
Drury has been interested in his fellow Boston University alumni for years
The Rangers fired Peter Laviolette on Apr. 19
and while Sullivan told reporters a day prior
"My intentions are to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins," Dubas was much vaguer and left the door open
the decision has been made to let Sullivan hit the open market
but there are clear connections to draw with Drury
who made a play for Sullivan in previous coaching searches and is expected to be aggressive in his pursuit
Sullivan coached the Americans to a silver finish at this year's 4 Nations Face-Off
Sullivan was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 1987 NHL Draft
when he signed with the San Jose Sharks and began an 11-year playing career
He also served as a Blueshirts' assistant under John Tortorella from 2009-2013
The 57-year-old spent the previous 10 seasons on Pittsburgh's bench − a run that began with back-to-back Stanley Cup titles but ended with three straight seasons missing the playoffs − while compiling a 409-255-89 record
the two sides must have seen appeal in trying something new
have been searching for ways to describe or define J.T
“I definitely come off as angry,” Miller told lohud.com
from a locker stall at Xcel Energy Center in St
but I don't really give a [expletive] what they think.”
I feel like I have something to prove all the time
I feel like things are going to dip – and they have
You never want to feel like you're at a satisfied mentality
including his first five-and-a-half with the Rangers
For Miller to get the most out of his considerable ability
he must enter a headspace that pushes him to the snarling edge
“I play on a sharp sword,” the veteran center explained as he settles into his second stint with the Blueshirts
and I feel like I spent a lot of my career explaining myself
I think people that know me as a teammate and a friend and a player
they understand my game and understand that's just part of who I am
But if things are starting to go the other way
and that's something I think I've gotten better at.”
218-pounder didn’t hide from the fact that those raging emotions have bubbled over at times and caused friction
particularly when they follow him off the ice
leading to heat-of-the-moment confrontations that haven't always ended amicably
Miller’s five-and-a-half years with the Canucks
which were wildly successful and launched his career to a new stratosphere
ended with a groundswell of rumor and innuendo
Reports of a rift between him and fellow center Elias Pettersson consumed local coverage – and
the locker room – with Vancouver team president Jim Rutherford determining it to be an untenable situation
31 trade that sent Miller back to the place where his career started and relieved the tension that had grown to feel inescapable
so I'm just enjoying myself right now,” Miller said
The Rangers’ roster was built on skill and finesse
but it's increasingly lacked the personnel to play the direct
imposing style that team president Chris Drury and head coach Peter Laviolette want to move toward
who fits that mold to a tee and has provided an undeniable jolt
“I try to pride my game on compete and tenacity,” he said
I can capitalize on chances and make plays
But it all stems from moving my feet and playing a physical brand of hockey – and that doesn't mean running around trying to kill people
Miller – who turned 32 on Friday – learned to harness it constructively in Vancouver
That’s where he went from a solid role player who'd never eclipsed 56 points in a season to an all-star with three straight years of 82 or more
not just with playmaking savvy and a wicked left-handed shot
but by attacking the high-danger areas with a never-back-down attitude
He plays every shift at full throttle and does most of his damage in the middle of the ice
There have been several occasions when he hasn't touched the puck but contributed to a goal because he forced opponents to account for him through sheer will
It’s a form of calculated aggression that Laviolette has quickly grown to appreciate
“He's a guy that plays the game the right way,” he said
All the little things that you want from a player
If somebody pushes him in front of the net
There’s something that draws you in about that
There’s an honesty and a hardness that you like about his game.”
'He's got that Pittsburgh in him'More roster surgery will be needed to complete the transformation that Drury envisions
but he believes he’s found a pillar in Miller
1 center thrives in the tight-checking environment they’ve struggled with on recent playoff runs
That was evident last spring with the Canucks
with Miller relishing his matchup with the best player in the world
He more than held his own and was a major reason why Vancouver pushed eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton to seven games
it is a brand of playoff hockey,” said Miller
who hearkened back to his first postseason experience with the Blueshirts in 2014
the last time they reached the Stanley Cup Final
“I just think that fits my style,” he added
I learned a lot when I was with the Rangers
I was in the playoffs a lot of years and struggled and didn't really understand how to play in the playoffs
But I think as time goes on and you evolve as a player
I think my game is a good fit for the playoffs because of that recognition of playing that way.”
Miller’s bulldog mentality has been contagious, with multiple teammates noting the influence it’s had on their collective effort. It's no coincidence that as of Sunday they'd gone 9-6-2 since the trade to claw back into the Eastern Conference's final wild-card position
“It's exactly what we needed,” veteran Jonny Brodzinski said
“I don't know a lot of games (prior to Miller’s arrival) where we were putting up that many hits or creating that many loose puck battles that we’re winning
He’s definitely brought that level of bite that we needed.”
The Rangers are certainly taking the body more
average of 23.17 hits per 60 minutes to 29.34 in the post-J.T
which new teammate and longtime friend Vincent Trocheck traces back to the blue-collar area where they grew up
“He’s got that Pittsburgh in him,” he said
Miller and Mika Zibanejad couldn’t be much different
The former is a hard-nosed American from the Midwest who can come off as abrasive
The latter is a soft-spoken Swede who doesn’t seem to have a confrontational bone in his body
aside from the obvious Miller-Trocheck relationship
there aren't many Rangers who have spent more time together lately
usually beginning on the ice but often carrying into the locker room and beyond
“It’s easy to keep going about your business during the games – but if he sees something
I think it opens up for us to talk as well
and for me to talk and kind of bounce ideas back and forth
He’s interested in what I see from my perspective
and that’s led to good conversation – and it’s a good thing for chemistry
Miller and Zibanejad have formed an unlikely duo
Zibanejad described a mutual respect that began while competing against each other for their respective countries as early as 16 years old
They were both first-round draft picks in 2011 and went head-to-head early in their NHL careers before overlapping in New York for a season-and-a-half
Miller was shipped to Tampa Bay at the beginning of the Rangers’ rebuild in 2018
No one expected the team’s top-two centers to join forces on the same line
but it’s a move that’s worked out quite well
Miller racked up 18 points (seven goals and 11 assists) through his first 17 games back
while Zibanejad has revived his season with 20 (six goals and 14 assists) in that same span
They’ve registered a collective 52.88% xGF
The conversation has flowed organically between two inquisitive hockey minds
“I'm not even trying to be a good teammate,” Miller said
I think that's no different than when I was in Van or Tampa or New York before
I'm trying to be a student of the game as much as I can and trying to get better.”
Zibanejad isn’t the only teammate who’s hit it off with Miller
It seems the entire locker room has embraced him as part of their evolving leadership group
especially a hungry flock of young forwards who are trying to follow his competitive example
Miller has developed a playful relationship with many of them
with some friendly razzing and a general lightness about the way he’s navigated the room since his arrival
have found a place of their own after crashing with the Trocheck’s for a few weeks
New York is quickly feeling like home again
But Miller’s past experiences have taught him to be proactive
He needs that “sharp sword” to maximize to his performance but understands it can do harm if he doesn’t channel it properly
“It's still something I work on a day-to-day
There's going to be angry moments and emotional regulation problems
That's what I've learned a lot over the last couple years
NEW YORK - Nothing good seems to last very long for the Rangers these days
They had a stretch of improved play that spanned about four games – even though they only went 2-2 – but Tuesday was a return to the doldrums
A 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames in front of a restless Madison Square Garden crowd was much worse than the score indicates − they can thank Igor Shesterkin for that − and dealt another gut punch to their playoff chances
"I would say (the worst)," Artemi Panarin said when asked where this loss ranked in a season that's been filled with disappointments
"It’s hard to remember all of them right now
We just can't play like that when we’re fighting for our life."
Brennan Othmann: Rangers scratch rookie amid search for first NHL point
The Flames had every excuse for lethargy after playing in Toronto on Monday night and arriving in New York early Tuesday
but it was the Rangers (33-30-6) who looked gassed
They scored on the second shot of the game from Panarin
then failed to test Calgary backup goalie Dan Vladar or muster any offensive push from that point forward
The final shot tally was 35-13 in the Flames' favor
with the Rangers reverting back to many of the bad habits that got them into this mess in the first place
"We just weren't sustaining any pressure," defenseman K'Andre Miller said
"Anytime I feel like we got down in their O zone
This came after they rallied back into playoff position during last week’s Midwest road trip
but their lack of urgency since returning home has left them on shaky ground
Montreal's comeback win over Ottawa on Tuesday pushed the Canadiens ahead of the Blueshirts for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot. New York now sits a point back with 13 games to play, but the Habs still have 15. And four other teams − Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Bruins and Islanders − are within three points of that
the Rangers still can’t find their footing − or any semblance of consistency
so it's hard," forward Alexis Lafrenière said
You're not gonna get much if you don't play well."
The most deflating − and confusing − part about all of this are questions about the team's effort that circulated the postgame locker room
with the Rangers randomly and alarmingly appearing disinterested
"It looked like no," Panarin said when asked if they played hard enough
pointing to disjointed shifts where some were more engaged than others
It was as if the players were just going through the motions at a moment when their season hangs in the balance
"We have a system in place that we need to use," Trocheck said
and it felt like at times we had three and the other two weren't in it
who have shown so much pride in recent years but have somehow lost that edge this season
but predicting when it will come and go has been an impossible guessing game
Team president Chris Drury may be even more at fault for failing to recognize these problems sooner and make the necessary changes − and when he did finally begin that process
his panicky memo and heavy-handed tactics sent the locker room into a tailspin
Peter Laviolette is likely the next to fall on the sword
The head coach is always the easiest target in these deteriorating situations
even if it's hard to blame him for the issues caused by a flawed roster
But he does shoulder at least some responsibility for icing a team that
hasn't consistently put forth the proper effort or come out prepared to exert it
"It was not there," Laviolette said in a damning statement
Panarin beat Vladar to give the Rangers a fleeting 1-0 lead 1:13 into the game
extending his point streak to 10 games in the process
The first period featured a comedy of fundamental errors
with Calgary players repeatedly left open in the slot and 15 New York turnovers fueling the rush
The only thing worse than the neutral-zone play was the lackadaisical effort in every battle
"Just not crisp from the opening whistle," Miller said
"We came back in between periods and talked about just making crisp plays and playing hard
We couldn't do that until it was too late."
The Flames eventually tied the score when Nazem Kadri pounced on a juicy rebound from Mackenzie Weegar at the 10:22 mark
then took a permanent lead with 1:57 remaining in the period on Matt Coronato’s power-play goal
They posted 14 shots in the opening 20 minutes
with New York fumbling its way to only five
“Hold my beer,” and managed just three in the second and then five in the third
"We didn't break the puck out," Laviolette said
"We didn't move it through the neutral zone
We probably turned it over countless times in the neutral zone
they worked harder for the ice than we did."
The scoreboard wasn't as lopsided Tuesday because Shesterkin stood on his head with 33 saves
but the result was even more damaging given the circumstances
VANCOUVER - Mika Zibanejad has talked about falling into the trap of thinking too much about defense
which can take away from his ability to push for offense
But when the Rangers' center is at his best
aggressive defensive play directly leads to scoring opportunities
That was evident on the decisive goal in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Canucks at Rogers Arena
Zibanejad chased down Vancouver star Elias Pettersson
lifted his stick and snatched the puck away for a critical takeaway
He fought through a body check along the boards to find Reilly Smith
who completed the precise passing sequence by setting up Chris Kreider for the winning goal with 9:17 remaining
"When you're out there and you're able to make a defensive play and get the puck back early in your shift
you have more energy to go the other way," Zibanejad explained
"You're able to take advantage of the quick odd-man rush that you get."
That capped a strong all-around night for the 31-year-old center
who was one of the driving forces in Tuesday's win but far from the only standout
The Rangers (12-4-1) had scored more than three goals only twice in their previous 10 games
but the offense resurfaced in a noticeable way on Canada's Pacific coast
Each of the top-three lines had their moments
allowing New York to control the game despite getting no goals from their usual go-to trio of Artemi Panarin
we played really well," said forward Will Cuylle
who was a central part of that effort with a goal and an assist
but I thought for the majority of the game
Alexis Lafrenière: Forward describes his continued evolution
'He's one dangerous player'The scoring started with Zibanejad
who had extra pep in his step from the drop of the puck and made plays in all three zones
He's taken plenty of heat for his sputtering five-on-five production but got himself into a shooting lane 2:31 into the opening period and redirected a K'Andre Miller attempt to tie the score at 1-1
It marked his fourth goal of the season and second in the last three games
he's one dangerous player," head coach Peter Laviolette said of Zibanejad
"When he attacks with that speed and he's attacking the net
but other players on his line become dangerous
The defensemen that are adding on the rush become dangerous
He can push defenses back on his attack into the offensive zone
and then either deliver pucks or look for something
with Cuylle chasing down a puck that ricocheted off Kaapo Kakko's stick for a slick breakaway goal to make it 2-1 with 5:22 remaining in the first period
Kakko laughed and said his assist was "only luck," but Cuylle wasn't taking anything away from his linemate
"It doesn't really matter whether it was on purpose or an accident
but it just landed on my stick," Cuylle said with a smirk
because you never know how it's going to behave when it's spinning like that
I just kind of tried to let it do its own thing
Cuylle returned the favor in the second period
sending Kakko a pass in the slot to put the Rangers back on top
The assist moved Cuylle into a tie for third on the team with 14 points (six goals and eight assists)
while Kakko's two-point night improved his season total to 11 (three goals and eight assists)
"I thought we were recovering pucks really well," Cuylle said
Sometimes it can be one and done − you get a shot
we were really good at retrieving them back tonight."
Their line, which featured Jonny Brodzinski at center for the second consecutive game, outshot the Canucks, 7-1, according to Natural Stat Trick, and was rewarded with increased ice time as the game went on. And with Filip Chytil determined to be concussion-free and set to join the team in Calgary
the upstart trio could have their usual center back by Thursday
"That line was really good today," Zibanejad said
"They've been for some time now and throughout the season
Other than Jonny being the old one −older − the two young guys
It's not an easy situation for Jonny to come into
you've got to give him a lot of credit to just jump into a line that's been working."
It wasn't just the scoring plays in which the Rangers looked dangerous
They earned ample offensive-zone time while outshooting the Canucks
But the home team created a few quality looks of their own and came up with some timely counterpunches
Vancouver actually threw the first punch 34 seconds into the game on a stellar play from reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes
He dipped past fellow captain Jacob Trouba
danced into the slot and flicked a backhanded shot past Igor Shesterkin
That's been a theme for the Rangers lately
as they've allowed a goal in the opening minute four times in their last 11 games
"It's definitely not fun to play against," Adam Fox quipped about Hughes
I'd pay a lot of money to be able to move like that out there
The Blueshirts had another letdown at the end of the period
with this one coming in the form of a three-on-two rush
Kiefer Sherwood got a step on Ryan Lindgen and ripped a chicken-wing wrister under Shesterkin's left armpit to tie the score at 2-2 with 2:31 remaining
but the Canucks struck off the rush again 4:17 later
Conor Garland slipped unguarded into the high slot while Lindgren and Trouba followed the same man and inadvertently screened Shesterkin
with the resulting shot whistling by to knot the score at 3-3
It highlighted a tough game for the Lindgren-Trouba pair
which was on the ice for all three Vancouver goals
And on a night with several other positives
the Rangers were able to overcome a few blips
The win improved them to 2-0 to begin this four-game trip that started in Seattle and will now swing through western Canada
with the next stop coming Thursday at 9 p.m
It's becoming clearer by the day that the Rangers need to do something − anything − to change the mojo surrounding a sinking team that's lost six of its last seven
Monday's embarrassing 5-1 loss to the rival Devils was immediately followed by an impromptu meeting involving both coaches and management
who are increasingly frustrated by the way things have unfolded
Those late-night conversations included head coach Peter Laviolette and team president Chris Drury
Postgame takeaways: Devils kick the Rangers while they're down
Laviolette has tried a few methods to jumpstart his squad − "There's different lines
there's different tones to different meetings," he said following Tuesday's practice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown − but rearranging one slumping player for another has proven fruitless
The Rangers are also limited in terms of prospects they can recall to provide a spark
Former first-round pick Brennan Othmann hasn't played since Oct
while energetic forward Brett Berard is now nursing an upper-body ailment of his own
They've tried going to the Matt Rempe well multiple times now with underwhelming results
Ideally, Drury would like to pull off a franchise-altering trade
as he let the NHL's 31 other general managers know in a memo blast that went out last week
But that's going to be very difficult to pull off at a time of year when big deals are seldom made
The two players who were mentioned by name in the memo (or text message
or whatever you want to call it) are veterans Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba
They've very publicly been placed on the trade block
Kreider carries more value than Trouba and could bring back a solid return
but there are only so many teams that can afford his $6.5 million salary for the rest of this season and the next two
There are similar market limitations for Trouba
who will be difficult to trade unless the Rangers retain a portion of his $8 million average annual value for this season and the next
Leverage is also not working in the Blueshirts' favor
They're perceived as a desperate to make changes
which emboldens opposing GMs to try and dictate terms
Teams are fishing around to uncover who else Drury might be willing to part with
Three active players hold no-movement clauses − veteran forwards Artemi Panarin
Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad − but very few are considered untouchable
Based on conversations with league sources and our own dot-connecting
we've come up with five other NHL regulars who have either garnered inquiries or could make sense in the right deal
The 24-year-old finally seems to be finding his footing
with seven points (one goal and six assists) in 14 games since returning to the lineup for good last month
His 52.7% xGF leads all Rangers’ defensemen in that span
with his mobility and puck skills serving as an asset for a team that mostly lacks those traits on its back end
Those are all reasons to keep Jones around
but his improving play is also being recognized around the league and should boost his trade value
He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer and could be an attractive piece for a team that wants more skill from its D corps
particularly if they need someone to run their power play
Kaapo KakkoIt would feel kind of ironic – or maybe just sad
2 overall pick when he’s arguably playing the best hockey of his career
Othmann and top prospect Gabe Perreault coming up the pipeline
wing is the position where the Rangers are best equipped to find internal replacements
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that teams have inquired about Kakko
whom the Rangers explored dealing over the summer but decided to bring back on a team-friendly $2.4 million deal after determining they didn’t like the returns being offered
Now the 23-year-old ranks sixth on the team with 13 points (four goals and nine assists) and fourth in five-on-five points with 11
with the latter total exceeding big names such as Kreider
That’s drummed up increased interest in the 6-foot-1
who’s also played a few games at center recently to show his versatility
He’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer and an unrestricted free agent the following year
which means decision time is coming one way or another
this one makes the most sense – at least from the Rangers’ perspective
The 26-year-old defenseman is heading toward a UFA summer and increasingly unlikely to re-sign here
adding to the motivation to get something for him while they can
with his puck-moving limitations adding to New York’s difficulty on breakouts and his typically reliable defensive play looking shaky at times
The Blueshirts have been held to a 44.48% shot share with Lindgren on the ice
which ranks as the worst figure among their regular defensemen
But one league executive pointed out that teams still value a playoff-tested D-man who brings unquestioned toughness
but he is a rental with a lot of miles.” It’ll be tough to turn that “something” into an NHL-ready asset
but just clearing Lindgren’s $4.5 million salary and recouping a mid-draft choice would help with roster maneuverability
The 24-year-old defenseman was close to off limits not too long ago
but things have changed dramatically in Ranger land
Part of that has been inconsistent play from Miller
although he seems to steady whenever he gets moved off his old pairing with Trouba
but there’s also concern about his coming contract negotiations
Word is that he and agent Ian Pulver – who also represents jilted forward Barclay Goodrow and may not be looking to do Drury any favors – are driving a hard bargain and expecting New York to significantly increase his current $3.872 million salary
but many opposing scouts remain high on the potential upside of the 6-foot-5
210-pounder if he lands in the right situation
And if the Rangers find a team that’s willing to bet on Miller’s talent
the package they receive in return could come with multiple impact pieces
the Blueshirts are looking at a very thin D corps for next season
with Trouba expected to be gone one way or another and only Fox and Braden Schneider otherwise under contract
That’s why it would take something substantial to pry Miller away
We’ll call this the nuclear plan – an extremely unlikely scenario but one that would rock the organizational foundation to its core
Belief around the league has been that the Rangers will eventually up the eight-year, $88 million offer that Shesterkin turned down during training camp and find a way to keep their best player around
but a sliver of doubt has crept in with some of those sources
The 28-year-old goalie has kept his intentions incredibly close to the vest. He’s said he’d like to stay in New York, but he’s followed that statement with some version of “you never know what can happen.”
This isn't quite a Henrik Lundqvist situation
where the entire NHL knew he was determined to be a Ranger for life
(Or at least until they bought him out.) It's much harder to get a read on Shesterkin
There has to be at least some temptation to drive his price up by hitting the open market
where he’d surely blow past the $11 million AAV Drury previously offered
And given the turmoil that’s enveloping the organization and the deteriorating defense in front of him
it’s fair to wonder if the grass is starting to look greener on the UFA side
The Rangers are so heavily reliant on their goaltending that trading arguably the NHL’s best would represent a risk of epic proportions
It would likely punt the season and threaten their viability for years to come
But if you-know-what hits the fan and signals are sent that Shesterkin may leave
Drury’s only recourse could be to try and get a haul for him while he can and reallocate the freed-up funds to revamp a stale roster
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VANCOUVER ‒ The way Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière explains it
playing with Artemi Panarin sounds like a walk (or a skate) in the park
The latest stroll came on the winning goal Sunday in Seattle
Panarin held the puck and planted himself along the half wall
and with a subtle shift of his eyes and fake of his stick
drew the attention of all five Kraken skaters
That left the far side of the net unattended for Lafrenière
who snuck around the back into the vacated crease for an easy tap-in finish
"He doesn't need to always move," Lafrenière told lohud.com
following Monday's practice at Rogers Arena
"He can just stay in one spot and look one way
and that's why he's one of the best players in the league
You never know where he's going to go with it when you try to defend him
There's no doubt about Panarin's elite vision and playmaking
but Lafrenière deserves more credit than he's giving himself
He made the initial recovery along the boards that kept the possession alive
then alertly recognized the defense leaning toward Panarin and exploited the resulting hole
There was an audible crack once Lafrenière got into scoring position − the sound of his stick hitting the ice and angling toward the goal
a clear signal to Panarin that he was ready for the puck
Before the Seattle players could get their heads fully turned
it was in the back of the net to break a scoreless tie with 2:30 remaining in the second period
"I thought that he was a guy that really grabbed the rope," head coach Peter Laviolette said of Lafrenière
I think that's the growth that you want to see."
Talent has never been in question for the former No. 1 overall pick, and he's made major physical strides to help bring it to the surface. A focus on hip mobility with longtime trainer and strength coach Stéphane Dubé has led to vastly improved "separation speed," fueling last season's 57-point breakout
But the Rangers believe there's an even higher ceiling for the 23-year-old, which is why they awarded him a seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension last month
His spatial awareness and nuanced understanding of how to generate offense are among the traits that should take him there
That continued evolution has Lafrenière on pace to exceed last season's output
He ranks second on the team to only Panarin with 14 points (seven goals and seven assists) through 16 games and is trending toward 70-plus if he can keep it up
It's especially notable that 12 of those points have come at five-on-five
That's only one fewer than Panarin and two more than the entire top line of Chris Kreider (one)
Mika Zibanejad (four) and Reilly Smith (five)
which puts him in the 93rd percentile across the league
The undeniable truth is that Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Lafrenière are the Rangers' real No. 1 line and only consistent source of 5v5 offense. Their burden is even heavier now that Filip Chytil is out with a murky upper-body injury
taking away what had been a highly efficient secondary scoring line
but Lafrenière believes he has more to give
He's been the beneficiary of so many creative passes from Panarin
but he wants to show that he can be a high-end facilitator
That means taking control of games with the puck on his stick
then using his dynamic skill and instincts to create scoring opportunities for others
"I think just holding on to pucks maybe a little longer," he said when asked what the next step looks like
192-pounder is also focused on becoming a better defender − or
"trying to get it back in your zone and do the right thing."
His line has a tendency to get caught in vulnerable positions due to their risk-taking style
but Lafrenière has been increasingly effective in chasing plays down and fighting to regain possession when needed
That responsible play is necessary to ensure maximum ice time
but he knows his biggest impact ‒ and the biggest reason he got his new contract − is to make things happen on the attacking end of the ice
"There's always time to try to push and make plays
"Then there's times you have to kind of play a little smarter and a little safer
I’m just trying to get involved offensively."
Top line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Second line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Reilly Smith (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Adam Edström (LW) ⋄ Sam Carrick (C) ⋄ Jimmy Vesey (RW)
Top pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Second pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Third pair ⊳ Zac Jones (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Healthy scratches: F Jake Leschyshyn and D Chad Ruhwedel
TARRYTOWN - Adam Fox only missed eight games with his recent upper-body injury
The biggest event had nothing to do with hockey. Fox and his wife, Tate, welcomed their first child, a healthy baby girl named Greer. But meanwhile back at the rink, team president Chris Drury continued to reshape the Rangers' roster with trades
The most notable involved shipping Ryan Lindgren to Colorado
removing not only Fox's longtime defensive partner but also one of his closest friends
"It’s tough," Fox said following Wednesday's optional practice at the MSG Training Center
"It’s someone I played with pretty much my whole NHL career and knew him before
It's kind of weird timing – I was out – so kind of adjusting to it now
But I definitely miss him around the room."
It was another difficult blow for a locker room that's endured more change in the last three months than they had in the previous three years
but the Lindgren trade didn't catch anyone by surprise
There had been wide speculation about the 27-year-old defenseman's availability
with the Rangers' precarious position in the standings essentially punching his ticket out of town
"Anyone who's going into (unrestricted free agency)
who noted spending time with Lindgren when the Blueshirts and Avalanche crossed paths in Minnesota last week
If we had a better record and more of a push
But I think there's always that possibility
Takeaways: Rangers fumble their way out of playoff position
Fox returned to the lineup Saturday missing the Robin to his Batman
And while Lindgren's play had clearly slipped this season
the void left on the Rangers' top pair is seismic
There's no obvious replacement on the roster or in the pipeline
creating a level of uncertainty that Fox admitted could affect his play
"A lot of times you think of only lines as forwards and chemistry in that sense
but I think defensemen have to have a lot of chemistry," he said
you get almost that second sense of where they're going to be
It's definitely a bit of an adjustment when you’re switching D partners."
Head coach Peter Laviolette gave the freshly extended Urho Vaakanainen first crack at it
but it appears that experiment will only last three games
the Vaakanainen-Fox duo has been outscored
they've surrendered 11 high-danger scoring chances while only generating four
The low point came in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames
which looked much worse than the score indicated
getting beat in countless board battles and foot races while struggling to create any offensive push
Laviolette will surely make changes following an embarrassing performance in which the Rangers were held to only 13 shots on goal, with signs pointing to Vaakanainen getting scratched for Thursday's 7 p.m. home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs
"I thought it was decent the first two games," Fox said
"And then obviously (Tuesday) was just kind of flush that down and turn the page."
is expected to step back in after sitting the previous three games
The 6-foot-5, 208-pounder was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Mar. 6, with the Rangers targeting him for his size, good defensive stick and cost certainty
with one additional year remaining on his contract at a $3.25 million cap hit
But he stumbled out of the gate and got yanked after only four appearances
"He's working to get up to speed on the system
and I think sometimes when you're thinking a little bit too much
it slows down a little bit," Laviolette said
getting an understanding of how we want to do things
There was some thought that Soucy would get a chance to take Lindgren's spot next to Fox
but that feels ambitious for a player who's been a healthy scratch
The only logical alternative is reuniting Fox with the Rangers' clear No
They still rank tops in the league among D pairs that have logged at least 150 minutes together with a 67.4% xGF
But other than a stretch early in the season
they've only joined forces in late-game situations for the last number of months
Laviolette has repeatedly said he prefers a more balanced approach
particularly since Miller has developed a strong rapport with Will Borgen
But given the desperate situation the Rangers are in − one point out of a wild-card spot with 13 games to play − it may be time to break the glass in case of emergency
he'd have the option of pairing Soucy and Borgen − a duo that logged over 674 minutes together during their shared time in Seattle
the Rangers are going to need more from Fox
who's being asked to step into a critical role while simultaneously working his way back from injury and trying to figure out a new partner
but I think when you're late in the year and we're trying to win every game
I think that's when it gets frustrating," he said
"You're trying to jump right into the flow with everyone who's been playing hard hockey
so you don’t really get any practice time with the guys."
This all comes in the midst of a down year by Fox's lofty standards
His 0.8 points per game average is the lowest since his 2019-20 rookie season
while his all-around game has dropped a level or two
The 27-year-old was the subject of heavy criticism following a subpar showing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off
which many pointed to as evidence that his impact diminishes in a physical
you could say that about many of the current Rangers
who looked like they were stuck in quicksand Tuesday against the Flames
That's been a disturbing trend this season
with these Blueshirts often folding when adversity hits after years of building a no-quit reputation
"You’ve got to have that kind of resiliency to not mentally just pack it in," Fox said
"A lot of our success in the past has been just a mindset of being down one goal
Top line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Will Cuylle (RW)
Second line ⊳ Alexis Lafrenière (LW) ⋄ J.T
Third line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Sam Carrick (C) ⋄ Juuso Pärssinen (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Brennan Othmann (LW) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Brett Berard (RW)
Second pair ⊳ Carson Soucy (L) ⋄ Will Borgen (R)
has reignited concerns about safety and accountability in the maritime industry
Dr. Mercogliano, who runs the popular "What's Going On With Shipping" YouTube channel with over 419,000 subscribers and maintains a following of more than 50,000 on X
took a firm stance that Maersk should not rehire known sexual predators after terminating them for sexual misconduct
His position carries particular weight given both his academic role at the very institution the victim attended and his substantial influence within the maritime community
“Of course, Maersk should not rehire him," declared Mercogliano in a Tuesday night post on the X social network that cut straight to the heart of the controversy surrounding the shipping giant's personnel decisions
Mercogliano also emphasized that maritime unions could play a crucial role in keeping offenders off ships by limiting their future employment opportunities across the industry
As both a maritime historian and a professor at the USMMA
Mercogliano's perspective represents a bridge between academic standards and industry practices
Mercogliano is an adjunct professor at the Academy and teaches a graduate course in the Masters in Marine Engineering program
Mercogliano is also a graduate of SUNY Maritime College
The case in question involves a 60-year-old Bosun named Magdy Hassan Balat who allegedly sexually harassed, stalked, and threatened a female USMMA cadet aboard the Maersk Memphis in 2018
Despite Maersk firing Balat following an internal investigation that confirmed the Cadet’s allegations
the company rehired Balat just two years later
allowing him to work on other Maersk vessels until his retirement in 2024
Maritime attorney Ryan Melogy dismisses Maersk's explanations outright
“That's total B.S.,” Melogy states bluntly
They can absolutely choose not to rehire mariners they've fired for sexual harassment if that's what the company wants to do
maritime law forces a shipping company to bring back known predators
If Maersk is concerned about provisions in private labor contracts
They’ve chosen not to do so for business and profit-maximization reasons.”
MLAA has previous reported on the case, and published the name of the mariner. On X, MLAA publicly acknowledged Mercogliano's position
noting that he "took the correct and obvious moral position that Maersk should not rehire known sexual predators after firing them."
This case highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of cadets and women in the maritime industry
particularly given the isolated nature of shipboard environments where harassment victims have limited escape options
For USMMA cadets completing their Sea Year training
the news that Maersk is rehiring known sex predators raises serious questions about the effectiveness of measures designed to protect USMMA cadets while they gain essential maritime experience
With his extensive reach across social media platforms
Mercogliano's stance represents an important and influential voice in the industry calling for stronger accountability and safer workplaces for all maritime professionals
Instagram
is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit advocacy organization
MLAA is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or services to individuals at this time
Users of this website should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter
Just because trades rarely happen at this time of year doesn't mean that Rangers team president Chris Drury isn't working the phones to see if he can buck that trend
New York has lost six of their last seven during this two-week nosedive and is desperate for a jolt that will turn this sinking season around. Drury very openly put veterans Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba on the trade block, but as we explored earlier this week
very few Blueshirts are considered off limits at the moment
But it takes two sides to complete a trade
which begs an obvious question: Which teams could the Rangers realistically make a deal with
4 Nations: Five Rangers selected for international tournament
Opposing general managers smell blood in the water and have been circling Madison Square Garden with an increasingly large contingent of scouts
Western Conference teams have had the heaviest representation
Based on conversations with multiple league sources and our own armchair-GM work
we've identified the following five teams as leading candidates for the Rangers to do business with:
The Ducks are one of the teams that’s had a heavy scouting presence at recent Rangers’ games
with their status as one of the NHL’s bottom-feeders making them perennial sellers
They also have the second-most available cap space – nearly $27.5 million – of any team in the league
Whether they have an appetite to take on a high-paid veteran like Kreider or Trouba is a lingering question
The name who will always be connected to the Rangers because of their history together is Frank Vatrano
who Anaheim will be motivated to move as he plays out the final year of a contract that pays him $3.65 million annually
The 30-year-old winger’s production is down
with 12 points (six goals and six assists) through 23 games after racking up a career-high 37 goals last season
Trevor Zegras is a name Blueshirts’ fans always wonder about because of his connection to the area (he’s a Bedford native) and exciting style of play
but I’ve never gotten the sense that Drury is interested in a finesse forward with questionable size and defensive ability
The Ducks also have options on the blue line
with a trio of veterans who should be available – left-handed shots Brian Dumoulin ($3.15 million AAV as a pending UFA) and Cam Fowler ($6.5 million AAV through next season) and righty captain Radko Gudas ($4 million AAV through next season)
and may not move the needle enough to justify a deal
The Preds loaded up by signing big-name veterans over the summer with the expectation that they’d contend this season
They sat in seventh place in the Central Division entering play Thursday
with general manager Barry Trotz’s patience apparently wearing thin
which is an area where the Rangers can’t offer much due to no-movement clauses owned by Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad and their general lack of depth behind those two
But Nashville does have a few interesting pieces available and ample cap space to absorb salary coming back
The top of their for-sale list features Gustav Nyquist
a 35-year-old forward who's coming off a career-high 75-point season and in the final year of a deal that pays $3.185 million
a steady right-handed defenseman who’s still only 28 with three years left at a modest $3.75 million cap charge
But if Trotz is determined to shake things up
there’s a lot more in his cupboard that would have appeal on the market
The Rangers already went after Tommy Novak
who signed a three-year contract with a $3.5 million AAV over the summer and likely isn’t going anywhere now
but the Preds have other hard-working forwards such as Ryan O'Reilly ($4.5 million through 2026-27)
Colton Sissons ($2.857 million AAV through next season) and Michael McCarron ($900,000 AAV through next season)
left-handed defenseman Jeremy Lauzon would be a very attractive option as a 6-foot-3
225-pounder who skates well and carries a team-friendly cap charge of $2 million through next season
The Sens have become a hot team on the rumor mill because
they’re dissatisfied with their first quarter of the season and looking to make changes that reverberate throughout the roster
center Josh Norris is the main candidate they’re shopping
He’s only 25 and rates as one of the league’s best skaters
with a top speed of 23.76 mph that ranks in the 99th percentile
The problem is that his offensive production – 15 points (nine goals and six assists) through 24 games – falls short of what you’d expect from a player with a $7.95 million cap hit
although he does have a 35-goal season on his resume from 2021-22
Norris’ deal runs through the 2029-30 season
making any trade a significant commitment for the acquiring team
The Rangers could make it work if they sent one of their big contracts back to Ottawa
but the unconfirmed belief is that both Kreider and Trouba have the Sens on their 15-team no-trade lists
There’s also doubt about whether Norris is a player they value enough to roster for five-plus seasons
Shane Pinto ($3.75 million AAV through next season) and Nick Cousins ($800,000 as a pending UFA) are cheaper centers who could fill depth roles and protect against another injury to Filip Chytil
while Drake Batherson ($4.975 million through 2026-27 season) is a scoring right winger who’s producing at a rate over a point per game
some are wondering if Ottawa will listen on Thomas Chabot
left-handed defenseman who carries an $8 million AAV through 2027-28
And then there’s the player who many believe would be the apple of Drury’s eye if he ever comes available – Senators captain Brady Tkachuk
There’s no indication that Ottawa is fielding offers yet
but the 25-year-old winger has endured seven seasons of mostly losing
with one Eastern Conference executive predicting
Making the money work – $8.2 million AAV through 2027-28 – would be tricky if the Rangers couldn’t include Kreider or Trouba
but they would consider almost any package of players
prospects and draft picks to make it happen
And with Tkachuk’s no-movement clause kicking in this summer
the Sens have more leverage right now than they will at any point in the future
The Rangers have sniffed around on Yanni Gourde before
but this may be their best chance to pry the energetic forward away from the Kraken
He’s in the final year of a deal that carries a $5.167 million cap charge and marching toward free agency
with Seattle almost sure to trade him if its playoff outlook doesn’t improve in the next couple months
Gourde’s point production doesn’t jump off the page (12 points through 26 games)
but his underlying numbers have been strong with a 53.32% xGF that ranks second among all Kraken forwards this season
And then there's the championship pedigree that everyone will point to
with the 32-year-old centering that memorable third line for Tampa’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021
Drury was a fan of the way that gritty line played
which prompted him to trade for Gourde’s old linemate
Seattle has a few other pending UFAs likely to be available in forwards Brandon Tanev ($3.5 million AAV) and Daniel Sprong ($975,000 AAV)
as well as defenseman Will Borgen ($2.7 million)
The latter is a bottom-pair player with very shaky results this season
but he grades out as one of the NHL’s better skating defensemen
And if the Rangers are looking for more than just a rental
Jamie Oleksiak could satisfy their thirst for size on the back end for a $4.6 million cap hit through next season
The team with no name is trying to stay competitive in a new market
but they could be looking to change up the mix
And there are some very interesting pieces on a roster with sneaky talent
The free-agents-to-be will be the obvious candidates
with 6-foot-6 Nick Bjustad ($2.1 million AAV) a capable bottom-six center who the Rangers have checked in on in the past because he defends and has a knack for greasy goals
Alex Kerfoot ($3.5 million AAV) is another pending UFA forward likely on the way out
as are defensemen Ian Cole ($3.1 million AAV)
Olli Maatta ($3 million AAV) and Robert Bortuzzo ($775,000 AAV)
But if Drury was to offer more of a hockey trade involving players and prospects instead of picks
perhaps he could fish out one of Utah’s intriguing younger talents
Newly minted captain Clayton Keller is their crown jewel
with little appetite to entertain offers on their best player at this point
But how about scoring winger Nick Schmaltz ($5.85 million through next season)
Or emerging young defenseman Michael Kesselring ($1.4 million through next season)
but you've got to act boldly if you truly want to change the trajectory of the roster
NEWARK - In their ongoing and so far fruitless search for answers
won’t play in Monday’s afternoon game against the rival Devils
The 33-year-old forward did not take warmups with the Blueshirts in advance of puck drop at Prudential Center
a sure sign that he’s coming out of the lineup
There was some thought it could have been caused by an achy back that’s given him trouble in recent weeks
which already cost him three games last month
one person with knowledge of the situation told lohud.com
which indicates this was a performance-based decision
The healthy scratch is latest desperate attempt to motivate a sputtering group that’s lost 12 of their last 16 to plummet out of a playoff spot – and perhaps the most surprising yet
230-pounder’s 11 goals and determine he’s been fairly productive
But only two of those tallies have come at five-on-five
where Kreider has been a non-factor all season
and he’s stuck on one total assist through 30 games
which seems hard to do for a player who regularly plays in the top six and on No
His 43.75% xGF ranks last among New York skaters who have appeared in at least 20 games
Those struggles have been amplified in recent weeks, with Kreider registering only one point – an empty-net goal in Friday’s 3-1 win in Dallas – in his last eight games. The Rangers have gone 2-6 in that span, with No. 20 logging the team's third-lowest time on ice at even strength (8:04) in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes
Drury's tactic has caused waves inside the locker room
The NHL is the midst of a holiday roster freeze that prevents teams from trading or waiving players until just after midnight on Saturday
so don't take Monday's decision as a sign that anything is imminent
But Kreider being openly shopped tells you all you need to know about the current fragile state of the Rangers
TARRYTOWN - Brett Berard was putting the finishing touches on his pregame suit when his cell phone started buzzing on Sunday
It was Rangers assistant general manager Ryan Martin
who informed the 22-year-old forward prospect that he wouldn't be playing for AHL Hartford that afternoon
he'd be traveling to New York to prepare for his NHL debut on Monday night
The first person he relayed the news to was his father
"I tried to call the three most important people in my life," Berard said following Monday's morning
so it was pretty cool to hear their voices
girlfriend and a group of friends from his hometown in East Greenwich
Rhode Island will be making the trip to see him take the ice at Madison Square Garden against the St
where he'll be tasked with replacing veteran forward Chris Kreider and infusing the lineup with the speed and hustle he's known for
and that's what I'm gonna try to do − try to bring energy," said Berard
who leads the Wolf Pack with 13 points (seven goals and six assists) through 16 AHL games played
Kreider is dealing with an upper-body injury
and will miss his first game action since January 2023
It's unclear exactly when the 33-year-old suffered the ailment
and while he did see slightly reduced ice time in the third period of Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers
he still finished the game with three shifts in the final 10 minutes
The Rangers also recalled forward Matt Rempe from Hartford and will insert him into Monday's lineup at the expense of Jonny Brodzinski. Center Filip Chytil is set to miss his fifth consecutive game due to his own upper-body injury
But while the injuries provided an opening for the Rangers to turn to Berard and Rempe
head coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged that searching for a spark in the midst of the team's recent poor play added motivation for the lineup shuffling
"We're definitely looking for that," he said
We were not as fast as Edmonton was the other night
There's a way we can play the game that can be faster
and then we can also increase our own engines and get them up to speed
4 Nations Face-Off: Which Rangers could get picked for star-studded tourney?
Back-to-back ugly losses to end last week's western road trip have brought those issues to the forefront
but the Rangers have been trending in the wrong direction for much longer than that
they've played a generally unsustainable brand of hockey that's far too reliant on their superb goaltending duo of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick − and
The Blueshirts have been a middling five-on-five team for years that goes into bouts where they struggle to manage and advance pucks
particularly against some of the NHL's most aggressive forechecking opponents
That's resulted in lopsided possession battles that expose their defensive weaknesses and vulnerability against the rush
They've gone 7-6 in their last 13 games but done so while allowing a league-worst 34 shots per 60 minutes in that span
A look under the hood is equally concerning
with an average of 3.41 expected goals against per 60 that ranks 28th out of 32 teams
"We've got to come out more on the attack," Laviolette said
"We've got to do things that set our game up better offensively
more pucks to the net – all of that could be better
We're just on our heels a little bit too much."
Kreider is far from the only reason for those diminishing returns
but his underwhelming production has become harder to ignore
He's scored nine goals through 19 games played
but only two have come at 5v5 and he's still searching for his first assist in any situation this season
His 43.26% xGF ranks dead last among New York's regular skaters
which has apparently prompted team president Chris Drury to put him on the trade block
he sent a message to all NHL general managers that the Rangers are open for business and motivated to shakeup their core
according to two sources who spoke to lohud.com
Kreider and captain Jacob Trouba are the candidates Drury is most actively shopping
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren is another who's widely believed to be available
Forwards Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad each hold full no-movement clauses, meaning no trade can be executed without their consent, but both Kreider and Trouba shifted to modified 15-team no-trade lists this season. The Rangers tried to move the latter over the summer, but those efforts were thwarted
with belief being they'd try again in 2025
A Kreider trade would come as a bigger surprise
as he's spent all 13 of his professional seasons on Broadway and sits third on the franchise's all-time list with 313 career goals
But Drury has grown increasingly concerned about this core plateauing after reaching the Eastern Conference Final two of the last three years and is now putting everyone on notice
One league source questioned the chances of a major deal happening this far in advance of the March 7 trade deadline − a rarity in the NHL
The hefty contracts involved will also be prohibitive
Kreider is due an average annual value of $6.5 million through the 2026-27 season
while Trouba has one year remaining after this at $8 million
That will add degrees of difficulty to any potential trade
which will put Drury's motivation and creativity to the test
Whether he can pull off a franchise-altering trade before Christmas is very much to be determined
but what's become increasingly clear is that the Rangers have reached a crossroads
and something will eventually have to give
Second line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Brett Berard (RW)
Third line ⊳ Adam Edström (LW) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (C) ⋄ Reilly Smith (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Sam Carrick (C) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (RW)
Injured: Filip Chytil (upper body) and Chris Kreider (upper body)
NEW YORK – The Rangers got right back to their losing ways Monday night
with the Devils relishing the chance to twist the knife on their Hudson River neighbors
Jersey handed New York an embarrassing 5-1 defeat in front of a peeved Madison Square Garden crowd
with Blueshirts fans showing their discontent while the Devils fans in attendance were emboldened to openly cheer their team and mock their flailing rival
It left the locker room feeling as dejected as it has at any point this season
with the search for answers as frustrating as it is perplexing
"Everyone in here has got to just play a little bit out of their comfort zone," center Vincent Trocheck said
Guys that are usually playmakers and scoring roles got to chip it in
Guys that aren't usually hitting got to start hitting
We've just got to play out of our comfort zones
Signs of a collapse began to surface over a month ago
but it’s gone into a tailspin the last two weeks
The Rangers (13-10-1) have lost six of their last seven while looking as disjointed as they have since the rebuild era began nearly seven years ago. That poor play has festered like a virus since word leaked out that Chris Drury is open for business
with the team president’s lack of confidence penetrating an increasingly fragile team psyche
"We're finding different ways to lose right now
as opposed to finding different ways to win," said veteran Chris Kreider
who's suddenly found himself at the center of the trade chatter
Chris Kreider: Veteran tries to set example by blocking out trade talk
The Blueshirts are being exposed for what many objective observers realized a while ago – a team that’s far too reliant on its goaltending
Igor Shesterkin had another off night Monday and is now 2-7 with an .882 save percentage in his last nine starts
but he’s probably dead last on New York’s list of problems
The hard truth is that the Rangers usually aren’t good enough to overcome games when they don’t get superb goalie play
They’re now 11-1 this season when their goalie posts a SV% of .913 or higher
In a league where the average sat at an even .900 entering Monday
it’s simply unrealistic to expect their tandem of Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick to do much more than they have
A big trade likely isn't coming any time soon
leaving the current cast of Rangers to either unearth a way to turn their season around or risk losing a grip on it
"We're a good hockey team," said head coach Peter Laviolette
who took much longer than usual to emerge for his standard postgame press conference
and those are things that are in our control
and those are the answers that we need to figure out as a group."
Rangers can't keep up from the startThe basis of the Rangers' struggles is that they're allowing far too many quality chances in front of their netminders
Their tendency to start flat has been an especially damning part of this extended slump
These Blueshirts can’t afford to do that against most teams
never mind a Jersey squad that oozes the type of speed and skill that gives them trouble
"It's got to be sharper in the first (period) when we first take the ice," Laviolette said
"Whether it's effort or whether it's execution
It's got to be more consistent throughout the game
The Rangers unwisely tried to trade rushes to begin Monday’s contest and got burned for it
Filip Chytil and Braden Schneider lost control of the puck after getting swarmed upon entering the offensive zone
with the Devils quickly countering the other way
Jesper Bratt finished the ensuing two-on-one by beating Shesterkin through the five hole to make it 1-0 with only 1:27 elapsed
and it's one of the first shots that Igor sees," said Kreider
The lead went to 2-0 at the 7:10 mark after Will Cuylle turned it over in the neutral zone and Jersey turned the resulting possession into another five-hole goal
The Rangers actually settled from there and made a push late in the first period and early in the second
but Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom was sharp and they eventually folded
The comeback gene that defined them last season has vanished
and it's easy to just kind of hang your head and expect it to snowball from there
but you’ve got to be able to mentally stay in it," Trocheck said
"This team has come back from a lot of two-
It's just a matter of staying in it mentally."
It didn't get much better as the second period wore on
with Dougie Hamilton ending a five-on-three power play with a one-timer that upped Jersey’s lead to 3-0
That was followed by a couple goals from the dangerous Jack Hughes
who always seems to be a thorn in the Rangers' side
"If you give Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt some time and space
they'll make you pay," defenseman Adam Fox said
the Devils have had the opposite problem in recent seasons
They’ve got a loaded lineup that consistently outplays opponents at five-on-five
but goaltending has been their clear weakness
They acquired Markstrom from the Calgary Flames over the summer and he just may turn them into a Stanley Cup contender
The 34-year-old Swede finished with 39 saves and was an X-factor on a couple power plays in which New York created enough good looks that they probably deserved more than the one goal they got from Kreider
"He had a great game," Fox said of Markstrom
Some Rangers talked about outshooting the Devils in the third period
"That's how we should play." But he also aptly noted
"They're obviously playing a little more defensive and trying to not let one up."
Laviolette let his feelings be known by cutting down ice time for certain players at various stages of the game
most notably the new-look top line of Artemi Panarin
with a 6-1 disadvantage in high-danger scoring chances during that short time
"There were other guys going and we were getting a little bit more out of those guys," Laviolette said
"It wasn't so much a message or anything like that
It was just that I was going with the lines that seemed to have what (we) needed."
with plenty of blame to go around as the results continue to spiral against the Rangers
The win moved the Devils (17-7-1) to the top of Metro Division with 36 points
while the Blueshirts are now nine back with 27
They're barely hanging onto a wild-card spot
with a one-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning
"It doesn't matter if the reffing or the penalties go one way to the other team
or if we're not getting any of the bounces," Kreider said
"We have to play a brand of hockey that will leave absolutely no doubt."
CALGARY - The Rangers have won a few games already this season on nights when they were largely outplayed
but logic tells us those results will eventually even out
They did Thursday at Scotiabank Saddledome
where the Blueshirts rallied from a two-goal deficit but ultimately got what they deserved in a 3-2 loss to the host Flames
"We got outworked," head coach Peter Laviolette said bluntly
After getting dominated for nearly two full periods
including a 20-5 shots-on-goal disadvantage in the first
the Rangers (12-5-1) clawed their way back with two goals in a span of 16 seconds to close out the second
It felt like they had all the momentum heading into the third
but Calgary snatched it back on the winning goal from Connor Zary with 9:25 to play
who outshot the visitors from New York by a 49-29 margin and controlled play for all but a fleeting stretch
it served as notice that the defensive issues which plagued them prior to their recent three-game winning streak still linger
"They came out hard," defenseman Ryan Lindgren said
We didn’t do a good job of getting the puck out
We were turning it over and they were coming right back at us
It’s definitely not the way we want to start the game
Analysis: Rangers' top line showing signs of life, but can they keep it up?
The first period was as lopsided as they come
with the Flames out-attempting the Rangers
while registering seven high-danger scoring chances
"We weren't doing anything right in the first period," said forward Will Cuylle
who notched the tying goal late in the second
The disproportionate possession battle is a troubling trend that's shown up several times in recent weeks
Laviolette pushed back on that notion − "We played really good games prior to this," he said − but the players recognize their tendency to fall into these spells
"When we try to overcomplicate things and try to do too much through the neutral zone
when we're dominating and playing really well
I think we're keeping it simple and just getting pucks out of our end
"You've just got to commit to playing that way," he added
"And I think when we commit to playing that way − the right way − I think it'll be more consistent for us."
Calgary converted all that first-period zone time into just one goal
It came on a rising wrist shot off the rush from Matt Coronato at the 7:26 mark
but goalie Igor Shesterkin saved the other 19 shots he faced to keep New York within striking distance
The Flames doubled their lead on a power-play goal from Yegor Sharangovich 8:29 into the second period
with Laviolette issuing an unsuccessful challenge that sent the Rangers right back on the penalty kill
The coach felt strongly that Jonathan Huberdeau had performed a hand pass on that sequence and expressed his displeasure with the decision to allow the goal after the game
"He opened up his hand to play the puck," Laviolette said
and it bats off of his hand and goes right to their player
It got called dead two more times in the game – the exact same plays
While Huberdeau did not catch the puck cleanly or intentionally send it to a teammate
"A player shall be permitted to stop or ‘bat’ a puck in the air with his open hand
or has allowed his team to gain an advantage
and subsequently possession and control of the puck is obtained by a player of the offending team
either directly or deflected off any player or official.”
The resulting power play from the failed challenge nearly led to a third Calgary goal when Huberdeau came flying in uncontested
but a reaching blocker save from Shesterkin kept it at 2-0
A brief surge and a position changeThe Rangers would eventually wake from their slumber and hit the Flames with a 1-2 punch that tied the score
They netted two goals in a rapid-fire span of 16 seconds
with the first coming at the end of an extended offensive-zone flurry from Artemi Panarin
They kept Calgary pinned long enough for Jacob Trouba to unload a slap shot from the top of the right circle
with Lafrenière waiting to pounce on the rebound for his eighth goal of the season
That made it 2-1 with 3:23 remaining in the second and was immediately followed by the equalizer from Cuylle
who tipped a K'Andre Miller shot for his seventh of the season and third in the last five games
the play was started by a faceoff win from Kaapo Kakko
who went 6-for-9 (67%) on the dots and shifted inside to center a line with Cuylle and Jimmy Vesey late in the period
The 23-year-old has exclusively played wing throughout his first six NHL seasons
but with the Rangers trailing by two and struggling to get any offensive push
Laviolette decided to cut down to three lines and put two of his four natural centers
That left Kakko to change positions on the fly
"It’s just something that we had talked about
so we went with it tonight," Laviolette said
He played center prior to getting to the NH
and they produced a goal for us to tie the game."
It doesn't sound like it will be a permanent switch, although it provides an intriguing alternative while Filip Chytil remains out with a mysterious upper-body injury
when Kakko got beat by Zary on his way to the net before notching the winning goal
with the numbers particularly striking (6-1 with a 12-1 disadvantage in shot attempts) before Brodzinski was removed from that line
But the trio that had the worst night of all the lines was Chris Kreider
They'd shown notable improvement in the previous three games but failed to generate a single shot on goal while allowing 11 on Thursday
"Not every game or period is going to be perfect," Trouba said
"There are times when we control the play and we outshoot teams
It's kind of the ebbs and flows of the game
I think we know some things that help make us successful that we get away from
and it kind of hurts our game for the time being
We know what we're capable of and how we've been playing on this road trip
TARRYTOWN ‒ The Rangers followed up Friday's flurry of news and transactions with a much calmer optional practice on Saturday
but Urho Vaakanainen had traveled too far to sit this one out
The newest Blueshirt took a red-eye flight from California and promptly showed up at the MSG Training Center to skate with some of his new teammates
"I slept like three hours on the plane," he said with a wide-eyed look
The 25-year-old defenseman was traded from Anaheim to New York
in return for now-former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba
He's currently on IR with an upper-body injury − "I'm not sure about the timeline yet
but I can shoot and pass the puck pretty well right now," he said − but is progressing well enough to practice in a non-contact jersey
"He's out on the ice," head coach Peter Laviolette said
Vaakanainen profiles as a depth defenseman with limited offensive touch − he's registered only 25 points (one goal and 24 assists) in 141 career NHL games − but he brings some prospect pedigree as a 2017 first-round pick (No
Last season was the first time the 6-foot-2
with his defensive metrics comparing favorably to the rest of the blue-liners on the Ducks' faulty D corps
who joked that he'll stick with Vaakanainen's nickname
I went back and watched some (video) − and I know him just a little bit from being in the West − so I went back and watched a little bit (Friday)
Why Anaheim?The chances of Vaakanainen − who carries a $1.1 million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights over the summer − playing regularly in New York are probably slim
But the fact that the Rangers were able to land a couple assets without retaining any of Trouba's $8 million average annual value for this season and the next or taking back a bad contract was an undeniable win for team president Chris Drury
Belief around the NHL was that it would require concessions to offload his struggling captain, especially with the deteriorating situation between front office and player becoming public
Two sources from opposing teams told lohud.com
that they were surprised by the details of the deal
but noted that Anaheim was uniquely positioned to help Drury pull it off
the Ducks entered Friday with $27.5 million in available cap space
the second-highest figure of any team in the league
They were one of the few interested parties who could absorb Trouba's full cap hit without blinking
with the Columbus Blue Jackets also falling into that category
his actual salary is only $6 million for this season and the next due to bonuses already paid by the Rangers
reducing the out-of-pocket cost for Ducks' ownership
The other key factor is that Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek was motivated to get this done
He's actively been seeking veterans to change the losing perception surrounding his franchise and mentor a crop of high draft picks and young talent
And while he's made runs at some notable free agents in recent years
The Trouba trade allowed Verbeek to take control of the situation and weaponize the cap space advantage he had over most bidding teams
How much Trouba will help the Ducks on the ice remains to be seen
His underlying numbers continue to slip year over year
with foot speed and puck-handling issues that have diminished his effectiveness
particularly when facing the toughest matchups
But this serves as yet another reminder that NHL GMs still put a high value on physical play and leadership
The 30-year-old may still represent an upgrade for a group of Anaheim defensemen that have struggled mightily in recent years − and if it doesn't work out
Verbeek can always turn around and shop him as a rental for next season
Trade fallout and future possibilitiesThe key for the Rangers was convincing Trouba to get on board
with Drury's heavy-handed tactics stirring some debate
The former captain was open in Friday's conference call with reporters about what he deemed "a threat" meant to bully him into waiving his 15-team no-trade list
"I’m not overly thrilled with how it went down
things could have been handled better," Trouba said
‘Accept this trade or we’re scratching you.’ I said
‘Accept this trade or you’re going on waivers.’ I said
Drury claimed he hadn't seen Trouba's comments during his own conference call on Saturday
but he defended his methods in dealing with both Trouba and Barclay Goodrow
who was waived over the summer to work around his no-trade list and subsequently claimed by the San Jose Sharks
to try and do everything we can to help our team," Drury said on a conference call Saturday
"There's things at our disposal in the CBA
The notion that this take-it-or-leave-it method aimed at forcing Trouba to approve a trade will dissuade future free agents from coming to New York is overblown
but to think that no players (or agents) took notice is also naive
The biggest ripple effects are being felt within the walls of the Rangers' locker room, where tension between players and management has risen over time, but it may serve to band them closer together. That was the message coming out of Friday's 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins
What's not up for debate is that Drury has coerced this roster into a much better situation
Shedding Trouba's $8 million AAV leaves the Blueshirts with about $7.75 million in available cap space as of Saturday
with that number on pace to grow to around $24.35 million by the March 7 trade deadline
That's significantly more than most expected playoff teams
giving Drury a notable advantage over many of his direct competitors
right wing and a top-four defenseman all on his wish list
The goal is to infuse this Rangers' lineup with the type of speed
size and five-on-five scoring needed to succeed in the playoffs
where the current core has repeatedly fallen short
Some, if not all, of those trades will have to wait until closer to the deadline, when other teams have more urgency to make a deal. The pool of available players remains murky
with league sources underwhelmed by the expected options and questioning how much quality will be out there for the taking
Drury is going to have to get creative to really move the needle
which will likely mean selling off pieces from his NHL roster and prospect pool
He's been reluctant to do that in the past
but his stock is depleted with only 10 total selections in the next two drafts
including just three in the first three rounds combined
He could use his newfound cap space to broker deals by absorbing salary other teams want to get rid of in exchange for replenishing his draft capital, but he's also willing to listen on players who have been staples in the Rangers' lineup
Forward Reilly Smith and defenseman Ryan Lindgren are the obvious candidates to go as pending free agents who are unlikely to re-sign
but forwards Kaapo Kakko and Chris Kreider and defensemen Zac Jones and K'Andre Miller are other names to monitor
Most of those players would require significant returns to even consider trading
but Drury has signaled he's looking to keep the shakeup going
And if the chance to add impact pieces presents itself
he's given himself the maneuverability to pounce
"We certainly are not opposed to making more changes," Drury said
the team's been through a lot the last couple weeks
We’d like to let the dust settle a little bit
Let some of the new players that we've acquired − (Vaakanainen)
as well – we’d just like to let the team get settled in with this a little bit."
NEW YORK – There’s a cloud hanging over the Rangers lately
with the forecast growing darker by the day
Louis Blues brought the storm to Madison Square Garden
with the home crowd bearing witness (and booing) as New York’s season-worst losing streak moved to three
"There's three games in a row where we're playing to a level and a standard that's not us," said a clearly frustrated head coach Peter Laviolette
with two league sources confirming to lohud.com
that team president Chris Drury announced his intention to shake up the Rangers’ stagnant core in a memo that was sent to every NHL general manager
and captain Jacob Trouba are among the players being aggressively shopped – a clear message that no one is off limits
Trade block: Rangers put Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba on notice
There was internal hope that it would serve as a wakeup call
along with the recalls of energetic forward prospects Brett Berard and Matt Rempe
with the Rangers outworked and outshot for the fourth time in the last five games
It marked their third consecutive game allowing more than 40 shots
"We're giving up too much," Laviolette said
It's got to be much tighter with what we're doing."
The lackluster showing came against a Blues team that entered as the NHL’s third-lowest scoring offense with an average of 2.36 goals per game
with the league’s third-highest scoring squad – the division-rival Carolina Hurricanes – coming up on Thanksgiving Eve
What’s next in the motivational bag of tricks
Drury and Laviolette will have to come up with something
because even as they sit at a respectable 12-7-1
this Rangers season is beginning to feel like a downward spiral
"We have to stop it somehow," said Artemi Panarin
the only veteran who readily appeared in the locker room to speak after the game
Everyone has that experience when things are not going well in your days
fix our mistakes and be ready for Carolina."
While Kreider missed Monday’s game with an upper-body injury
The 30-year-old defenseman played a part in three of St
The first was a direct result of a poor pass from slumping center Mika Zibanejad
who meekly tried to bank the puck off the back boards and left Trouba vulnerable to a steal from a charging Brayden Schenn
He promptly found Jordan Kyrou open in the slot after shaking Zibanejad at the 11:45 mark in the first period
Zibanejad and Ryan Lindgren were also on for Zack Bolduc’s rebound goal early in the second
which came after multiple failed attempts to clear the net led to a series of close-range scoring chances
I think it's just making sure that you're playing the game the right way," defenseman Braden Schneider said
"We're still trying to force things a little bit too much
and we need to be heavier down low and winning those battles in front of our net
A pair of Will Cuylle goals helped the Rangers fight back and send it into the final period tied at 2-2
"That's a time to dig in and go get the next one," Laviolette said
Zibanejad’s offensive-zone turnover allowed Schenn to catch the defense pinching too far up the ice and score on a breakaway 1:12 into the period
followed Bolduc’s second tally of the night after beating Panarin to the slot with 11:35 to play
Lindgren and Trouba were on ice for that goal
while Zibanejad has posted a negative-seven rating in his last two games combined
Their struggles are compounding before our eyes
but Laviolette wasn't interested in singling out any individual or grouping
"Everybody needs to be better inside the room," he said
I don’t think anybody is going to sit here and say it was good enough
old friend Pavel Buchnevich put New York out of its misery with an empty-netter
He was the first core player shipped out after Drury took over as team president back in 2021 − a lopsided trade that didn't take long to look back on with regret
Now the man in charge is plotting which moves
can snap the Rangers out of this funk and revive their championship hopes
but finding the right partner will be much easier said than done
Trouba and Zibanejad are failing to pull their weight through the first quarter of the season
but multiple sources questioned how many teams would be willing to take on those sizable contracts at this early juncture of the season
Zibanejad holds a no-movement clause that protects him from any trade without his consent
But Lindgren’s poor play and pending free agency have put him at risk
especially if Kreider and/or Trouba prove too difficult to move
It's unfortunate that all the noise surrounding the Rangers overshadowed Berard's NHL debut
175-pounder produced a memorable moment with an assist on Cuylle's second goal − a play that started with him winning a wall battle and ended with a wraparound attempt that produced a juicy rebound − and showed flashes of the hustle-and-skill that helped him rise from 2020 fifth-round pick to the highest level
"It's something every little kid dreams of – to put on the skates for the first time and to make it in the NHL
I was lucky enough to have that happen today
The 22-year-old finished with two shots on five attempts
He played right wing on a line with Cuylle and Zibanejad
seemed to pick things up in the second period
He also had a nifty behind-the-back pass that setup Kaapo Kakko for a grade-A chance on the power play
"I slowed down as much as I could," Berard said when asked if his mind was racing
talking to me and trying to just keep me focused
Laviolette praised Berard for his work rate and "trying to make a difference," but it was a couple other young forwards who made the biggest impact
Cuylle and Kakko continue to make their case for more ice time
with Cuylle now up to a team-leading nine 5v5 goals this season
That's tied for fourth in the league with a couple stars
Tampa's Nikita Kucherov and Washington's Alex Ovechkin
Kakko is making the switch from wing to center look pretty seamless
He said he only played in the middle "a couple games" as a teenager in Finland's Liiga before he got drafted
but he's looked like a natural since moving over to replace the injured Filip Chytil
I think they started to think about it," Kakko said
Then (Laviolette) actually came to me and asked
‘When is the last time you’ve played center?’ And I said
‘It's been a while since then.’ There was one practice I was playing center
Kakko's line with Adam Edström and Reilly Smith was the only Rangers' trio to finish in the positive in most statistical categories
with an 8-6 edge in shots on goal and 17-10 advantage in attempts
They also generated three high-danger scoring chances − the most of any Rangers' trio − while allowing only one
Kakko registered his ninth assist on Cuylle's first goal of the game
which is already three more than he had all of last season
It may not be the player everyone was expecting to sign first
but the Rangers have a deal in place with one of their Big Three free agents
$52.15 million contract extension on Friday
according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation
It will pay the 23-year-old forward an average annual value of $7.45 million and expire at the end of his age-30 season
giving him another crack at a big payday in free agency
It includes an eight-team no-trade list for years 3-7 of the contract
The deal also has obvious benefits for the Rangers
who have cost certainty regarding their most dynamic young forward
You could argue it's a bargain compared to other forwards drafted No
with New Jersey's Jack Hughes (eight years
$68 million) and Montreal's Juraj Slafkovsky (eight years
$60.8 million) each commanding higher AAVs
albeit with one fewer year of team control
Blueshirts team president Chris Drury can now shift his attention toward extensions for defenseman K'Andre Miller and star goalie Igor Shesterkin, the latter having already turned down an eight-year, $88 million offer
He's looking at approximately $25 million in available salary cap space to fill the final nine or 10 spots on the 2025-26 roster
He'll have to wait until next summer to iron out all those details
but the all-important bottom line is that Lafrenière is locked up for the foreseeable future
13 could have waited in hopes that another big year would push his price tag even higher
but a strong start to the season convinced New York to up its offer to a place where Lafrenière and his agent
Matt Rempe: Explaining the Rangers' reasons for demoting big rookie to the AHL
The top pick from the 2020 NHL Draft took a few years to live up to the hype
He racked up a career-high 57 points (28 goals and 29 assists) without the benefit of regular power-play time
He followed that up by tying for the team lead with eight goals in 16 playoff games
Lafrenière often credited his placement on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Rangers' leading scorer Artemi Panarin for his uptick in production, which surely helped, but his continued development with strength and skating allowed his immense skill and vision to finally pop
196-pounder looks poised to build on last season's success while playing a point-per-game pace to begin the 2024-25 campaign
He scored his fourth goal already on Thursday to go along with three assists
with those seven points tying him for third on the team
Monday offered a rare reprieve from scoreboard watching for the New York Rangers and their fans. (Instead, they were able to focus on the excitement surrounding the signing of top prospect Gabe Perreault.)
They've watched their playoff odds fluctuate for weeks
with the race for the Eastern Conference's second and final wild-card spot devolving into a jumble of flawed contenders
With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season
five teams remain firmly in the hunt: Rangers
None of them played Monday − and none are playing particularly well
with all five registering sub-.500 winning percentages across their last 10 games
Gabe Perreault: Rangers sign top prospect, who will join team immediately
The floundering Rangers are among the primary culprits, having lost five of their previous six before Saturday's 6-1 win over the NHL-worst San Jose Sharks
One creative reader deemed it the "Hot Potato Race" − an appropriate moniker given the inability of any team to tighten its grip on the East's No
The ever-changing odds for each of the jockeying clubs can be found on various sites
The inexact calculations are based on a variety of factors
including remaining strength of schedule as determined by tankathon.com
And they're listed in order of how I view their chances of getting in
Montreal Canadiens (34-30-9)Total points: 77
Strength of remaining schedule: .520 (28th hardest)
Analysis: The Habs had been sinking fast with five straight losses (0-3-2), but their surprising 4-2 win over the defending champion Panthers on Sunday was a major swing in their favor
That pushed them back into the lead based on points percentage
and with the easiest remaining schedule among the five competing teams
Only four of their final nine games will come against teams currently in playoff position
Montreal is leaning on its 25-and-under core of Cole Caufield
Juraj Slafkovsky and captain Nick Suzuki up front and Calder Trophy candidate Lane Hutson on the back end
That comes with expected growing pains and mistakes
but allowing them to blossom in prominent roles has paid off in the second half
And with the hockey-crazed town rallying around them
it feels like the Canadiens have more forward momentum than most of teams on this list
Thoughts: The Rangers have had a roller coaster of a season
with a brutal 4-15 slump from late-November through December putting last year's Presidents' Trophy winner in this precarious spot
They steadied for about two months to start the new year
but their problems reemerged in a big way in March
New York has lost nine of its last 13 (4-6-3)
with some especially discouraging results along the way
The reality is they're a bad defensive team
with an average of 13.47 scoring chances allowed per game that ranks 30th in the league and last among the five wild-card hopefuls
Those results are even worse when defending the rush
with the top transition teams giving them fits
And their possession numbers have taken a nosedive of late
leading to some alarmingly low shot totals
It's put an inordinate amount of pressure on Igor Shesterkin
who's the best goalie among these contenders and primary reason to believe in the Rangers
The rest of the team's effort has come into question on several occasions this season
but they don't need to be world-beaters to outrun this mediocre field
The schedule is working against the Blueshirts because they have the fewest remaining games to collect points and the second-hardest path
with five of their final eight games coming against teams in playoff position
But they do hold the important first tiebreaker with six more regulation wins than the competition
Artemi Panarin and other players who have experienced long playoff runs in recent years
there's at least a decent chance the Rangers sneak in before facing harsher realities this summer
Thoughts: For a while it looked like the Blue Jackets had all the momentum
Following a rousing Stadium Series win over the Red Wings in the Mar
It's been an emotional season for the upstart Jackets
and it all seemed to be catching up to them
Then they got a couple key forwards back from injury in Sean Monahan and Cole Sillinger
They snapped the losing streak with comeback wins over the Islanders and Canucks last week
Columbus' defensive metrics are shaky at best and its goaltending has left much to be desired
but there's an exciting crop of young talent here
attacking style that can be a handful for opponents to deal with
The Jackets have two games in hand on the Rangers and a feel-good story that everyone can get behind following the tragic death of beloved star Johnny Gaudreau
At times it's felt like he's working his magic from hockey heaven
New York Islanders (32-31-10)Total points: 74
Thoughts: I'm not sure many people expected the Islanders to still be in at this late juncture
The Isles had a mini surge with three straight wins from Mar
but they've gone back into the tank with four consecutive losses since
Their next three games are against current playoff teams
It's hard to have much faith in a team with such little scoring punch
New York's average of 2.74 goals per game ranks 25th in the league and worst among the wild-card contenders
Bo Horvat leads the team with an underwhelming total of 51 points
It's long felt like time for the Isles to tear down and start the rebuild process in earnest
Maybe missing the playoffs will push them to do just that
Thoughts: The Wings feel like the longest shot because they're already a few points back in the race and have the toughest remaining schedule in the NHL
Seven of their final nine games will come against playoff-bound clubs
with Detroit struggling against those types of quality teams all season
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano
and most recently with the hasty removal of Zac Jones from the lineup
The defenseman who seems to be receiving the least attention is Braden Schneider
who's quietly going about his business and playing pretty darn well
and that's something I really want to make sure I avoid," Schneider told lohud.com
"I want to make sure that I'm running into this year and kind of building off what I was able to accomplish as the season went on."
Analysis: It's early, but Rangers' 5v5 offense is showing positive trends
After spending much of his first three seasons on the bottom pair
the 23-year-old finished the 2023-24 campaign with an expanding role in the top four
His average time on ice jumped from 15:54 during the regular season to 17:32 during the Rangers' 16-game playoff run
with Schneider often playing alongside Miller and shouldering increasingly difficult matchup responsibilities
"You're just trying to contribute in any way you can
and if they felt the thing that I needed to do was to play there – spread out the minutes and get everyone out there a bit more and get everyone a bit more of a feel for the game – I think that's great
you're always looking for a little bit more here and there
… It was a good thing for me to get some confidence and to learn that I can play those minutes."
There was some thought that Schneider would enter 2024-25 in the same spot
Ryan Lindgren suffered an upper-body injury during the preseason
forcing head coach Peter Laviolette to reconfigure his defensive deck
Mancini emerged as the next man up by outplaying the competition
but that left the Rangers with four right-handed shooters and only two lefties in their top six
One of the righties would have to shift to their off-hand side
with Schneider drawing the unexpected assignment
a conversation to see if they've ever played the offside – if they're comfortable playing the offside," Laviolette said when asked how he decided on Schneider to make that switch
if somebody's really uncomfortable and the ice doesn't open up
or they can't see it as well as they do from the other side
I think it's always great to have lefty-right
but guys that can move back and forth give you more versatility on your back end."
Schneider informed Laviolette that he spent some time on the left as a junior in the WHL and has made a fairly seamless transition to open the new season
He's registered a 52.44% xGF through five games
with the Rangers outscoring opponents (5-2) and outshooting them (52-44) by notable margins while he's on the ice at five-on-five
It may have been convincing enough for Laviolette to stick with that arrangement
even with all signs pointing to Lindgren returning for Tuesday's 7:15 p.m
the veteran practiced on the bottom pair next to Mancini on Monday while Schneider continued to skate on a rugged second pair with Trouba
Part of that surely has to do with Mancini
who continues to open eyes in his first professional season and seems to have at least temporarily surpassed Jones in the D-men pecking order
But another factor is Schneider earning more of Laviolette's trust
"I thought Schneider was a really good defenseman for us last year," the coach said
the fact that you're better at 22 than you are at 18 – and probably better at 26 than you are at 22 – it’s just the game experience of playing here against some of the best players in the world on a nightly basis
You're going to get valuable experience on ice when you practice at that level with players
Schneider, who signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract in July as a restricted free agent
devoted his offseason to preparing for this kind of opportunity
The 2020 first-round draft pick spent the summer trying to unlock two facets of his game he believes will maximize his potential
starting with becoming more reliable − and dynamic − when the puck is in his possession
"I feel like if I can build that foundation
it would open up a lot more areas to the game," he said
"Just being able to keep your head up a bit more when you have the puck on your stick and see plays develop
I was really working on my puck-handling and getting some shots off."
That work was evident during his first goal of the season
Schneider received a pass near the blue line and recognized that he had a step on forward Michael Carcone if he attacked along the boards
The degree of difficulty was increased as a righty on the left side
leaving the puck vulnerable to an inside stick check
but he successfully pulled it around Carcone
then cut back to the middle and flicked a quick wrister past Utah goalie Connor Ingram
"His goal was a perfect example," Laviolette said
Improved puck skills will undoubtedly raise Schneider's stock
but he knows his bread and butter − and the primary reason the Rangers coveted him in the draft over four years ago − is to play a sturdy
That was part two of his offseason focus and remains the key to solidifying a spot as a top-four D for the long haul
"I want to make sure that I'm bringing more jam to the game
and that's something I want to make sure that I bring this year is that physical part 100% of the time."
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Reilly Smith (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Filip Chytil (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Adam Edström (LW) ⋄ Sam Carrick (C) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (RW)
Second pair ⊳ Braden Schneider (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Third pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Victor Mancini (R)
Long-term injured reserve: F Jimmy Vesey (lower body)
NEWARK - Few teams are in need of a break quite like the Rangers
who continued their downward spiral in Monday’s 5-0 loss at the hands of the rival Devils at Prudential Center
It was yet another pathetic showing in an endless string of them
with the Blueshirts mustering a season-worst 12 shots on goal
including only three in a third period where it basically looked like they quit
while being shutout for the second time in the last four games
That mercifully ends a tumultuous couple months for New York
which will head into the three-day Christmas layoff having lost 13 of its last 17 and at risk of tumbling into last place in the Metro Division if Columbus defeats Montreal later in the day
It’s sent the locker room into a muddled state of anger and dejection
"We've got to show more heart," center Vincent Trocheck said
How the mighty have fallen in such an alarmingly short period of time
The Rangers (16-17-1) are the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners
having finished last season with the NHL’s best record on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals
they’re only six regulation losses short of tying last year’s total with well over half the season left to play
but head coach Peter Laviolette is running out of options
His latest attempt to provide a spark – or send a message
or however you want to interpret it – had some shock value
with respected veteran Chris Kreider designated as a healthy scratch
we're not playing a brand that we need to play in order to be successful," Laviolette said
"He's a guy that we count on to help deliver that
but that's the decision that I made today."
Chris Kreider: Surprise scratch as the Rangers visit first-place Devils
The longest-tenured Ranger has been one of the primary culprits during this nightmarish stretch
with an empty-net goal representing his only point in the previous eight contests
But the chances of this move changing the outcome or reversing recent trends were essentially zilch
The Blueshirts’ problems run far deeper than any one player, with this collective slump penetrating nearly every crevice of an increasingly strained organization
They'll get a brief holiday reprieve to spend time with family and try to regroup
then get thrown right back into an unforgiving gauntlet
beginning with Saturday's trip to Tampa to face the surging Lighting and followed by Monday’s matchup with the defending champion Panthers
"We've got to look at ourselves in the mirror here and come back really hungry
because this is just not winning hockey we're playing right now," defenseman Ryan Lindgren said
The dysfunction has festered to a point where the Rangers look like a lost cause
who have tried in vain to fire up the troops – including first-period fights from Trocheck and Sam Carrick in Jersey – they've curled up into the fetal position
They rarely have the puck or win battles to create possession
which has caused any semblance of an offensive attack to disappear
They've scored only 11 total goals in their last eight games for a measly average of 1.375
"It's too many things (to explain)," Artemi Panarin said when asked what's happened to the Rangers' offense
We're just not relaxed enough or something
You just feel like everything is harder than it is
Mika Zibanejad is the poster child for that and may be next up in the healthy scratch discussion after posting zero shots on one attempt in 15:17 uninspiring minutes
The 31-year-old center has registered only one point in his last eight games and zero five-on-five goals in his last 17
Laviolette finally dropped him from the top power-play unit Monday
New York still went 0-for-4 and is now 0-for-16 in its last six games combined
the Devils went 3-for-4 on their own smoking power play
which benefitted from not one but two too-many-men-on-the-ice penalties against the sloppy Rangers
But much like benching Kreider did nothing to boost the team’s play — if anything
it may be driving an even deeper rift between players and organization — it’s hard to believe that making the same choice with Zibanejad would play out any differently
That’s partly because the Blueshirts lack quality alternatives
but mostly because Zibanejad is not alone in his downfall
Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière are also drifting deeper into their own struggles
with the negative vibes even consuming Panarin lately
with K’Andre Miller missing his sixth straight game due to an upper-body injury
Adam Fox running on fumes under a heavy workload and the rest of the D corps generally looking overmatched
"If I have messages for the rest of the room
I'll tell them myself," Laviolette said when asked if Kreider's scratch was meant to wake up the rest of the team
The roster is quite clearly flawed and nowhere near the contender many believed them to be at the beginning of the season
Team president Chris Drury will have to figure that out in the coming weeks
He’s as much to blame as anyone for taking too long to address the issues that are now plain for the rest of the league to see
creating an in-season scramble to try and plug holes on a ship that keeps springing new leaks
which was supposed to rid the Rangers of a distraction
But their play has only worsened since then
Next up was dealing a disgruntled Kaapo Kakko to Seattle last week
but again it did little to inspire improvement
You could argue the moves have had the inverse effect
with each exit fracturing team psyche a little bit more
we're not where we want to be anywhere," Laviolette said
The purging of the roster is likely to continue in the new year
with Kreider’s future now cloudier than ever and almost anyone else available for the right price
Those will come closer to the March 7 trade deadline
but where will the Rangers be in the standings at that point
the wise move may be to cut their losses and sell off pieces who aren’t part of their future plans
Restock the draft capital that has been gutted by previous win-now moves and try to infuse this stale lineup with fresh
that will require buy-in from ownership and an extended leash for Drury
who will be entering his fifth offseason at the helm this summer
All indications have been that he remains safely in charge and on good terms with owner James Dolan
but losing has a way of turning up the heat quickly
(And we can say much of the same for Laviolette.)
It may have to get worse before it gets better
which is why it's looking like anything but a merry Christmas in Ranger land
TARRYTOWN - Alexis Lafrenière showed up for the first Rangers' practice in over a week sporting a bit of a tan and a noticeable air of tranquility
the 23-year-old forward took advantage of the extended time off for 4 Nations Face-Off by heading south and soaking up the sun at his beach of choice
from his locker at the MSG Training Center on Tuesday afternoon
Rangers prospect report: Hartford coach Grant Potulny takes on development challenges
Taking time to get off his feet and clear his head seems like exactly what Lafrenière needed
He left harboring feelings of disappointment about the way his season has gone
with a promising start fizzling in recent months
After registering 20 points through his first 26 games with a 52.62% xGF
he's posted only 12 in his last 29 with a 47.64% xGF
I'd like to be better and be more involved."
The lack of scoring is troublesome for a player whose biggest strength is creating offense
but it's equally concerning that the poor play has bled into other areas
Lafrenière was on ice for key goals against in the games leading up to the break
including a few in which he got caught cheating too far into the offensive zone and failed to skate back hard enough to defend odd-man rushes going the other way
"I definitely need to be better on (the backcheck)," he said
1 overall pick was clearly gassed following long shifts in a few of those instances
is that he must "change (lines) earlier or find a better time to change" to prevent getting stuck in such vulnerable positions with tired legs
"Those things get addressed on a regular basis
and I don't disagree with what he said," the head coach said
"When your team gets dialed in and on point
or you are making the right reads on the forecheck in the offensive zone
That's the hockey that you need to play in order to be successful
Laviolette said Lafrenière will have to be "a big piece" if the Rangers are going to rally back into playoff position, but the 6-foot-2, 196-pounder has struggled to build on last season's breakout performance
Much of that success came while playing on the NHL's highest-scoring line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck
but they've fallen short of that production this season
The underlying numbers still look solid − 52.59% xGF
albeit down from last year's 55.34% − but all three are pacing toward lower point totals
"there's some things that need to be a little bit better with that line from a defensive standpoint."
The uneven results have led to less lineup consistency
13 bouncing around more than he did last season
Last month's trade that brought center J.T
Miller back to New York has added to the line shuffling
increasing the odds that Lafrenière may have to settle into a new spot
It's also changed the complexion of a locker room that suddenly feels less familiar
Three teammates who spanned each of Lafrenière's first five seasons − Filip Chytil
Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba − have been traded away in recent months
leaving him as the only remaining member of the once-heralded Kid Line
You miss seeing them at the rink and hanging out with them
We got some really good players in return for those trades
But it's definitely a little different to not see them around."
The stability that existed for years has given way to internal turmoil, abrupt roster turnover and much less winning, all while Lafrenière is trying to live up to the seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension he inked in October
It came on the heels of a fast start to the season
which he opened with eight points in as many games
with critics pointing to the signing as the beginning of Lafrenière's drop-off
He admitted to feeling the pressure that came with the new deal − "You have to," he said − while adding that he's "trying not to think about it."
Last week's vacation provided a chance to escape expectations while resting his mind and body
with the added pep evident during Tuesday's session
The hope is it'll lead to a revitalized Lafrenière down the stretch
"I play my best when I just go out there and play and don't think about everything," he said
I’ll try to be a lot better for the rest of the year."
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano
TARRYTOWN - The Rangers showed up to Friday's practice at the MSG Training Center
"That's nowhere near the way we should play," the 26-year-old defenseman said in reference to Thursday's 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres
It's still so early in this grueling 82-game slate − far too early to draw any conclusions about where this season is heading − but this feels like a look-in-the-mirror moment for a team that fancies itself a Stanley Cup contender
That started a two-week skid that culminated Thursday with their worst showing yet
"It’s always good to let it burn a little bit," head coach Peter Laviolette said of the disappointing loss
"That doesn’t mean we don’t come in and talk about what we think needs to be better
the purpose in which we wanted to possess the puck and attack the game
Laviolette expressed faith in their bounce-back ability, saying confidently, "We'll respond." And he showed it with his actions, as well, opting to make only one minor tweak to the lineup, rather than sending a message with his second major shakeup in less than a week
Left-wingers Will Cuylle and Chris Kreider swapped places, allowing Cuylle to slot back next to Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko − a spot where he had ample success to start the season − while Kreider joins a veteran line with Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith
but Laviolette is mostly banking on increased urgency from his peeved team
beginning with simpler play to advance pucks out of their own zone and more "teeth" from a forecheck that's been hard to find
"We need to have more bite on our attack – more purpose in wanting the puck and wanting to play down in their end," he said
Laviolette gave into the temptation of familiarity last week
reverting back to the reliable "history" of Lindgren with Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller with Jacob Trouba
those combinations haven't been very reliable for the better part of a year
Lindgren and Fox posted their worst expected-goal share in five years together at 46.5%
while Miller and Trouba were sub-50% (48.8%) for the fourth consecutive season
The counter argument for Lindgren and Fox is that the Rangers outscored opponents
but they also benefitted from an unusually high .937 save percentage
the Miller-Trouba pair was on the wrong end of the scoresheet with a 42-36 disadvantage
That slippage convinced Laviolette to play Miller with Braden Schneider for much of the playoffs and suggested a shift could be coming in 2024-25
And with Lindgren missing the first five games due to a jaw injury
there was little choice but to try something new
Laviolette teamed Miller and Fox on the top pair and repeatedly mentioned liking the results. The numbers backed it up, with that duo producing a team-best 68.3% xGF through 10 games while outscoring opponents, 7-5. But there were a few hiccups toward the end of that run
which convinced Laviolette it was time to go back to the arrangement his defensemen were used to
"It was probably coming off of a tougher game that I wasn't real happy with
"We made the changes up front and on the back end
that decision is looking highly questionable
In the admittedly small sample size of two games, the Lindgren-Fox and Miller-Trouba pairs have combined to allow seven goals while generating only one. And while you might think, hey, the team was outscored 6-1 in one of those games, remember that they won the previous contest over the Islanders by a 5-2 margin
The old pairs have looked disjointed and a step behind
which has directly led to several goals against
It's been especially rough for Miller and Trouba
who've posted a minus-four rating together with an ugly 28.1% xGF
Laviolette often reminds reporters that lineup choices shouldn't be written in permanent marker and seems open to changing the defense again soon
which should start with reuniting Miller and Fox
The tricky part is what to do with the other two pairs
Schneider deserves a shot in the top four and registered a 58.3% xGF with a 7-3 scoring advantage in 99:11 TOI next to Trouba this season
meaning one would also have to play on their off-hand side if they became the third pair
Rookie Victor Mancini is a righty waiting in the wings
but Jones was one of Thursday's few bright spots − "The puck was on his stick and he was trying to dictate the game," Laviolette said − and
it's hard to envision the coach scratching a respected veteran in Lindgren
which could lend itself to Lindgren-Trouba and Jones-Schneider
The latter duo has been rock solid of late with a 60.5% xGF and 3-0 scoring edge
puck-mover caused problems the last time Lindgren and Trouba played together
The only other feasible setup would be Jones-Trouba and Lindgren-Schneider
The harsh reality for the Rangers at the moment is that Lindgren probably shouldn't be playing above the bottom pair
They were 4-0-1 with a 54.01% xGF without No
but have gone 4-3 with a 49.97% xGF since his return
Pinning those results on one player is an extreme oversimplification
but it's hard to dispute Lindgren's struggles in his first seven games back
gotten beat to high-danger spots in the D zone and uncharacteristically lost a few critical 50-50 battles
"It’s tough after (Thursday) night that you’re asking that question
but I think that he's been working every day to try and get back up to speed from an injury that took him out for a substantial time
and also dealing with that (shield) on his face and how he plays the game," Laviolette said
"It can be a little bit of a hindrance of time
but he's battling through it and working through it and giving us what he can
he will get up to speed to where he wants to be and needs to be."
Lindgren wasn't particularly interested in fielding questions about where he's at physically
"I don’t think anyone really liked their game
I’ve been relatively happy with how it’s been
I think it took me a couple games to kind of get back into it
Last week we took a look at the odds for the five teams vying for the Eastern Conference's second and final wild card
but the calculus is constantly shifting at this time of year
There have been some dramatic shifts in the last few days
going from very much in the hunt to hanging on by a thread
Postgame takeaways: It's time to stick a fork in the 2024-25 Rangers
Here's an updated look at where the contenders for the No
with about a week and a half left in the 2024-25 NHL regular season:
Strength of remaining schedule: .546 (17th hardest)
Analysis: The spot is Montreal's to lose at this point
The Habs have rattled off five straight wins to grab firm control
earning a six-point lead over both the Rangers and Red Wings
There's been some late-game magic on their side
with the easiest remaining schedule of the wild-card hopefuls to boot
It would require a serious collapse for the Canadiens not to end their four-year playoff drought
Detroit Red Wings (36-33-7)Total points: 79
Analysis: The Wings have keep themselves afloat while slogging through the most difficult remaining schedule of the bunch
including two in a row against playoff-bound Carolina and Florida
and could really make things interesting with a head-to-head win over the Canadiens on Tuesday night
Each of Detroit's final five games will come against teams who are heading to the postseason
New York Rangers (36-34-7)Total points: 79
Analysis: The Rangers blew their chance to stay in the race by face-planting in their last two games
losing to New Jersey and Tampa Bay by a combined score of 9-1
They'd essentially need to win out to have a chance
the Canadiens could still eliminate them by capturing five points or more in their final five games
It's fitting given the way this disastrous season has gone for the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner
They're on the verge of becoming just the fourth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs the year after achieving the league's best record
with the 1992-93 Blueshirts also in that undesirable club
Strength of remaining schedule: .526 (tied 22nd)
Analysis: The Isles have been on life support for months but won't go down easy
They've had a few late gasps to keep themselves from being eliminated
most recently back-to-back wins over the Wild and Capitals
They could make things interesting if they sweep
but even then they'd need the Canadiens to stumble
Strength of remaining schedule: .573 (10th)
Analysis: It would have been an amazing story for the Jackets to end their five-year playoff drought after the heartbreak of Johnny Gaudreau's sudden passing just before the season began
to slip to the bottom of the pack in this jumbled race
NEW YORK - Ryan Lindgren understood there might be some rust after making only one abbreviated preseason appearance and missing most of training camp
but he also knew the only way to shake it off was with game action
"You just want to get back out there and start playing again
and just get back into the swing of things − game speed and all that," the 26-year-old defenseman said following Rangers' practice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown on Friday
His first two games back from a jaw injury that required surgery weren't pretty
Lindgren netted the go-ahead goal in a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden
ensuring the Rangers would avoid a frustrating end to a game they had mostly controlled everywhere but the scoreboard
with Lindgren jumping into the slot to finish a behind-the-net feed from Artemi Panarin and break a scoreless tie
"I just saw that great helmet," said a smiling Panarin
who was poking fun at the full-face shield Lindgren has been wearing to protect his jaw
That capped what was easily Lindgren's best game since missing the first five of the new season
He was more active than usual offensively and typically steady on the defensive end
in 19:47 time on ice while playing with new partner Jacob Trouba
"That's something we talked about with him − just trying to bring that puck to the net," head coach Peter Laviolette said
"When you're bringing that puck to the net from the blue line or off the rush or from offensive-zone play
Panarin eventually admitted that he didn't even see Lindgren on the scoring play − "That was honestly a pass for (Alexis Lafrenière)," he said − but he earned a little bit of luck with another standout effort
who's up to 15 points (six goals and nine assists) through eight games
had been at the center of several quality chances
finishing with team highs in shots (six) and attempts (12) to continue his October surge
Scoring chances were 13-4 in favor of the Blueshirts for his line with Lafrenière and Vincent Trocheck
"The puck seemed like it was on his stick an awful lot tonight," Laviolette said
"We were trying to get him out there as much as we can."
Much of the same can be said for Filip Chytil
who was denied by Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal on a few grade-A looks off the rush but was flying around all night
He finished with four shots on seven attempts
to go along with a team-high four high-danger scoring chances
who’s line with Chris Kreider and Reilly Smith has been the least productive of the top three
"You want your center to be driving the line," linemate Will Cuylle said
It feels like he gets a breakaway every game
we're just trying to find him on the breakouts
and he kind of drives the whole play for our whole team up the ice."
The Rangers (6-1-1) got an insurance goal from Cuylle with 8:07 remaining
It came less than four minutes after he had a goal overturned for being offside − the second time that's happened to him this season
"There were a lot of (jokes)," said Cuylle
who was able to smile after making amends shortly thereafter
Anaheim cut New York's lead to 2-1 when Olen Zellweger scored less than a minute later
but that would be all Jonathan Quick surrendered on his way to 32 saves and his second win in as many starts
Zac Jones has never been the complaining type
but no one could blame him for feeling frustration after a surprising string of three straight healthy scratches
Jones had the rug pulled out from underneath him
nobody's happy when they get scratched," the 24-year-old defenseman admitted Friday
They're not going to be happy when they're coming out of the lineup
"I tried not to think about it as being the seventh (defenseman) or being the odd-man out," he added
and then whenever I get that next opportunity
Alexis Lafrenière: Forward agrees to seven-year contract extension
The unexpected twist stemmed from the emergence of rookie Victor Mancini. Once considered a longshot prospect who went undrafted in his first two years of eligibility
the 22-year-old came out of nowhere to earn a spot
but few would argue that Mancini didn't outplay Jones in those first four games
The bigger head-scratcher was Laviolette's decision to sit Jones in favor of Chad Ruhwedel last week in Toronto
especially considering that the Rangers waived the 34-year-old a few days later
But after a shaky game from Mancini (and several others) in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers
and while the concern is that the quick hook may have him looking over his shoulder and/or gripping his stick too tight
190-pounder said he's using his past experiences to guard against it
"It’s hard not to get a lot of emotions of wanting to do a little bit more – do a little bit extra to try to show yourself," said Jones
who had one shot on two attempts with a hit and a giveaway in 14:38 time on ice
you're trying to limit your mistakes so you aren't on that radar
Just kind of go out and play my game and not worry about – if the offense comes
playing good defensively and getting the puck up to the forwards
Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Canucks made it three straight for the Rangers
who were rewarded for their efforts with no practice on Wednesday
the team spent the day resting up for Thursday's 9 p.m
game against the Flames while reporters like yours truly made the trek from Vancouver to Calgary
Postgame takeaways: Rangers rev up their attack in Vancouver
The down time provided a perfect opportunity to check in with readers and take a crack at our first written mailbag of the season
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions
There’s no denying that Tuesday was a rough one for the Lindgren-Trouba pair
who were on ice for all three Vancouver goals and got caught on at least two of them
Their lack of collective foot speed and puck skills are real concerns
particularly as it pertains to the breakout issues that the Rangers have been trying to shake
No pair is as vulnerable to getting hemmed in their own zone or as likely to struggle getting pucks out
they'd be separated and paired with mobile partners who can take on a larger puck-moving role
but that would require breaking up one of the other two pairs − K'Andre Miller-Adam Fox and Zac Jones-Braden Schneider − who have both been playing well
Going back to the Miller-Trouba arrangement should be a non-starter
this season with a 31% xGF that ranks 114th out of 117 D pairs that have logged at least 75 minutes together
One would be the Lindgren-Fox and Miller-Schneider pairs that we saw during the playoffs last season
which would leave Trouba to play with an effective puck transporter in Jones
But that would mean breaking up a Miller-Fox pair that leads the team with a 66.7% xGF in favor of a Lindgren-Fox pair that’s sitting at 39.1%
The analytics community would shiver at the thought
The other would be keeping Miller and Fox together on the undisputed top pair while splitting up Jones and Schneider
There isn’t much of a sample size to reference for either duo
but there’s only one way to find out if the skill sets mesh
consider that Lindgren and Trouba had only been on ice for one five-on-five goal against in their previous nine games together
They’re now even for the season at 4-4 and are still sporting a more-than-solid 58.2% xGF
They finished with a collective minus-one rating in Vancouver because they were also on for two New York goals
I actually made note of how active they looked offensively
as they combined for eight shots on 10 attempts
Maybe they got themselves into trouble by getting overzealous in rush situations
but I don’t see head coach Peter Laviolette making any changes just yet – especially not while the team is riding a winning streak
A good compromise would be adjusting the usage accordingly
with Jones and Schneider taking on added responsibility while Lindgren and Trouba play a little less
Tuesday marked the first time through 17 games that Zibanejad collected multiple 5v5 points in the same game
with his assist on Chris Kreider’s winning goal even more impressive than his first-period goal
It registered as his highest Game Score of the season at 2.79
But even those stats don’t tell the whole story
There are a few tells I generally look for that signal when Zibanejad has his ‘A’ game
When he attacks the center of the ice with those long
it allows him to A) carry pucks with authority through the neutral zone and create off the rush; and B) hunt for turnovers by chasing opponents down from behind and picking their pockets with his active stick
The 31-year-old center seemed to have all of those things going in Vancouver
with his takeaway on Elias Pettersson that led to Kreider’s goal a shining example
The next question, as it always seems to be with the chronically overthinking Zibanejad
is can he ride those positive vibes and keep it up
Kaapo Kakko to center?It’s amazing how many times this question has come up on my feed since Filip Chytil went down last week
The main reason is this: Kakko is playing arguably the best hockey of his six-year NHL career
with 11 points (three goals and eight assists) through 17 games and a 56.87% xGF
Many have pointed to his work in the faceoff circle
where he’s winning at a 50% clip this season (8-for-16)
but there’s so much more that goes into playing the most demanding position other than goalie
Centers must be able to push the transition game with their speed
and while Kakko’s skating has improved over the years
assigning him primary puck-carrier responsibilities might be asking too much
not while streaking down in the middle of the ice
It’s also unnecessary given the current construction of the roster
Jonny Brodzinski is the next man up in the event of an injury to any forward and center is his natural position
He deserves more credit than some give him for jumping in at a moment’s notice and plugging holes rather seamlessly – and if nothing else
he can play with the pace the Rangers want from their centers
That allows a player like Kakko to stay in his comfort zone without needing to force any round pegs into square holes
I'd call the 22-year-old the Rangers’ most improved player
He’s tied with Panarin for the team lead with 13 points at 5v5 points and leads everyone with six goals and 24 high-danger scoring chances in those situations
He's also setting the pace with 71 total hits
Scoring, speed, strength, steady defense − Cuylle is checking all the boxes
"Will's been a real plus," Laviolette said Tuesday
he's one guy that you know is banging bodies all the time
He's combining offense at five-on-five with physicality."
Cuylle's play merits a promotion, but the depth he, Chytil and Kakko have brought to the third line would be difficult to mess with. Rather than moving those pieces around, I've made the argument that Laviolette should reward them by simply using the line more
As for the extension part of your question
Cuylle's in the final year of his entry-level contract and headed toward restricted free agency for the first time this summer
He doesn't have any arbitration rights yet and will have limited leverage
but he'll be in line for a significant raise if he keeps this up
That obviously depends on the rest of the season
but he's on pace to easily outproduce both Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière at the same stages of their careers
Kakko settled for an average annual value of $2.1 million for his second contract
but it's hard to see the Rangers going too high before he's even arb eligible
Something that starts with a '3' would probably be a win for No
particularly with New York facing a cap crunch next season before the books open up in 2026-27 and beyond
And while I'd never say never to an in-season deal
history tells us it's much more likely to happen during the offseason
Gabe Perreault ETA?The Rangers' undisputed top prospect has been lighting up the NCAA to begin his sophomore season at Boston College
with 16 points (six goals and 10 assists) through 10 games
including three in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win against Providence
That leads a loaded BC team and has Perreault tied for third in the country
Scouts rave about his elite hockey IQ and playmaking
which is why many believe he's the only forward in the Blueshirts' pipeline who projects as a true top-sixer at the NHL level
He's put to bed some of the criticisms about his skating because of how quickly he processes the game
but continuing to build a slight 5-foot-11
Perreault has talked openly about the need to bulk up, but he also said "the perfect scenario would be two years" in college before making the jump to the pros
If the 19-year-old sticks to that timeline
an entry-level contract should be coming this spring
a debut before the end of this season isn't out of the question
That decision will largely hinge on whether the Rangers believe he's ready to handle the physical rigors of the NHL
along with the state of their roster at the time of his signing
But Perreault's dominance among the college ranks has become increasingly clear
which signals he's nearing the next challenge
Whether that comes late this season or early in the next is to be determined
This will remain a fluid situation right up until the March 7 trade deadline
The coming months will dictate the Rangers' top positional targets
with injuries and on-ice results the main influencing factors
Even though Chytil avoided a concussion and has been cleared to join the team in Calgary
last week's collision with Miller served as a harsh reminder that his delicate situation can change in an instant
Chytil has proven his importance to the lineup once again this season
which makes the prospect of losing him to another head injury a scenario the Blueshirts must guard against
From that perspective, many will argue for center as team president Chris Drury's No. 1 deadline priority. It's hard to disagree, but as I've mentioned in previous stories
there's also belief around the league that the Rangers will be in the market for a defenseman
We already discussed the concerns with Lindgren and Trouba
which adds to the appeal of finding an upgrade that could push one (or both) down into a bottom-pair role
$4.5 million deal and increasingly unlikely to re-sign in New York
there's growing curiosity about whether he could be on the move to make room for a more well-rounded defenseman
Clearing his salary would allow the Rangers to address multiple needs
rather than having to devote most of their available cap to one position
It's too early to go crazy speculating about exactly who they'll go after − I still have to let the market declare itself and put a bunch of feelers out − but it's worth mentioning that the Daily Faceoff just published its first 'Trade Targets' of the season
Two forwards I think you’ll hear Rangers connected to are Seattle's Yanni Gourde
a proven playoff center who's in the final year of a deal that pays him $5.167 million annually
a familiar face who's on an expiring contract with a $3.65 million cap hit
Pittsburgh's Marcus Pettersson is a name that’s come up in some of my early conversations and is listed No
He's a pure rental with a $4.025 million AAV and good underlying numbers (55.24% xGF)
but I'm not sure how much of an upgrade he'd be
What I wonder about is whether Drury can uncover a defenseman with term
All three of New York's regular lefties − Lindgren
Miller and Jones − are pending free agents
so it would be nice to have at least one left-handed D locked in for next season
San Jose's Mario Ferraro is an interesting one
with one year left after this season at a reasonable $3.25 million
but competes his tail off and could benefit from getting out of a losing situation with the Sharks
(Is that enough to explain away his ugly 36.8% xGF and 34.36% GF?)
and we'll have plenty of time to get to them all
You can even put your own GM hats on and let me know if you identify any players of interest..
PITTSBURGH - If ever there was a smoke-and-mirrors win
The Rangers had virtually no business prevailing over the Penguins on Sunday
but Igor Shesterkin's second-period brilliance and a few opportunistic plays later in the game allowed them to defy logic with a 5-3 victory at PPG Paints Arena
It moved them within two points of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference
but none of the Blueshirts were pounding their chests after this one
"It's got to be better than that," forward Will Cuylle said
We know the standard is higher than that."
Chris Kreider: Rangers' forward scratched due to injury in Pittsburgh
New York was utterly dominated for 37 minutes
particularly during a second period that began with a 17-0 onslaught of Pittsburgh shots
This came while playing without veteran Chris Kreider
who was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury
It's hard to imagine the Rangers (28-25-4) gaining more ground in the wild-card race if they don't tighten their game significantly
but their recent play has bore much closer resemblance to the horrid 4-15 stretch from late November through December
This group has done little to inspire confidence they can push their way into the playoffs
They're losing the possession battle by lopsided margins and continuing to exhibit deep defensive flaws
and no one is diminishing the importance of two points in the standings
But it wasn't nearly enough to shake the feeling that much bigger changes are needed
Sunday's uneven showing shouldn't fool anyone, especially not team president Chris Drury as he finalizes his plans for the March 7 trade deadline
"We need to win games right now, first and foremost, which we did tonight," defenseman Ryan Lindgren said. "But that's not a recipe for winning games. We’ve got another big one on Tuesday, a team (the Islanders) we’re battling with in the standings right now
so we’ve got to play a heck of a lot better."
Igor Shesterkin returns to formThe Rangers barely touched the puck for long stretches while committing one breakdown after another
Amazingly, his standout performance came less than 24 hours after he failed to make it out of the first period of Saturday's embarrassing 8-2 loss to the Sabres
"You know he's going to bounce back," Lindgren said
"He's one of the best goalies in the league
but we’ve definitely got to clean some stuff up."
The previously slumping goalie had lost five of his previous six starts and opened Sunday's matinee by surrendering a tap-in goal to Evgeni Malkin
But he took over the game from there and frustrated the home team repeatedly
including 19 during a second period that featured 10 high-danger scoring chances for Pittsburgh
"When we’re going into that third period (with a 2-1 lead)
he’s the reason why that game is where it’s at," head coach Peter Laviolette said
including a 12-5 disadvantage in the opening period
But a power-play goal from Cuylle with 48 seconds remaining knotted the score at 1-1
It came on a top-shelf bullet off the rush
with K'Andre Miller dishing the backhanded feed to set Cuylle up for his 15th goal of the season
"They told me once Kreids wasn't playing," Cuylle said of his late addition to the second power-play unit
"You always just have to be ready for different opportunities."
That momentum didn't carry into the second period
which was largely spent with the Rangers pinned in their own end
A combination of errant passes and blown coverages allowed the Penguins to whip the puck around at will and pepper Shesterkin with shots
The Blueshirts didn't record a shot on goal until a harmless blue-line wrister from Braden Schneider with 4:51 left in the period
it looked even worse than Saturday’s first period in Buffalo
"It felt like we didn't really want the puck on our sticks," Cuylle said
"We were just rushing to get rid of the puck
Once we kind of settled down a bit in the third period
When the Rangers finally managed a rare offensive rush
Joseph to a loose puck in the neutral zone and went straight for the Pittsburgh net
unloading a rising wrister into the top corner of the net
That sent them into the third with a 2-1 lead
Pens defenseman Ryan Shea scored twice in the opening 3:31 to put Pitt on top
who had been a healthy scratch on Saturday
scored 50 seconds later to make it 3-3 on his 100th career goal
Adam Fox completed the rally with the winning goal with 8:34 to play
Miller added his second on a late empty-netter to seal the win
but not before defenseman Will Borgen made a game-saving play with 58 seconds remaining
Shesterkin had sprawled all the way across the crease to make a left pad save on Anthony Beauvillier
with the two getting tangled up and leaving the net wide open for Kevin Hayes' backdoor attempt
Borgen recognized what was happening and bravely threw his body face first in front of Hayes
"I knew Shesty was kind of on the other side
so I wasn't too worried about getting one to the face
NEW YORK - Mika Zibanejad was discussing Reilly Smith’s first goal as a Ranger
but he very easily could have been talking about himself
“Confidence-wise, when you get one, you get more energy,” the Rangers’ No. 1 center said following Monday’s 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden
“You feel like you get a little bit of swag back
You can skate a little bit more and not be tired
so it’s obviously nice to get the first one out of the way.”
is that how he felt after a three-point performance that wiped away the zeros he posted in the first two games of the season
holding back the ever-so-slight hint of a smile
It's become a bit of a touchy subject for the 31-year-old, who's coming off the worst five-on-five scoring season in his eight years with the Rangers and has been trying to block out any negativity associated with it
A vocal segment of the fan base pounced after a subpar pair of games to start the new season
but Monday served as a reminder that it's far too early to jump to conclusions
Kaapo Kakko: Forward putting last season's disappointment behind him
"This was only the third game of the year," head coach Peter Laviolette said
I thought in Pittsburgh (for opening night)
The one blip came in the middle game − Saturday's 6-5 overtime loss to Utah
which Zibanejad finished with a team-worst minus-four rating
Laviolette acknowledged Monday morning that "it was a little bit off the mark with regard to the way we defended," but was purposeful in lumping that line with the rest of the team
Zibanejad is understandably held to a higher standard because of his importance to the Rangers' chances
and if he can parlay Monday's points into a hot streak or productive season
He's earned the benefit of the doubt across his years in New York
including a 2022-23 season that saw him achieved a career high in points (91) while being voted as team MVP
But it's also far too soon to pass judgment on the 2024-25 season
as were his five shots on goal on a team-high nine attempts
But not all the stats paint a pretty picture
while registering only two shots on goal at five-on-five and a lowly 8.54% xGF share
There's still a lot to prove − and no one is more aware of that than him
but I can't say (we're there yet)," Zibanejad said
We want this to work as much as anyone else
I think we do a good job of just kind of sticking to it
We all believe that we're going to be successful and we're going to have a good line
'I can see why he turned down the 88'The Rangers were hot and cold in response to Laviolette's pregame call to "quiet things down with regard to defense," but they didn't have to play lockdown D with the way Igor Shesterkin is rolling
The Blueshirts' goalie has gone from great to not so great back to great through the first three games of the season
with Monday's performance very much representing the good Igor
"He's special," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told reporters before delivering the line of the night
"I can see why he turned down the $88 (million dollars)
The soon-to-be-highest-paid goalie in the NHL propelled New York to the win
with his best work coming in the second period
The Rangers allowed 14 shots on goal and 11 high-danger scoring chances in the middle 20 minutes
and Shesterkin didn't budge on any of them
That included a Detroit power play that featured six shots on goal in a span of 1:19
three of which came in close from JT Compher
and a seventh windmill stop on Alex Debrincat that didn't count because of a high stick moments earlier
"When we don't get the stops in the D zone
and obviously with the long changes in the second
we get a little bit disorganized," Zibanejad said
The 28-year-old netminder finished with 31 saves
with his effort ensuring the Rangers would improve to 2-0-1 before heading out on a three-game road trip
"We tightened up a little bit in front of him
but there's still work to do," Laviolette said
Offense hasn't been an issue for the Blueshirts
who have now registered 15 goals through three games played
Alexis Lafrenière got the scoring started at the 11:45 mark of the first period
finishing an Artemi Panarin feed with a one-timer for his second goal of the season
"We talked about that play before," said Panarin
who finished with three assists and is now tied for the NHL lead with seven points (two goals and five assists)
he kind of pulls out a little bit for the one-timer."
The Red Wings tied the score at 1-1 with a deflating goal in the final second of the opening period
with the Panarin-Vincent Trocheck-Lafrenière line losing track of Dylan Larkin and allowing him to slide open into the slot
That appeared to give Detroit some momentum
but Shesterkin thwarted it with his standout second period
The Rangers eventually steadied and took a 2-1 lead with 2:55 remaining in the period on Kreider's third goal of the season
a patented net-front redirect on half shot
"Maybe it's because of the other shots that I had."
roofing a wrister from the top of the right circle to make it 3-1
It came on the second assist of the night off a faceoff win for Zibanejad
"You never want those to linger too long," Smith said of getting his first goal as a Ranger
I was more thinking I want to score and help the team win."
New York also tightened up its defense in the final period
allowing a manageable nine shots on zero high-danger chances to stymie any chances of a Detroit comeback
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.