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New York Rangers Fire Coach Alain Vigneault

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Hours after putting up an egg in their 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, the New York Rangers fired their head coach Alain Vigneault after five years. After four playoff appearances, the Rangers struggled, finishing 34-39-9 on the season. In all, however, Vigneault had quite a bit of success in his time in New York, which included taking the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013-14, his first season with the team. He led the team to a 226-147-37 record over the five years.

The firing also came after Vigneault himself stated in his post-game press conference that he deserved to stay and defended his record, according to Newsday’s Colin Stephenson.

“Yes, yes. Without a doubt,’’ he said when asked if he thought he would hold on to his job despite the Rangers’ 34-39-9 record, which caused them to miss the playoffs for only the second time since the NHL lockout that canceled the 2004-05 season. “I think my staff is the right staff for this job. I think — and this is just my opinion — but I think one of the strongest assets of this organization is its coaching staff and their experience.’’

Some of Vigneault’s struggles were not his doing as the Rangers decided to rebuild on the fly, sending out a letter on Feb. 7, telling fans about their decision to rebuild the team. The Rangers followed that by selling off several veterans including Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, Nick Holden, J.T. Miller and captain Ryan McDonah.

However, Stephenson also points out several issues that came up this season that forced the Rangers to head in that direction. After re-designing its defense with the acquisitions of star free agent Kevin Shattenkirk and re-signing Brendan Smith, the team was hoping to possess one of the best defenses in the league. Instead, the team started slowly at 1-6-2 in its first nine games and was 3-7-2 after 12 in which Vigneault almost lost his job. The team was able to right the ship after that, but only because of the impressive play of both the team’s goaltenders in Henrik Lundqvist and Ondrej Pavelec. Neither goalie was able to sustain their great play.

Injuries also played a part. Shattenkirk was playing hurt, while Smith came into camp out of shape and never returned to form before eventually being sent down to the AHL. Winger Chris Kreider missed 24 games due to a blood clot that led to surgery on his ribs. Center Mika Zibanejad missed nine games with a concussion, while Shattenkirk had knee surgery in January and never came back.

The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello writes (subscription required) that there were other reasons as well that stand out when it came to Vigneault. The coach’s lack of success at the blueline have been issues for years as his system had failed repeatedly. Vigneault had undergone three different defensive assistant coaches in three years, including Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom and Lindy Ruff and replaced most of the defense and still failed to get them going. His tough love was also an issue as he butted heads with many players, especially Miller and Pavel Buchnevich. However, the most telling numbers is the team’s record from Jan. 7 to Feb. 25, when Vigneault led the team to just a 5-16-1 record.

Vigneault has a 648-435-98 overall record throughout his career with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and the Rangers. He won the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year in 2007.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report the news.

Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:

Deadline Day

Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller

New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole

Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick

 

New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon

Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick

 

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

 

Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick

 

Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris

Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg

Read more

Edmonton Oilers Trade Patrick Maroon To New Jersey

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The New Jersey Devils have added another impact forward. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Devils have acquired Patrick Maroon from the Edmonton Oilers. The return is a 2019 third-round pick and a prospect. Edmonton beat writer Jim Matheson adds that the prospect is Boston College center  J.D. Dudek.

New Jersey adds even more firepower after adding Michael Grabner last week. Maroon, 29, has 30 points on the year for a struggling Oilers squad, but finished with 42 in 2016-17 in a much more cohesive offensive unit. Jumping into a talented Devils forward corps, Maroon’s size and ability to crash the net will add another dimension and should mesh well with the group.

In a tough Metropolitan Division, the Devils have done enough to stay relevant and challenge for a divisional berth and a postseason run. Without having to give up a first-round pick or top prospect, GM Ray Shero has added two of the top forwards on the trade market in what was a skilled manipulation of the deadline.

Not for nothing, but Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston is already reporting that Maroon has said he would like to return to Edmonton when he hits free agency this summer.

Devils Acquire Michael Grabner From Rangers

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The Devils have added some offensive help, acquiring winger Michael Grabner from the Rangers.  In exchange, New York picks up New Jersey’s second-round pick in 2018 along with the rights to defenseman Yegor Rykov.  Both teams have confirmed the swap which is the first ever trade between the two rivals.

Michael GrabnerGrabner was one of the more sought-after rental players heading into the trade deadline.  He has been quite productive this season with 25 goals already, putting him on pace for his second career 30-goal campaign.  With a $1.5MM cap hit, he was also one of the more affordable players out there which certainly helped build his value as well.

With New Jersey, the 30-year-old should play in their middle-six and give them plenty of speed on the wing.   In particular, he will give them a boost at even strength as 24 of his 25 tallies have come in that situation which ranks him fourth overall in the NHL.  He should also help their penalty kill as he has played a regular role shorthanded throughout his career.

As for Rykov, he was New Jersey’s fifth-round pick (132nd overall) back in 2016.  He has played a regular role with SKA St. Petersburg, a KHL powerhouse.  In 51 games this season, he has two goals and 12 assists while averaging 12:24 per night.  The Rangers likely have seen a lot of Rykov as their top goalie prospect, Igor Shestyorkin, also plays for that team.  As Rykov was drafted out of Russia, a country that does not have a player transfer agreement with the KHL, there is no deadline for New York to sign him as they will hold his rights indefinitely.  He is under contract for one more season in the KHL.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report (Twitter link) that Grabner had been dealt to the Devils while TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to note (Twitter link) Rykov’s inclusion in the trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rick Nash, Michael Grabner Held Out Of Lineup

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As the trade deadline creeps closer and closer, the New York Rangers aren’t willing to risk their prizes in another hockey game. Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post reports that both Rick Nash and Michael Grabner will not play tonight, which explains the call-up of Vinni Lettieri earlier today.

The Rangers are set to be the star of the deadline with Nash, Grabner and potentially Ryan McDonagh changing teams in the next few days. The club issued a letter to fans earlier this month declaring that a rebuild was on the horizon, and already moved Nick Holden to the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick. The names mentioned above are expected to be worth much more than that when they eventually do move, and an injury could derail those plans.

New York will play in three games before the deadline including tonight, but the team has already basically admitted they’re not going to the playoffs this season. Despite being just six points behind the final wildcard spot, GM Jeff Gorton has already started to plan for next season and beyond. The next few days are incredibly important to those plans.

Morning Notes: Nash, Karlsson, Weber

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Trade deadline rumors are coming fast and furious these days, and NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton took to Twitter to express his thoughts on several topics this morning. Lawton contends that a deal for Rick Nash will definitely happen, and it’s just up to the New York Rangers at this point to decide which package is the best offer. There have been previous reports that linked Nash to Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Columbus and Boston, though it’s not clear who has actually put forward an offer for the veteran winger.

Lawton also states that Ryan McDonagh is “closer to being moved then [sic] anyone realizes” which make earlier reports that the Boston Bruins are still in the mix for the New York captain that much more interesting. The Rangers are clearly one of this year’s biggest sellers, looking to give themselves something of a new slate to work with in 2018-19.

  • Erik Karlsson rumors have dominated the last few days, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that even the Nashville Predators have checked in on the Ottawa Senators’ captain. One might assume that Nashville would have no interest given their glut of outstanding defensemen, but as LeBrun writes, GM David Poile “leaves no stone unturned.” Asking on the kind of return the Senators are expecting for Karlsson would be good information to have even if the Predators have no intention of acquiring him, which can often lead to speculation of interest where there is none (though, that can’t necessarily be said for this specific case).
  • LeBrun also notes on Twitter that interest is picking up on Michael Grabner, and that teams are “coming harder at NYR today it seems.” That increased interest could lead to an incredibly exciting weekend for Rangers fans looking to the future.
  • Unfortunately it looks like Shea Weber’s season may be over, as Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the team will update his status later today. Weber has consulted two specialists in recent days, and with Montreal clearly out of the playoffs could aim at the beginning of next season as a return date.

Deadline Notes: Kane, Grabner, Nash

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The latest edition of Insider Trading on TSN was enlightening, as panel members Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie discussed several of the top trade deadline names. In addition to the “king’s ransom” for Erik Karlsson that we wrote about earlier today, Evander Kane was one of the topics for the first time in a while.

Dreger believes that the Buffalo Sabres already have a few offers for Kane, but that those include roster players and the team is more interested in picks and prospects. Kane is mired in a terrible scoring slump just at the wrong time for Buffalo, who will hope that the fact he has just four points in his last 20 games won’t hurt their return too much when he’s eventually moved.

  • LeBrun was very clear when speaking about Rick Nash, saying that he “will get moved before Monday.” Nash is alongside Kane as the top rental options on the market, and LeBrun lists Nashville, Dallas, Columbus, Winnipeg and Boston as teams that have shown some interest in the veteran winger. The Jets might not be on Nash’s approved trade list, meaning the two sides would need to agree to waive his no-trade for any move to Winnipeg.
  • Nash’s teammate Michael Grabner has many more suitors according to McKenzie, who says there could be as more than 10-12 teams interested in the speedster. Grabner has 25 goals on the season and can play up and down a lineup, but doesn’t create much for those around him. McKenzie reports that a second-round pick and “something” is believed to be the asking price, which could be more palatable to contenders than the prices for Nash or Kane.

Snapshots: Blues, Thornton, Lewis, Lightning

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In a mailbag column, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford writes (subscription required) that while the Blues have been linked with a number of high-profile teams such as the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers, it’s unlikely the team will make a big move for a big name forward with years on his contract like a Max Pacioretty or a Mike Hoffman despite recent rumors to the contrary.

Due to the high trade demands being made for these players, Rutherford believes that trading a top prospect for a player who has a large contract to fit into their salary cap space doesn’t make a lot of sense as the team wants to have as much flexibility when free agency arrives this summer. Instead, the scribe believes the team needs to go the rental route and acquire a player (for a much cheaper price) so the team can make their run.

The team already is without their 2018 first-round pick which they traded for Brayden Schenn, so moving a top prospect could set the team back long-term. The team should look into a player such as Rick Nash, Michael Grabner or Patrick Maroon as options as they likely won’t cost them one of their top prospects in Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas or Klim Kostin.

  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that alarms should sound after San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton refused to say that he will definitely be back this season. That’s a surprise considering he is a player who last year played through torn MCL and ACL injuries during the playoffs. Historically, he’s been a player who goes out on the ice no matter how hurt he is, so the idea that he might not be back this season suggests the injury is worse than people think. Could he have already played his last game as a San Jose Shark?
  • Fox Sports West Patrick O’Neal tweets that Los Angeles Kings forward Trevor Lewis was sent back to Los Angeles to be re-evaluated after being injured in Friday’s game against the Florida Panthers. While indications are that the injury isn’t serious, head coach John Stevens wanted to have him evaluated after he sustained a serious crash against the boards.
  • Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes that the rumors of a potential Ottawa Senators-Tampa Bay Lightning deadline deal refuses to go away. He writes that there have been a number of rumors, including talk of Erik Karlsson, and points out that Ottawa’s chief scout is expected to be at the Tampa Bay game tonight.

Trade Candidate: Michael Grabner

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With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

The New York Rangers are selling. In not so many words, Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton reached out to their fans and told them that they were going to blow up the core of the team, selling off familiar faces and beloved teammates. Not only might that include franchise leaders like Ryan McDonagh, but expiring assets like Rick Nash and Michael Grabner. While the former may be getting more headlines, Grabner is not one to be overlooked.

Michael GrabnerContract

Grabner is in the final season of a two-year, $3.3MM contract—$1.65MM cap hit, $1.65MM salary. He will be a UFA in July, and holds zero trade protection.

2017-18

In September of 2015, Grabner was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for five minor league players, who have combined for a total of 11 NHL games since. Several of them are no longer playing hockey in North America. It was a dump of his $5MM salary, after three consecutive injury-filled seasons for the New York Islanders. For Toronto, nothing went right for Grabner as he scored just nine goals and 18 points in 80 games.

But then, the Rangers came calling and everything changed. Suddenly, Grabner exploded for 27 goals last season, all of them at either even-strength or short-handed. His speed and ability to counter-punch with devastating efficiency was a big part of the Rangers offense. This year has been much of the same.

Amazingly, despite getting essentially zero powerplay time all season Grabner already has 21 goals. That total easily leads the Rangers, and puts him among the elite players in the game in terms of goal production given his limited minutes. His 20 even-strength markers tie him for sixth in the league behind names like Nikita Kucherov, Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews, William Karlsson and Sean Couturier. He’s on pace for the second 30-goal season of his career, but only has five assists all year.

Season Stats

53 GP, 21 goals, 5 assists, 26 points, -8 rating, 12 PIM, 116 shots, 14:40 ATOI, 44.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

There are basically no teams in the league who have their eye on the playoffs and couldn’t use a player like Grabner. His ability to penalty kill and versatility to play with scoring or checking units means he can fit in anywhere. He comes with an extremely reasonable cap hit at $1.65MM and got some good playoff experience last season with the Rangers (where he scored four goals in 12 games, again tying for the team lead).

The question will be who wants to pay the most for a player who isn’t as dynamic offensively as other rental wingers like Nash, or Evander Kane. Though he can certainly put the puck in the net, creating offense for his linemates has never been Grabner’s game.

One interesting destination could be Los Angeles, who have been desperate for scoring since Jeff Carter’s injury and could use another injection of speed into the lineup. Another is Tampa Bay, who have room for another winger and could really use some help on the penalty kill. The Lightning lost arguably their best defensive forward in Ondrej Palat for a few more weeks, and could easily slide Grabner into their salary structure.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A trade is all but certain for Grabner, as one of the expiring assets the Rangers will use to kick their rebuild into gear. If someone is going to offer a first-round pick, as some have suggested, he’d likely be on his way out in the next few days. Otherwise, the Rangers might be wise to hold onto him until some of the other shoes have dropped and teams feel like their rivals are getting the better of them.

The eventual return may be far less, depending on where the market sets the price for rentals, but it’s clear that Grabner will have value around the league. If there is a team who feels that he can make a big difference on their team in those key situations, there just could be a small bidding war for his services.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Should The New York Rangers Buy Or Sell?

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Every week in our live chat, a question is inevitably asked:

Will the New York Rangers buy or sell at the deadline?

The question is understandable given the Rangers’ inconsistent season so far. Though they are right in the thick of the playoff chase in the Metropolitan Division, there has been several occasions where the team doesn’t look deep or good enough to make a real impact in the postseason. Tonight is one of those nights so far, as they trail the Toronto Maple Leafs as of this writing 4-0.

The Rangers have some significant assets if they decide to sell, including captain Ryan McDonagh and top scorer Mats Zuccarello. Both players have another year on their deals at a reasonable cap hit, and could bring back considerable value if made available. The decision to make them available though, doesn’t seem certain this point.

They also have several expiring contracts in Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, David Desharnais and Nick Holden, all of whom could be valuable on the trade deadline market. Those players could be moved without sacrificing any talent next season, but would signal a sort of white flag on 2017-18.

So what do you think? Should the Rangers blow it up completely, just move out a few rentals or actually add for a run at the playoffs? It’s not out of the question that they could be in a playoff spot by this time next week, making it hard to decide to throw in the towel. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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