Mika Zibanejad

Snapshots: Seabrook, Three Stars, Capitals

February 4, 2019 at 1:57 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

This weekend Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet made headlines with a report that stated the Chicago Blackhawks had asked Brent Seabrook to waive his no-movement clause, fueling plenty of questions for the veteran defenseman today. In response to the story, Seabrook clearly denied that he had been asked and told reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald that he doesn’t know where the report came from.

Seabrook, 33, has five years remaining on his contract after 2018-19 and carries a $6.875MM cap hit. Largely considered one of the toughest contracts in the entire league to trade, the Blackhawks legend also has a full no-movement clause until 2022-23, at which point he will still have a partial no-trade clause.

The NHL has released their three stars of the week, and a pair of youngsters lead the way. 22-year old Jack Roslovic has earned the top spot after a promotion to Winnipeg’s top-six resulted in him recording five goals and six points in four games. Carter Hart meanwhile has taken the second star after going 3-0 with a .931 save percentage while helping the Philadelphia Flyers continue their winning ways. Mika Zibanejad, the elder statesman among the group at 25, comes in as the third star after a six-point week.
Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Chris Kuc of The Athletic that the team is “active” in trade discussions at the moment, believing that there are “hockey trades” to be made. The Capitals are struggling to hold onto a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and may need a shake up to get them back to their championship level. Washington already signed Pheonix Copley to a three-year extension earlier today, and could be involved in several moves over the next few weeks.

New York Rangers Almost Traded Ryan McDonagh To Edmonton In 2016

January 27, 2019 at 11:56 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 5 Comments

In his most recent 31 Thoughts column earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that now-former Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli was close to making a blockbuster trade back in 2016, just days before he traded Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson. Friedman, however, had no knowledge of the details of that blockbuster. However, New York Post’s Larry Brooks got a confirmation from multiple sources that the trade would have been with the New York Rangers.

Brooks reports that just before pulling the trigger on the Hall-Larsson deal, Chiarelli was close to a deal that would have sent the 2016 fourth-overall pick (used to take Jesse Puljujarvi) to the Rangers for defenseman Ryan McDonagh. The belief is that New York was interested in drafting Clayton Keller of the U.S. National Development Team with the fourth pick to begin the rebuild process then. Brooks adds there were other pieces to the deal, but points out that after the team’s first-round exit to Pittsburgh that year, the team felt it needed to re-tool their team with McDonagh being the most marketable player on the Rangers at the time.

Instead, Chiarelli turned the deal down, took Puljujarvi and sent Hall to New Jersey for Larsson, while the Rangers instead packaged Derick Brassard to Ottawa in a deal to get Mika Zibanejad. The team did discuss McDonagh with other teams at that time, including a deal with Colorado for either Nathan MacKinnon or Gabriel Landeskog, but the Avalanche weren’t that high on McDonagh’s value.

Considering how Puljujarvi has turned out in Edmonton thus far and how successful Hall has been since leaving the Oilers, the trade could have altered the outcome for Edmonton as well as Chiarelli, as McDonagh could have helped stabilize the team’s defense. However, there is no guarantee that Chiarelli still wouldn’t have moved Hall later on anyway.

Of course, the Rangers team may look quite a bit different with Keller on their team now as the 20-year-old put up a 23-goal, 65-point campaign in his rookie season last year and currently has 11 goals and 35 points this year and would have been a great piece to build around. Instead the franchise held onto McDonagh until last year’s trade deadline when they sent him and J.T. Miller to Tampa Bay in exchange for Vladislav Namestnikov, propects Libor Hajek and Brett Howden as well as a 2018 first-round pick (Nils Lundqvist) and a conditional 2019 second-rounder.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Seabrook, Flynn

January 21, 2019 at 6:26 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

After all the struggles the New York Islanders have had over the last few years finding a reliable starting goaltender, one can understand why it is surprising to see one of them at the top of the Three Stars list for last week. Robin Lehner, who was left unqualified by the Buffalo Sabres last summer, took home the first star of the week after stopping 65 of 67 shots. Lehner has played himself into a potential extension with the Islanders or a long-term deal on the open market this summer with his .930 save percentage this season for the resurgent Islanders.

Second and third stars went to two forwards on teams out of the playoffs, as Mika Zibanejad and Patrick Kane did their usual damage. Zibanejad is one of the few players on the New York Rangers that seems off the trade block this season given his relative youth and affordable contract, though of course nothing is set in stone at this point. Kane on the other hand is having another incredible season in a lost year for the Blackhawks, with 70 points in 49 games. He too is untouchable, of course.

Kane also made headlines today for coming to the defense of teammate Brent Seabrook. With the Blackhawks in the midst of another failed season, the scrutiny of Seabrook’s contract – considered by many to be one of the worst in the league – hasn’t gone away. Seabrook, 33, is signed for five more years at a cap hit of $6.875MM, but already appears to be on the decline. His offensive totals have decreased in each of the past two seasons and, while they are on pace to improve this year, his defense has noticeably dropped off in the current campaign. Seabrook has struggled to maintain his previous high level of play and has not been able to avoid criticism, given the price tag on his participation. Yet, Kane fired back at media members after practice on Monday when Seabrook’s name came up yet again during questioning about the performance of Chicago’s core players, NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis writes. Kane argued that Seabrook is underpaid in the eyes of his teammates due to his leadership and locker room presence, calling him the “heart and soul” of the team. Kane’s defense of his long-time teammate may keep the critics of his back for the time being, but if Seabrook doesn’t improve, his contract will continue to be a focal point of the Blackhawks struggles.
It didn’t take long for Brian Flynn to find a new team. Just two days after clearing unconditional waivers and having his contract terminated by the St. Louis Blues, the veteran forward is on his way to Switzerland. EV Zug of the NLA has announced a one-year contract with Flynn, who is making his first foray into European hockey. Zug is currently the top team in the NLA; however, the team finished second overall in the regular season last year, only to be upset in the first round of the playoffs. Looking to avoid a similar fate, they have brought in Flynn who should make an immediate impact. The 30-year-old has 275 NHL games under his belt, as well as another 137 in the AHL and 153 in the NCAA as a star for the University of Maine. In stops with the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens, Flynn showed that he could be a reliable role player, while his collegiate years and AHL stints with the Rochester Americans and Texas Stars also displayed high-end offensive ability. Playing alongside fellow NHL vets like Dennis Everberg, Carl Klingberg, and Raphael Diaz, as well as leading scorer Lino Martschini – who has garnered some NHL attention this season – Flynn should be able to step in and be a difference-maker right away for Zug.

Metropolitan Notes: Hayes, Zibanejad, Ho-Sang, Carlsson, Speers

September 16, 2018 at 1:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Many people took notice of the one-year deal that center Kevin Hayes signed this offseason as neither he nor the New York Rangers were able to agree upon a long-term contract. The 26-year-old scored a career-high 25 goals last season after posting 17 goals twice previously. With unrestricted free agency in front of him next offseason, many people wondered whether the rebuilding Rangers might opt to trade the center rather than risk losing him next season.

Hayes told MSG reporter John Giannone that he spoke to management and doesn’t feel worried about a trade.

“I had a great conversation with Dru (Chris Drury) and Gorts (GM Jeff Gorton) as soon as I signed my contract. I believe there’s no inclination of me being trade bait or me thinking that I’m going to be out of here. I did not sign a one-year deal to go to free agency. I love this organization, I love the city, what the city demands, the determination and hard work. This is where I want to be for my whole entire career. Obviously a long-term deal didn’t get done but I’m hopeful that come the right time, I think it’ll get done.”

The New York Rangers might have to worry about another center as Mika Zibanejad left practice early Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, after taking a hit to the head in a one-on-one drill from rookie defenseman Joey Keane. The bigger concern is Zibanejad’s history of concussions, including one last season. According to the New York Post’s Bree Cyrgalis, head coach David Quinn said Zibanejad is “fine,” and he just had the wind knocked out of him and might be eligible to play Monday night in Newark.
New York Islander fans were surprised when prospect Joshua Ho-Sang, who has said he’s turning the page on his past mistakes, missed training camp Saturday with what coach Barry Trotz said was a “personal day.” The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes (subscription required) that neither Trotz or Ho-Sang elaborated on why he missed a key day of camp, Trotz’s first significant teaching day. “I don’t have any level of concern,” said Trotz.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have five defenseman guaranteed to be making their roster, but with the losses of Ian Cole and Jack Johnson this offseason, the team needs to find their sixth defenseman. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) suggests that player might be Gabriel Carlsson, who has been highly touted since being taken in the first-round in 2015. However, back issues hampered him throughout his first full season in North America. Now after an offseason of conditioning on his back, the 6-foot-5 Carlsson may be ready to make the leap to Columbus.
The Athletic’s Corey Masisak reports that New Jersey Devils forward Blake Speers broke his nose yesterday when he took an elbow to the face yesterday. He is back at it again today, however, with a face shield. The 21-year-old scored 12 goals with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and is looking to crack New Jersey’s lineup this year.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

August 11, 2018 at 6:20 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $73,823,569 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Pavel Buchnevich (one year remaining, $925K)
D Neal Pionk (one year remaining, $925K)
F Lias Andersson (three years remaining, $894K)
F Filip Chytil (three years remaining, $894K)
D Anthony DeAngelo (one year remaining, $863K)
G Alexandar Georgiev (two years remaining, $793K)

Potential Bonuses

Pionk: $850K
Andersson: $850K
Deangelo: $400K
Chytil: $350K

Total: $2.45MM

With the team in quick rebuild mode, there are some entry-level deals already and if the team continues to trend in that direction, they will have quite a bit more. The team’s most prominent player at the NHL level to date would be Buchnevich, who improved on his rookie campaign with a 14-goal, 43-point season last year. He saw more ice time as well, improving from 13:16 ATOI to 15:01 as well as saw significant time on the team’s power play, potting five goals and 11 assists with the man advantage and has earned himself a solid spot in the team’s top-six. Another improved season could see him being an expensive restricted free agent.

The team has high expectations for their two 2017 first-rounders in Andersson and Chytil. Both have shown excellent skills and have received some time playing for the NHL with Andersson seeing seven games, while saw nine games. Both are expected to earn time with the Rangers out of training camp, but both may find themselves on bottom-six lines unless they can prove that they can center the second or third lines in training camp.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Kevin Hayes ($5.18MM, UFA)
F Mats Zuccarello ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Rob O’Gara ($874K, RFA)
F Cody McLeod ($750K, UFA)
D Fredrik Claesson ($863K, RFA)
F Peter Holland ($675K, UFA)
D Steven Kampfer ($650K, UFA)
G Marek Mazanec ($650K, UFA)

The team agreed to a one-year deal with Hayes, avoiding arbitration, but now face the possibility that Hayes could walk away at the end of the season as he will be unrestricted, which will force the team into two possible directions, including attempting to work out a long-term deal with the team after Jan. 1, 2019, or trading him, possibly at the trading deadline if the two sides can’t agree on anything. Hayes, who has been a jack of all trades playing multiple positions, seems to have developed into a solid center as he produced his best season ever, which included 25 goals, eight more than any previous year. The question is, do the Rangers view him as a fixture in their lineup as they continue to rebuild?

At age 30, Zuccarrello still puts up solid numbers, but despite the high-end minutes that the veteran gets, he falls into a similar category to that of Hayes where you have to ask whether he is in the team’s long-term plans. The winger is penciled in to play on the team’s top line once again, but has only put up 31 goals over the past two seasons. He does produce quite a few assists (81 over the past two years), but what the Rangers need more than anything is goals. Zuccarello will also turn 32 before he begins his next contract and at that age, how long are the Rangers willing to commit to him?

Two Years Remaining

F Chris Kreider ($4.63MM, UFA)
F Ryan Spooner ($4MM, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($4MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($2.28MM, UFA)
F Matt Beleskey ($1.9MM, UFA)
F Jesper Fast ($1.85MM, UFA)

Kreider is coming off a tough year in which he had to deal with blood clots and had surgery to relieve the pressure and missed almost two months of time. The 27-year-old didn’t have as solid of a season as he tallied just 16 goals in 58 games, which is a far cry from the 28 goals he scored in 2016-17 although a lot of that is due to the fact that his playing time dipped as the team didn’t want to play him too many minutes due to the blood clot issue. Regardless with a full offseason to rest and recuperate, Kreider should be able to bounce back as one of the team’s top scorers.

The team also have high expectations from two other forwards that the team acquired through at the trade deadline a year ago in Namestnikov and Spooner. Namestnikov was the biggest name to arrive in New York in the Ryan McDonagh trade with Tampa Bay. He was a key player for the Lightning, posting 20 goals and 44 points with them, but he actually lost playing time once he arrived in New York and put up just two goals and four points in 19 games. The team hopes that a new coach and proper training camp with his new team will make quite a difference. Spooner came over in the Rick Nash trade with Boston and has posted solid numbers with the Bruins over the past few seasons and could turn out to be a top-six wing or third-line center in New York. Between the two teams, Spooner combined for 13 goals and 28 assists.

The team also expect big things from Vesey, who signed as a undrafted collegiate free agent a couple of years ago and if finally starting to show that he belongs in the NHL. The 25-year-old winger has put up solid numbers for two years, but could find himself getting more opportunities in the team’s rebuild. In two years, he’s combined for 33 goals and 55 points.

Three Years Remaining

G Henrik Lundqvist ($8.5MM, UFA)
D Kevin Shattenkirk ($6.65MM, UFA)
D Marc Staal ($5.7MM, UFA)
D Brendan Smith ($4.35MM, UFA)

Lundqvist has made it clear he wants to stay with the Rangers, rebuild or not, but his numbers have steadily declined over the past four years when he posted a 2.25 GAA in 2014-15. However, those numbers have dropped each year to 2.48 in 2015-16, 2.74 in 2016-17 and finally to 2.98 GAA in 2017-18. Granted the defense that has surrounded the veteran has been horrible, but if Lundqvist can’t start rebounding, the team will have to find someone else to take some of his load in the future.

With a team looking to rebuild, the team does have quite a few contracts that suddenly don’t look that good anymore when it comes to their offseason signings last year of Shattenkirk and Smith. Shattenkirk put up solid numbers to start the season, but dealt with a knee injury in January and was eventually shut down. Regardless, the team can only hope the 29-year-old can bounce back and quarterback their offense, which was lacking this season. Smith, however, came into camp out of shape and struggled immensely before the team finally buried his contract in the AHL. Supposedly, Smith has been working out all summer and is expected to earn back a roster spot for this year.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Mika Zibanejad ($5.35MM through 2021-22)
D Brady Skjei ($5.25MM through 2023-24)

Zibanejad is another center who seems to fall into a long line of players who fans wonder whether he’s good enough to be their future No. 1 playmaker. The 25-year-old, however, had a solid season, posting 25 goals and 47 points as their top-line center. He is locked up for another four years, so he’s likely to stay there unless Andersson and Chytil develop into that elite center the team has been looking for years.

Skjei signed his extension over the summer, and is expected to be a key contributor to the team for years. However, the problem is that Skjei regressed last year after a big rookie season. Whether it had something to do with the coaching or their defensive system or whether he wasn’t ready for a big role on the team’s defense, Skjei struggled to produce points, posting just 25 points after scored 39 the previous year. Regardless, most feel that Skjei will bounce back and be one of the team’s top defensemen over the next few years.

Buyouts

D Dan Girardi ($3.61MM in 2018-19 and 2019-20; $1.11MM in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Zibanejad
Worst Value: Smith

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

The Rangers future, however, looks bright as they have no contracts that will hold the team hostage in four years, meaning New York can build their future now and sign their best players without having to worry about big contracts weighing down their team. Granted, the team still must deal with four big contracts in Shattenkirk, Smith, Staal and Lundqvist for the next three years, but hopefully the team and new coaching staff can get more out of that group next year. Regardless, if the team can develop talent, they are in good long-term position to rebuild this franchise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Nelson, Zibanejad, Myers

July 29, 2018 at 12:53 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

If it ain’t broke. Don’t fix it. At least that seems to be what the Washington Capitals believe. After capturing the Stanley Cup last season, the team completed one of its final moves when it locked up forward Tom Wilson to a six-year, $31-year deal. And suddenly, the team miraculously has managed to bring back almost its entire roster for next season, according to J.J. Regan of Yahoo Sports.

While all teams are forced to shake up their roster and allow for the losses of free agents after each season, the Capitals are an unusual situation, considering the number of potential free agents as well as how tight their salary cap has been over the past two years. It wasn’t going to get any better, yet still, the team still was able to re-sign stud defenseman John Carlson (eight years, $64MM) as well as find a creative way to trade defenseman Brooks Orpik to Colorado and then bring him back after the Avalanche waived him. They also managed to hold onto trade deadline acquisition Michal Kempny (four years, $10MM).

Sure, the team did suffer a couple of losses, including the loss of fourth-line center Jay Beagle and backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer. However, the team has people ready to step into those positions, including prospect Travis Boyd, free agent acquisition Nic Dowd as well as place long-time minor leaguer Pheonix Copley to fill in for a year, while the team waits for superstar prospect Ilya Samsonov to develop in the AHL for a year.

Andrew Gross of Newsday wonders whether the New York Islanders would consider moving center Brock Nelson for a defenseman, now that the 26-year-old has agreed to a one-year, $4.25MM deal with the team. With quite a bit of youth in the wings and the team in desperate need for blueline help and the fact that Nelson could walk away from the team as an unrestricted free agent next season, a trade might make a lot of sense. Nelson has been quite productive for New York, posting at least 19 goals in his last four seasons.
The Athletic’s Rick Carpinello (subscription required) analyzes and grades the season of New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, who took over the team’s No. 1 center position last season after the team traded away Derek Stepan. Many of the same questions about Stepan not being a No. 1 center now have fallen to Zibanejad. Yet, the 25-year-old definitely took his game up a notch, posting a career-high 27 goals in 72 games, but once again suffered an injury that interrupted his season. It marks the second straight year that Zibanejad has struggled with injuries, which is a concern and the center still must work on his consistency, including the fact that he posted no goals and one assist in the final seven games.
Dave Isaac of the Cherry Hill Courier Post writes that if the Philadelphia Flyers are impressed by the play of 6-foot-5 prospect Philippe Myers in training camp this year, that could impact the role of defenseman Radko Gudas, who could then be on his way out as Myers physicality could replace Gudas role as well as the fact that Myers and Travis Sanheim were a great pair when they were together with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.

Rangers Likely To Trade A Center This Offseason

June 17, 2018 at 11:12 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 7 Comments

With many teams in the league looking for center help this offseason and seeing few options on the free agent market, the trade market seems to be the best way to fill that heavily in-demand. Just earlier this week, the Montreal Canadiens traded Alex Galchenyuk, who failed to succeed at the center position for the team in previous years, to Arizona. The Coyotes have already stated they intend to move him back to center in hopes that he can make the conversion and fill their No. 2 center hole.

The New York Rangers seem to be in a unique situation. Despite the franchise suddenly finding themselves in rebuilding mode, the one thing the Rangers have plenty of is reliable centers. In fact, the team has eight potential centers currently on the roster, including Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Vladislav Namestnikov, Ryan Spooner, Boo Nieves and Brett Howden. While some of those eight will be forced to move to the wing position, there is also a strong possibility that the team will move at least one of those centers during the offseason, and very possibly, before next week’s draft.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that while the team has a solid combination of Zibanejad, Chytil, Hayes and Andersson currently penciled in as their top four centers next season, that’s a logjam at that position that likely would not aid the development of Chytil and Andersson, two teenagers who need as much playing time as possible at the NHL level. Andersson especially, last year’s No. 7 pick in the 2017 draft, needs time on the ice and a fourth-line role isn’t going to cut it.

The scribe writes that Hayes may be available after quietly putting up a career-high 25 goals while playing center for New York last year. The restricted free agent is in line for a potential five-year deal worth about $4.5MM per year based on his success last season and there is no guarantee that Hayes would earn the No. 2 center spot with all this depth. Regardless, Hayes would be a highly coveted commodity for many teams who are in desperate need for help at that position.

The key for the Rangers is to trade him straight out for help on their blueline, according to Brooks, who adds that New York is unlikely to use Hayes as part of a package to move up in the draft. The team’s biggest need is at defense and there are many teams that could use a center and have defense to trade, including the Calgary Flames who might be ready to move Dougie Hamilton.

Snapshots: Sweden, Voynov, Yawney

April 23, 2018 at 6:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Sweden released their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Championships, and it is loaded with NHL talent. John Klingberg, Adam Larsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Erik Gustafsson, Adrian Kempe, Mikael Backlund, Johan Larsson, Mattias Janmark, Lias Andersson, Jacob de La Rose, Magnus Paajarvi and Mika Zibanejad will all be heading to the tournament for the Swedes.

Though obviously this group is missing some of their top options like Erik Karlsson and Henrik Zetterberg, it will also have some very interesting young players filling the gaps. Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Erik Brannstrom will be among the defense corps, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver expects Elias Pettersson will be added soon.

There have been some conflicting reports on Slava Voynov’s potential return to the NHL, but Arthur Staple of The Athletic can make one thing very clear. The New York Islanders have not reached out to anyone connected to the former NHL player, and have “zero interest” in bringing him aboard. Whether or not any team will actually sign the 28-year old defenseman is still unclear.
The Anaheim Ducks will not bring back assistant coach Trent Yawney next season, choosing not to renew his contract. Yawney has been with the Ducks organization for seven seasons, first as head coach of their AHL affiliate (Syracuse, then Norfolk) and the last four seasons as an assistant to Bruce Boudreau and Randy Carlyle in the NHL.

Ten NHL Players Announced For Swedish World Championship Roster

April 13, 2018 at 3:25 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

After Canada announced their first 18 players yesterday, Sweden has now given us 10 NHL names that will suit up for them at the upcoming World Championships in Denmark. Like usual, their group will include several professional players from the SHL—though top prospect Rasmus Dahlin has already said he won’t be attending.

The confirmed NHL players are below:

Goaltenders:

Anders Nilsson, Vancouver Canucks

Defensemen:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks
Adam Larsson, Edmonton Oilers

Forwards:

Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames
Jacob de La Rose, Montreal Canadiens
Johan Larsson, Buffalo Sabres
Magnus Paajarvi, Ottawa Senators

New York Rangers Fire Coach Alain Vigneault

April 8, 2018 at 9:02 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

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.

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