New York Rangers Commit to Alain Vigneault, Lingering Uncertainty

The New York Rangers signed Alain Vigneault to a two-year contract extension. Let’s examine what that means for the Rangers moving forward.

The New York Rangers signed their death certificate tonight, extending Alain Vigneault for two more years.

No, let’s try that again.

The New York Rangers extended a highly successful NHL coach that they know, rather than hiring an unknown that could be much worse.

No, let’s try that again.

The New York Rangers extended Alain Vigneault for two years tonight, a move that conjured up plenty of immediate reactions. There was anger, some celebration, and a heavy dose of uncertainty.

By signing Vigneault to an extension, the Rangers simultaneously signed certainty and uncertainty to a two-year extension as well.

The Devil You Know Vs. The Devil You Don’t Know:

Admittedly, the immediate reaction here to the Vigneault extension was anger.  Vigneault opted for Tanner Glass in a must-win playoff game over Kevin Hayes. Vigneault surrounded Kevin Hayes with inferior talent, then bashed the youngster publicly for not playing well enough.

Also on the laundry list of miscues: Dan Girardi consistently playing with Ryan McDonagh, Jesper Fast being considered a top six forward option, Dan Girardi playing in key situations, Kevin Klein playing over Adam Clendening, Dan Girardi….well Dan Girardi in general.

There is no argument that Alain Vigneault has been a flawless coach. The Rangers coach tanked last year’s team by misguidedly mixing and matching his lineup, failing to trust his youth, and tabbing the wrong players in wrong situations.

In 2015, Carl Hagelin took his line off the ice in the postseason because Vigneault would not do so. Martin St. Louis was struggling to the point Hagelin could not justify his line being on the ice, but Vigneault trusted his veterans so much he could not see past the name on the back of St. Louis’ jersey.

More from Blue Line Station

• Blake Wheeler’s Broadway Calling: Why He Chose the Rangers
• Rangers’ Playoff Redemption Recipe: Grit and Fresh Hopes
• Rangers’ Roster Chatter: Who’s Making the Cut and Who’s in the Penalty Box?
• Jacque Plante Trade Tree Between the Rangers and Canadiens
• These Rangers must learn Peter Laviolette’s ropes before they can fly

Yet there’s also the year before that. Vigneault pushed all of the right buttons and the Rangers went to the Stanley Cup Final. His system worked, the players bought in, everything was magical in Ranger-land. There have been glimpses of hope for that same result throughout the seasons since, but consistency is lacking.

But what is the other option? New York could tab an unknown as a Head Coach, or hire a Gerard Gallant to lead the team. Fans would storm the streets to parade the move, then a few months later the complaints would begin. Rightfully so most likely, but complaints nonetheless. Questions would arise about whether or not the Rangers made the right choice, and the uncertainty factor would grow even larger.

Alain Vigneault’s greatest strength is in his job title. We know what Alain Vigneault is. Even the strongest of coaching candidates could change for the negative. Jeff Gorton could hire Patrick Roy for all we know. Alain Vigneault is not a perfect coach, but he is not a bad coach either. He makes plenty of mistakes, fails to adapt in plenty of situations, but has succeeded before for good reason.

Now it’s on Jeff Gorton to tailor the team to make it so Vigneault cannot possibly butcher the roster. Dan Girardi must go. Kevin Klein must go. Once that happens, the Rangers will have four lines worth rolling, and a defense that can be adequate enough in Vigneault’s system. One area Vigneault deserves credit in is his willingness to roll four lines. Gorton provided him with exactly that moving forward.

Dr. Alain Jekyl Vs. Mr. Vigneault Hyde

Alain Vigneault is the Head Coach of the New York Rangers for the near and distant future. With that, New York extended the coach and the lingering uncertainty about whether or not he’s the right man for the job.

Now comes the part where we see how much of a changed coach Vigneault really is. Can he trust his youth? Will he insist on Dan Girardi staying aboard? Will he continue to fail to identify defensive talent? Can he learn how to adapt on the fly? The questions will continue to linger.

Next: NHL's Flawed Playoff System Failing the League Once Again

Thanks to the extension, we have at least two more years to find out.