New York Rangers: Alain Vigneault's Extension of Sorrows

The New York Rangers promoted Tanner Glass earlier today. As the team skids through this stretch in their season, they are looking to add scoring chances and toughness. Somehow that resulted in the promotion of Glass. We have a problem here.

I’ll admit it. I thought the Tanner Glass days for the New York Rangers were over. At first I thought Glass would crack the opening night roster, but he did not. Then I thought he would be promoted when injuries hit, but he was not. So I finally allowed myself to believe he was gone for good.

Whoops.

Tanner Glass is back, but that’s not what I wish to focus on. John will have more on that later, I want to speak about Alain Vigneault. Vigneault requested Glass’ promotion, a move that was made by Jeff Gorton.

Promoting Glass in a time the Rangers badly need secondary scoring and balance throughout the lineup is asinine. Additionally, the promotion of Kampfer could very well lead to Adam Clendening exiting the lineup, a disastrous decision in its own right.

However, focusing on the transactions alone is missing a bigger picture that must be questioned.

Do the Rangers have the right man leading the future of the team?

New York’s biggest problems on Saturday night were the inability to manage the puck in the neutral zone, the inability to generate offense, and looking like a team that didn’t want to be out there. Vigneault admitted as much himself:

There’s no doubt the Rangers’ forwards are among the best in the NHL. From top to bottom, the Rangers boast legitimate scoring threats. Even the fourth line of Matt Puempel-Oscar Lindberg-Brandon Pirri should be generating scoring chances.

Yet the Rangers were stood up for nearly the entire game on Saturday. Alain Vigneault blames the players, but with an elite lineup, the blame must fall on the coach. It’s incredibly difficult for me to believe that the entire Rangers lineup forgot how to play the sport.

Additionally, the Rangers’ possession numbers are cratering with each passing game. The ineptitude on the blue-line does not help, but the biggest culprits are out of the lineup and the problem remains. At what point is this a systematic issue led by the coach?

The Rangers failed to adapt or respond to the Canadiens’ success on Saturday night. Vigneault blamed the players for lack of effort and execution.

Coaches should not need to get players up for a big game, but it remains the coaches job to get the most out of his players.

When nobody stuck up for J.T. Miller on Saturday night, there was a teaching moment for Vigneault.

Rather than pounding it into his players heads that they must work together as a team, he chose to bring up the worst possession player in the NHL.

While the issue Vigneault sees is the inability to make a 10 foot pass, the solution apparently is to promote a player who scored less than 20 points in the AHL this season. Got it.

The Rangers own as talented of a hockey team as they have had in years. Despite the defensive woes, this team is not far behind the 2014 Stanley Cup team. Yet the possession numbers remain ghastly, and the lack of chemistry on the ice between teammates is mind-boggling.

Claude Julien’s firing by the Boston Bruins resulted from his losing sight of the pros and cons of the team, and losing the locker-room. Claude Julien is a far better coach than Alain Vigneault.

However, Alain Vigneault received a contract extension in January. He’s here to stay, spelling danger for the Rangers. The extension looks more misguided than ever, and we’re a bit over a month past it.

Next: Rangers' Post-Trade Deadline Storylines

Alain Vigneault must adapt, or the Rangers are speeding in the wrong direction.

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