New York Rangers: Five potential assistant coaches for David Quinn
The New York Rangers finally have a head coach in David Quinn. Next up on the agenda, hiring assistants to round out Quinn’s staff.
After about six weeks of speculation, the New York Rangers have their head coach, former Boston University coach David Quinn. At Quinn’s press conference last week, he stressed that he wants to play an uptempo game, focused on puck possession. While this should cause every Ranger fan to be ecstatic, Quinn is not exactly known as a strong X’s and O’s guy and will need some good assistants to help ease his transition.
There are a few different routes that the organization can take in finding Quinn’s assistants. They can hire career coaches, guys with experience coaching in the NH or they can go the route they did with Quinn, and hire guys out of the box, guys with fresh ideas.
Whichever option they choose, the hiring of Quinn’s assistants will be crucial. There are many qualified candidates out there, and it is imperative that the organization gets it right. Now, let’s take a look at five potential assistant coaching candidates.
Martin St. Louis
First up on the list, we have Martin St. Louis. Although St. Louis only spent a season and a half on Broadway, his time here was incredibly memorable. He was a huge catalyst in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and was a great leader.
When St. Louis hung up his skates after the 2015 season, he was reportedly offered the head coaching gig in Hartford, which he turned down. Had he accepted, however, Larry Brooks claimed he would have been on the shortlist for the head coaching gig in New York.
St. Louis would be a great choice to be on Quinn’s staff. He understands the game very well and played it at a very high level until his late 30s. While the only coaching experience he has is coaching his kids, hiring him would fit the mold of a younger coach with fresh ideas.
St. Louis would be a great coach to help mentor the younger players and he could also run the power play. He would be a fantastic choice for an assistant and Jeff Gorton and David Quinn should seriously consider him.
Joe Sacco
Joe Sacco is another intriguing option for an assistant coaching job. After a 14 year NHL career, Sacco moved to the coaching side of things. He started coaching in 2006 and coached the Colorado Avalanche to a playoff berth in 2010.
Since the 2014-15 season, Sacco has been an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins. He worked closely with Bruce Cassidy and helped the Bruins to a 112 point season, where they ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs.
Sacco would be a nice option to help run the forward group,and help Quinn with strategy and making in-game adjustments. He would fit the bill of a coach with some experience, having coached at both the AHL and NHL level.
Despite not having an incredibly accomplished playing career in the pros, Sacco has proven to be a competent NHL assistant coach. He has shown that he can help work with and foster NHL talent, which is invaluable when your team is rebuilding, as the Rangers are.
While Sacco very well may remain on the Bruins staff next year, if he does not, the Rangers would be wise to bring him in.
Filip Pesan
As much as David Quinn’s hire says that the Rangers are committed to younger coaches with fresh ideas, hiring Filip Pesan would push that to an even higher level. Pesan currently coaches HC Bili Tygri Liberec in the Czech Extraliga and coached current Ranger Filip Chytil at the 2018 World Junior Championships.
He has ties to the Rangers, as the team invited him to training camp in 2017, which signifies that there is interest in him in some capacity. Pesan has proven to be able to help develop players, as he has worked with young talents such as Chytil and 2018 NHL Draft hopeful Martin Kaut in the Czech Republic. Some people floated the idea of him replacing Alain Vigneault, but he would be best suited in an assistant role first, as his coaching style will need to acclimate to North American hockey.
If the Rangers were to hire Pesan, he would be a great option to help Quinn develop the younger players, especially guys like Chytil and Lias Andersson. He would also signify the beginning of a trend of bringing European coaches over to the NHL. He would be an outstanding option for Gorton and Quinn to bring to Broadway.
Adam Oates
Adam Oates would be an under-the-radar hire for the Rangers. He has coaching experience, spending time as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils, as well as serving as the head coach of the Washington Capitals. This is in addition to his Hall of Fame playing career.
Oates would be a great option to help run the forward group and the power play. He has experience as an NHL coach, and so would be a good guy to help Quinn in his transition to the NHL. He would also be a good mentor for the younger players, as he was an incredibly successful NHLer himself.
Oates had a decent amount of success with the Capitals as head coach. In 2013, he led them to first place in the Southeast Division. Washington was then defeated in the first round in seven games by the Rangers.
Oates has been out of coaching for a little while, but he is still a bright hockey mind, and would make a fine assistant coach in New York. If he is interested in getting back into coaching, the Rangers would be wise to inquire about his services.
Scott Stevens
Now, I know a lot of you might be hesitant about this idea. When Scott Stevens was a player he was, well, let’s just say he was disliked by the Rangers and their fans. Captaining a crosstown rival to three Stanley Cups will do that to you.
Despite all this, Stevens has had a fine coaching career, both in Minnesota and New Jersey. So far he’s only been an assistant in his career, but he’s done a good job of it.
Stevens would be the ideal coach to handle the defense, especially one that is slated to feature some younger players, as the Rangers definitely are.
The big question is whether or not Stevens would want to come here. As somebody who was a focal point of the big Rangers-Devils rivalry of the 1990s and 2000s, his loyalty to New Jersey may cause him to not have any interest. Then again, if Bryan Trottier can put his loyalty aside, maybe Stevens can, too.
If Stevens decides to get back into coaching, and wants to be an assistant in New York, the Rangers would be wise to snap him up and let him loose on the defense.
Next: New York Rangers: Projecting Ty Ronning’s path to the NHL
The New York Rangers still have a long road ahead. Now that they have a head coach in place, the next step is bringing in good assistants to help Quinn. If they get this right, it could go a long way towards getting the Rangers back on the road to contention.