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Three Coaches That Could Replace Gerard Gallant for the Rangers

By Conor Power |
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Gerard Gallant is looking for a new job after the New York Rangers announced that they have parted ways with the Summerville, Prince Edward Island native. He’s going to be replaced by the Blueshirts and the Rangers now need to find someone else to guide this group. After back-to-back 100-point seasons, the front office wants a new voice for these players.

With the disappearance of some of the top-end talent on the roster in that do-or-die game seven against the New Jersey Devils, there is a theory that this team wants someone who is going to hold them more accountable and be firmer on this roster. Whether that is an old-school coach or just someone with such a pedigree, the players know what they’re doing, it’s going to be the decision of the front office.

Something to note is that general managers only typically get one coaching change to try and find success before they are thrown into the fire themselves. This will be Drury’s turn to try to find someone that can get the best out of this group. Think of what Jim Montgomery did with the Boston Bruins. That’s the kind of thing a new voice can bring. Just freshen up the room with someone that can put the team in a position to succeed.

When we talk about what kind of coach is best for this Blueshirts team, there are split opinions. Is it better for this team to have a young coach that understands that this isn’t an easy sport to play or is it better to go for someone with a Stanley Cup pedigree who can help this team understand what it takes to win because they have done it before? It’s a question that I have seen a lot of as I have done my research on this.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Peter Laviolette of the Washington Capitals handles bench duties against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Peter Laviolette of the Washington Capitals handles bench duties against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Peter Laviolette

When it comes to coaches right now that are available, there is probably no one that has done more than Peter Laviolette. There is nothing that this man hasn’t done but he’s never done it all in the same place. Whether that is because of being brought in late to an aging roster, overachieving with an underdog squad, or just getting great goaltending at the most important time of the year to cover the roster’s weaknesses, it’s just not happened.

To show how experienced Laviolette is, let me put this to you. On four occasions, a team has been down 3-0 in a playoff series and come back to win. Laviolette was one of those coaches with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010. That was the year he dragged the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals and Patrick Kane scored that ghost goal. If Kane was to sign with the Blueshirts next year and he was to be appointed, it would be a strange twist of fate.

Laviolette won the President’s Trophy with the Nashville Predators in 2017. Now, the President’s Trophy winners have not taken home the Stanley Cup since 2013, and not in a full 82-game season since 2008, but it does show that Laviolette can mastermind great regular-season success. Regular season success is not as important as playoff success, but it isn’t meaningless. A bad regular season means no postseason.

As for Laviolette’s playoff success, he was the bench boss for the 2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. Whether that was a run of luck due to the emergence of a red-hot rookie goalie or it was just a roster that was incredibly well-built is still debated to this day. However, Laviolette has a Stanley Cup ring to his name, even if it was done 17 years ago. He’s been there before.

The system this coach employs does mean that he is not a long-term answer. When it works, Lavi’s teams are solid defensively and they can be difficult to beat. Combine that with the front-end talent he’d be working with and you can see where there would be success. However, it does get stale. Usually, after two or three years, he is looking for a new job because of this. Is it worth the risk?

SUNRISE, FL – DECEMBER 29: Florida Panthers Interim head coach Andrew Brunette of the Florida Panthers watches a replay during first-period action against the New York Rangers at the FLA Live Arena on December 29, 2021, in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL – DECEMBER 29: Florida Panthers Interim head coach Andrew Brunette of the Florida Panthers watches a replay during first-period action against the New York Rangers at the FLA Live Arena on December 29, 2021, in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /

Andrew Brunette

One of the questions that are pondered when talking about the coaching cycle is why the Florida Panthers opted to move on from an interim head coach who won a playoff round with that roster and won the Jack Adams that same year. Andrew Brunette was given major props for allowing a strong Florida Panthers roster to live up to everything it did last year, but he’s done more than just that it seems.

After the Florida Panthers did not give Brunette the reigns for the roster, he went to join Lindy Ruff’s coaching staff in New Jersey and he was part of the coaching group that defeated the New York Rangers in their series in the 2022-23 playoffs. He’s shown on more than one occasion that he can be a good bench boss and if the New York Rangers were to give him control, he can manage the star players like he did in Florida.

One thing that may scare the Rangers is that the Florida Panthers opted to let him go in favor of Paul Maurice so that may be a red flag. Whether something was not right with how he managed the team or he just rode Joel Quennville’s system after he stepped away as the Cats coach is open for interpretation. We will likely never know why he wasn’t given the chance to step in full-time in Florida.

New York’s next coach is going to need to be able to get the best out of the veterans on the roster as well as the young kids. Brunette has shown success in both positions. Whether the Rangers opt to go to the route of Andrew Brunette or go for someone who is more experienced behind the bench is yet to be seen, but there is certainly a strong case to be made for the Devils’ assistant.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 17: Handling coaching duties for the New York Rangers against the Philadelphia Flyers are Hartford Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch (seen here watching warm-ups), Wolf Pack Associate Head Coach Gord Murphy and Rangers Associate General Manager Chris Drury. Due to the NHL COVID-10 protocol, the Rangers coaching staff was not available for tonight’s game. at Madison Square Garden on March 17, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 17: Handling coaching duties for the New York Rangers against the Philadelphia Flyers are Hartford Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch (seen here watching warm-ups), Wolf Pack Associate Head Coach Gord Murphy and Rangers Associate General Manager Chris Drury. Due to the NHL COVID-10 protocol, the Rangers coaching staff was not available for tonight’s game. at Madison Square Garden on March 17, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Kris Knoblauch

If you are a hardcore fan, you will need no introduction to Kris Knoblauch but if you are reading this just to try and get a feel for the direction the Blueshirts should go and are not quite sure, let’s dive into it. Currently, Knoblauch is the coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and has guided the Rangers farm team past the best team in the AHL’s Eastern Conference the Providence Bruins.

A lot of the younger players coming through have had success with Knoblauch down in the American Hockey League and if they are given a familiar face behind the bench, one that they have all found success with in the past, perhaps they will be able to carry more confidence into each game. Knoblauch seems to be great at getting the best out of his youngsters and the Rangers will certainly need their youth to step up.

One of the common reservations about Knoblauch is that he has never had a player with the skillset of someone like Mika Zibanejad and he’s never had a player with the pedigree of Artemi Panarin. Some of the best players in the entire world are representing the Blueshirts and the New York Rangers need someone who is going to be able to get them to be at their best as well as the younger players.

Whoever the Rangers go with will be under one of the brightest lights the hockey world has to offer. As the largest American hockey market, New York poses challenges that may scare off some coaching candidates. But if there is a coach to get it right, there is no denying that this will be a fan base that will hold that person as a hero forever. Who steps up to take control under the brightest light is still yet to be seen.

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