Three Coaches That Could Replace Gerard Gallant for the Rangers

4 of 4
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.

Schedule