These Rangers must learn Peter Laviolette’s ropes before they can fly
By Marvin Azrak
Before the 2023-24 New York Rangers can soar, they need to master coach Peter Laviolette’s playbook, which may take some time.
The New York Rangers are in for a wild ride, and it’s all about learning the ropes, new head coach Peter Laviolette.
Yes, the season will ultimately depend on the strides made by Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. However, the real question is whether Peter Laviolette, their third coach since 2018, can unlock their potential. Lafreniere and Kakko were reportedly at the forefront of those who told team president and General Manager Chris Drury they wanted Gallant gone at the end of the 2022-23 season. They felt he wasn’t giving them the guidance they needed to grow. Laviolette has a reputation for working with young players. He’s consistently excelled at nurturing young talent throughout his NHL coaching career.
Peter Laviolette has the magic touch, can he bring it to Broadway?:
In 2006, Eric Staal and Cam Ward were standout players who helped the Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. The 2010 Flyers boasted young stars like Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Claude Giroux. In 2015, Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Seth Jones thrived under his guidance in Nashville. Two years later, Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen led the Predators to success. And in the 2022-23 season, Rasmus Sandin made his mark with the Capitals. Laviolette’s remarkable talent for developing young players shines through in these examples.
David Quinn and Gerard Gallant had their hands full with the kids, but Laviolette’s supposed to be the answer. If three NHL coaches can’t crack the code, we might have a player issue, not a coaching one.
And let’s not kid ourselves; New York’s prospect pool isn’t exactly overflowing with NHL-ready goal machines. 2023 first-round pick(23rd overall) Gabe Perreault is three years away from Broadway as he begins his first season at Boston College. Adam Sykora and Brennan Othmann need some AHL seasoning in Hartford.
Laviolette will be steering the ship and implementing a new system. He claims it can be integrated at any level of hockey; brace yourselves for a learning curve. Remember when the Rangers switched from John Tortorella to Alain Vigneault in 2014?
Back when Madison Square Garden was receiving a facelift, the Rangers had hit the road for the first nine games of the season, where they started 3-6.
Later, they had a nine-game homestand in December, where they went 3-4-2.
The Blueshirts had mediocre underlying numbers, too. They had Corsi For% of 49.47%, Scoring Chances For% of 47.97%, and a PDO of 0.931. (That’s a fancy way of saying their shooting and save percentages were low.)
It took them until Thanksgiving to find their groove and make it to the Stanley Cup Final. So, don’t be too shocked if the 2023-24 Rangers start a bit slow. History might repeat itself!
However, the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and the Pittsburgh Penguins look sharp. So, they’ll take whatever points they’ll get. in the early going. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. All 32 teams will have those ups and downs, and whoever figures it out the best at the end will be Stanley Cup Champions in June.