Mike Sullivan was officially introduced as the head coach of the New York Rangers on Thursday, and he met with the media during a press conference that aired live on MSG Networks over the air, and through the Gotham Sports app. Sullivan returns to the Rangers where he previously served as an assistant coach under John Tortorella from 2009 to 2013, and during the press conference he hit on a number of things that are of interest to the fans.
The first two quotes speak to the current construction of the roster, one with a core that's mostly remained together for the past several seasons. The Rangers have a ton of talented players, but they vastly underperformed during the 2024-25 season. The group fell off mightily after capturing the Presidents' Trophy the prior season, and just couldn't rebound after spiraling out in late November and all of December.
While it is still very early, these quotes could be interpreted as a sign that the organization hopes to see what they can get out of this current group with more structure by having Sullivan behind the bench. I think the line about talent alone not winning championships is also important, and it could speak to the team adjusting the mix to have a little more grit and grind.
If an opportunity to make change is available, the Rangers will likely consider it, but the big change for now could just be the installation of Sullivan as head coach. As of today, the Rangers are projected to have $8.42 million in cap space and will need to sign key players like Will Cuylle, K'Andre Miller, Adam Edstrom, and Matt Rempe among others.
Sullivan was also asked about his relationship with President and General Manager Chris Drury, and what that means for the roster.
A lot has been said about communication, primarily criticisms about the lack of it, and it appears that the organization recognizes the need for there to be some consistency and synergy in the decision making process. There have been times in recent years, whether it was Gerard Gallant or Peter Laviolette behind the bench, where it felt like there was a bit of a disconnect. That shouldn't be a problem here, because the two have history, and maybe that allows for more overall consistency.
Often times young players with promise were moved from line to line or scratched, and that led to frustration which did allow the Rangers depth to shine as much as it should. Kaapo Kakko is a player who sputtered a bit here, and has looked better since being traded to the Seattle Kraken. If there were one player of importance for Sullivan to get on track, the answer to that would likely be Alexis Lafrenière, someone with a ton of potential who just needs to play a more consistent game.
For that reason, it is good to see that Sullivan speaking about how he intends to work with Drury. It goes without saying that Sullivan will have input on what players the Rangers add this summer, and which players they could potential move out. He also had some interesting comments on players he got to know at the 4 Nations Faceoff.
At times this season it felt like Rangers fans were watching what could have been the end of Chris Kreider's Rangers career. This was partially because of how much his play dipped, and also because of the fact he was one of the few players with a moveable contract. I think it is important to consider that Kreider was in the lineup for Team USA in the final against Canada, something you couldn't say about Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets.
This could speak to how Sullivan feels about Kreider as a player, and it's quite possible he will be sticking around a little bit longer. Kreider's health played a role in his disappointing season, but he's also getting older and his best hockey is behind him. A reduced role could be the answer in getting the most out of him, even though that's not something you want to hear about a player that makes $6.5 million per season.
His other comments aren't all that surprising either, because both Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller are known for their passion, intensity, and "in your face" style of play. The Rangers have been at their best when they play with that type of ferocity, and they will need more of that in 2025-26. He's also a huge Adam Fox fan, and spoke highly of him as player with a Norris Trophy in his trophy case, and one of the league's elite power play performers.
The biggest thing Sullivan brings to the team is experience, and he will look to draw on his 10 years with Pittsburgh, a tenure which saw him win two championships.
The addition of Sullivan to the Rangers isn't something that's going to instantly fix the team. He brings some stability and consistency to a position that has had some considerable turnover, and that should stop here with Sullivan now on board. Over the next few weeks he will have a chance to evaluate the roster with Chris Drury, and the two can map out a game plan to get the Rangers back on track. It is still very early and he didn't say all that much at his press conference, but Sullivan touched on some things that are important, and should make fans a little more hopeful for the upcoming season.