The New York Rangers made news back in May when they hired Mike Sullivan to be the team's next head coach, and today the Pittsburgh Penguins returned the favor by poaching a coach themselves.
Dan Muse is the new head coach of the Penguins, and he departs the Rangers after just two seasons with the organization.
The departure of Muse, age 42, is a tough blow for the Rangers because he was a young analytical mind with a solid track record of results when it came to developing players, and was very much in tune with the advanced stats that have become more relevant in today's NHL. He was responsible for the penalty kill during his tenure with the Blueshirts, and the Rangers' shorthanded unit led the league this past season in goals, and net penalty kill percentage of 87.9.
Muse is someone that was expected to make the leap to head coach at some point, but unfortunately for the Rangers that promotion comes now and not a few years down the line. It makes sense why he jumped at this opportunity after Sullivan was brought in, and replacing him is going to be a top priority for both Sullivan and Chris Drury.
In some respects, Muse's departure is similar to that of Kris Knoblauch, who left back in 2023 to join the Edmonton Oilers, as he was someone with an impressive track record and also seemingly bright future at the time. Since joining the Oilers, Knoblauch has made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, and he hopes to win the ultimate prize this month.
Muse faces a tougher challenge ahead of him than Knoblauch, but if he has a great deal of success in the future, it could be another big "what if?" situation for the Blueshirts.
The departure of Muse is the latest vacancy on the bench, as Michael Peca left the organization back in May to join Jeff Blashill staff with the Chicago Blackhawks. Associate head coach Phil Housley was dismissed along with Peter Laviolette back in April, so now Sullivan and the team have their work cut out for them in building out a new staff.
With the draft this month, and free agency a few weeks away, the Rangers will likely look to fill these vacancies soon, because to get back to Stanley Cup contention they need their front office, coaching staff, and roster to be in complete alignment.