According to a new report, the New York Rangers are expected to fire Peter Laviolette, and team owner James Dolan will be participating in exit meetings with the players.
This news comes from Vincent Mercogliano of USA Today, and only adds intrigue to what is expected to be a very busy offseason.
Still no smoke signals or official word from the #NYR, but here's an update for those asking on this Saturday morning:
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) April 19, 2025
- The prevailing belief remains that the Rangers will be moving on from Peter Laviolette. I get the sense they want to get through the holiday weekend before…
The Laviolette news isn't all that shocking given how things went, and the Rangers probably didn't want to be the first team to officially fire their coach. The Anaheim Ducks fired Greg Cronin on Saturday morning, so now that the seal has been broken on that front, they can move forward after the Easter holiday.
NEWS: Greg Cronin will not return as Ducks head coach. https://t.co/xmYWlRQk4T
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 19, 2025
Regarding Dolan, the Rangers' owner historically has paid more attention to the New York Knicks than he has the Rangers, and that includes speaking about the team in general. It was just a couple of weeks ago that he joined Knicks' superstar Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on their "Roommates" podcast to talk about the Knicks' 2024-25 season, and that's something he hasn't done for the Rangers.
The most hands-on that Dolan has been with the Rangers was interjecting to fire John Davidson and Jeff Gorton after they rebuked a statement the team made regarding Tom Wilson in 2021, and it was at that point when Chris Drury was promoted into the job he currently holds. That was four years ago, and the Rangers have really run the gamut of being near the top of the mountain when they were wins away from a Cup Final appearance to whatever this most recent season was.
Dolan's decision to participate in breakup day meetings is reportedly based on his decision to do the same for the Knicks last season. This past offseason the Knicks made two blockbuster trades, the first of which was acquiring "3 and D" wing Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, and the other was the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves right before the start of the season. Those moves were made following a season in which the Knicks lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semis, a series in which the team was derailed by injuries.
I bring that up because the Rangers' roster is due for an overhaul, and it is likely that this iteration of the team has reached its apex. Dolan for years has considered the Rangers to be his stable franchise, and I wouldn't underestimate the impact of missing the playoffs has for him, especially when you consider all that lost potential revenue. I am not saying Rangers fans should automatically expect the Rangers to making Knicks-like trades, but him getting involved to better understand what's going on could have an impact, especially if Drury is on shaky ground and could be motivated to save his job.
There's no telling what could happen, but Dolan being more involved publicly is something to keep an eye on. This will be a very busy offseason, so be sure to visit us back for content looking at what could unfold in the coming weeks and months.