TSN and The Athletic's NHL insider Pierre LeBrun has been doing his homework on the Rangers and concluded that coach Peter Laviolette will be fired, but general manager Chris Drury will remain on with the organization.
“I can tell you that there’s absolutely no word out of the Rangers, themselves,” LeBrun said in a conversation with TSN’s Gino Reda on Insider Trading. “Very tight-lipped about what might transpire here over the next week, or so. But in talking to other people around the League, the low-hanging fruit, the expectations from a lot of people I’ve talked to is that Peter Laviolette could get fired.
“He’s got another year on his deal, so certainly not a sure thing. But when you look at the body language and the performance of the team over the last month, again, when I’ve talked to other people around the League, that’s probably the easiest conclusion, and so, we’ll see whether or not that happens.”
Peter Laviolette on the Chopping Block
I can confirm Laviolette is getting fired soon https://t.co/vl4YPKF04K
— hope (@nohopeleague) April 9, 2025
Laviolette’s job security has been in question ever since the disastrous 4-15-0 record tallied in November and December. His spot in the hot seat has only gotten warmer as the stretch has droned on on when the second wild card in the Eastern Conference was right there for the taking, but the Rangers instead stumbled badly (6-9-2 in their past 17 games). There were some atrocious losses in that mix, and Laviolette’s often looked lost — lost for words to explain what’s happening, lost for answers behind the bench as things spiraled quickly in games and lost in how to explain things to the media.
While Thursday's 9-2 win over fellow city-foe the New York Islanders certainly cooled some of hit heat, Laviolette is no where near in the clear. The Rangers (37-35-7) can and likely will be still eliminated from playoff contention if they fail to win out over their final three games or if the Montreal Canadiens earn just one point in their last four contests.
For a further breakdown on recent Laviolette moves and comments — such as the second consecutive decision for Gabe Perreault to be a healthy scratch and his revelation that he does not visit the locker room post game — check out episode two of some of our reporters' podcast, the Blue Line Report.
Writer's note: This story is purely speculative, as the New York Rangers have not yet commented on any future plans for either Laviolette or Drury.