The New York Rangers have finished their 2024-25 season, and it was of the utmost disappointment. This season was supposed to be one to remember, but many Rangers fans are trying to do everything they can to try and forget it.
As we move to the offseason, the needle turns from what went wrong with last season to how can it be fixed? Is it the lack of production on the ice, or is the higher powers to blame?
Both General Manager Chris Drury and head coach Peter Laviolette are on the hot seat this offseason, but which one deserves the harder look by Rangers Executive Chairman James Dolan?
General Manager Chris Drury
There was a lot to be said about General Manager Chris Drury this season, and in retrospect, there was a ton said by him as well. He made numerous headlines this season, exposing some rather personal and confidential information to the masses via the media. This strategy was a head-scratching one and was likely the cause of the broken locker room that plagued this season.
There was the drama with former Captain Jacob Trouba in the offseason before the 2024-25 season, which then carried over to his trade to Anaheim. The fallout from that sparked the leak to the media that both Trouba and longtime Rangers fan-favorite Chris Kreider were on the trade block for most of the season. That Kreider situation, which might have come to its conclusion with CK20 playing his final game with the Blueshirts, is still ongoing.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette
After leading the Rangers to a Presidents' Trophy in his first season with the Blueshirts, Peter Laviolette could not spark enough motivation in this group to even make it into the playoffs. Was his lack of drive and holding players accountable a bigger cause of this abysmal season?
Towards the end of the season, a few reports came out regarding Laviolette's coaching style.
First, he said himself that he does not go into the players' locker room after games. How in the world are you supposed to hold players accountable or talk about what went wrong on the ice, right after it happens? It makes sense to let it fester and take a step back to asses what happened, but it seems odd not to attack it right away.
Second, he was not very vocal behind the bench during their most crucial time. When the Rangers were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in that 7-3 devastating loss on April 12, he was quiet behind the bench.
Who deserves more blame?
Both parties are at fault for this head-scratching season. Drury and Laviolette failed this team this season, and the players are equally to blame. All around, the 2024-25 season is something to be forgotten.
This summer, Dolan is going to have his hands full with this situation. Do one, both, or neither of these two prominent figures in the Rangers organization get fired? That remains to be seen, but from my vantage point, it seems like the higher rung on the ladder has a much bigger fall than the lower rung. Drury's comments and antics really put a strain on this team, jeopardizing the season by eliminating leadership.