Rangers’ de Haan Expresses BIG Frustration With Lack of Opportunity

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The New York Rangers will not be playing in the postseason after a tough 2024-25 campaign filled with drama, and they will look to find their way back into the playoff picture next season. In a recent shocking statement, more drama was added to their season as defender Calvin De Haan spoke out about his lack of opportunity and expressed frustration during his tenure with the Rangers.

#NYR Calvin de Haan walked past us as he was about to get on the ice and commented on how it’s all finally over.

He said something to the effect of, ‘How about the way I’ve been treated here? It’s fucked.’

We asked if he wanted to talk, he said yes and that he would be “very…

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 13, 2025

De Haan also put out his own statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), which downplayed some of his comments but still made it clear he wasn’t happy, specifying he was frustrated and feels he can still be a valuable asset to a team if he’s given a fair opportunity, even if it’s not a top-pairing role, he believes he can still help a team win.

Going to get ahead of this now…

I was hoping that I would have been able to express in a scrum setting versus a quote as I was going onto the ice and having it on the Internet 30 seconds later. I said what I said because I am frustrated , and any competitor who says that they…

— Calvin de Haan (@cal_dehaan) April 13, 2025

De Haan, who is 33 years old, has played three games with the Rangers this season and has notched one assist. He started the season with the Avalanche, where he played 44 games, notching seven assists.

Related: Rangers Need to Establish a New Core Going Into Next Season

He was involved in a trade between the Avalanche and Rangers that saw four players switching teams a few days before the 2025 Trade Deadline, including Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Juuso Parssinen. Throughout De Haan’s career, he has scored 24 goals and added 125 assists for 149 points through 679 games, which comes out to a 0.22 points-per-game average.

De Haan’s Future

De Haan is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season and will likely hit the open market when the campaign comes to a close. There will be teams interested in adding to their defensive depth this offseason, and De Haan should have some suitors when he becomes available. Unfortunately, his time with the Rangers is coming to an end, and it came to an ugly end publicly, but teams will still be willing to give him a shot to make their team as a bottom-pairing defender.

Even De Haan knows he may not be able to be a top-pairing defender that plays 20 or more minutes a night, but he seems open to playing a lesser role as long as he’s given a fair opportunity. If De Haan is open to playing for a rebuilding team, I can see the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins all being open to giving him a contract.

The Detroit Red Wings are also known for taking a chance on veteran defenders, and the fit there might make sense and even give him a chance to sneak into their top-four rotation. At the end of the day, De Haan will have to find a new place to play next season, and his frustration only adds to their unfortunate, drama-filled season.

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