New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette is far from perfect – but he deserves credit for at least keeping an open mind. It’s something that we certainly can’t say about every coach in the franchise’s recent history.
Related: Rangers’ Poor Defensive Play Concerning But Not Cause for Panic…Yet
When the 59-year-old was first hired in June 2023, it appeared to bring an underwhelming sentiment to the fanbase. However, things would quickly change after helping his team win the Presidents’ Trophy and getting to the Eastern Conference Final in his first season. Plus, the start to 2024-25 (while not perfect) has been solid, owning a 12-6-1 record so far.
Continuity When it Makes Sense
There are multiple reasons why Laviolette has stuck around and has been a head coach since the 2001-02 season. What you’re seeing now with the Rangers is his ability to keep his lines and players together even when things aren’t always clicking. Continuity is something that leads to long-term success.
A recent hockey example of that was Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin. Sure, the Washington Capitals often disappointed in the postseason – but they eventually won a Stanley Cup with those two leading the way and playing together. Laviolette will now hope to do the same with Alexis Lafrenière and Artemi Panarin playing opposite wings of each other – a combination that the coach has kept together since early last season. The Rangers’ two previous coaches David Quinn and Gerard Gallant could not find a consistent top-six role for Lafrenière and would often juggle the lines too often. So give the new regime credit, as the 2020 first-overall pick has been one of the Blueshirts’ best players in the past year. Gallant insisted on keeping the iconic “Kid Line” together too long, instead of finding a larger role for Lafrenière.
But continuity for the sake of it doesn’t always make sense. For example, Adam Fox has been paired with Ryan Lindgren for the most part over the last six seasons. However, Laviolette has decided to try K’Andre Miller next to the 2020 Norris Trophy winner as Lindgren has shown obvious signs of decline and slowing down. So far the move has worked out brilliantly for the team with the Miller-Fox pairing posting an expected goal share of 63.21 percent in 227 minutes this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. Now, Laviolette’s next order of business should be keeping that duo together – even when the Rangers go through some struggles, as they are currently on a two-game losing streak.
Better with Younger Players
A thing that was frustrating with previous Rangers coaches was the inability to develop younger players in the system. For example, Alain Vigneault failed with Pavel Buchnevich; David Quinn and Gallant failed with Lafrenière.
Laviolette’s success with Lafrenière has just been one example in under two and a half seasons. Will Cuylle after making the team out of training camp in 2023-24 is becoming a staple on the third line. Adam Edström has been a key piece on the fourth line, which has been a surprising strength for the team this season. Also, perhaps Zac Jones is becoming a regular on the Rangers’ blue line. Moreover, the coaching staff appears to value rookie Victor Mancini over veteran Chad Ruhwedel. Laviolette even admitted to reporters that the only reason the 22-year-old was sent down briefly to the American Hockey League (AHL) was to get ice time.
#NYR coach Peter Laviolette on going with Victor Mancini instead of Chad Ruhwedel:
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) November 23, 2024
“He was here, he didn’t do anything to lose that spot, we just didn’t want him sitting here not playing games. To keep him going and developing, he went back down to play games. Now he’s back.…
Bottom line – young players will play if they impress the coaching staff. Being an established NHL player only goes so far under this regime.
Now, is Laviolette the best coach in the NHL? No, he’s far from it, with Jon Cooper and Paul Maurice in tiers of their own. But Laviolette is at least showing Rangers fans he can adapt to the way the game is played today – while simultaneously trying to offer continuity. But the coach will be judged in the Big Apple on whether or not he’s able to lead his team to a Stanley Cup. Looking ahead, Laviolette will need to find the right balance between continuity and finding the right combinations.
