"The 2024-2025 Rangers coaching staff came into the season with high hopes, but those hopes quickly went from Cup contender to "I didn't sign up for this." Last season was a tale of two different roles for the coaching staff: Managing the team on the ice, and trying to maintain order off the ice. While not without fault, not much of last season's train wreck could have been fixed with a different coach."
"Despite everything humming along, Peter Laviolette forced a still injured Ryan Lindgren-who was still eating meals through a straw-back into the lineup in his usual top pair spot. This was a slap in the face to K'Andre Miller and Zac Jones in particular, who had strong starts but were relegated to previous roles that didn't fit their skills, or worse."
"With Lindgren back alongside Adam Fox, the top pair went from a dominating force of Miller-Fox to Fox barely able to drag along Lindgren's corpse. Miller was moved back alongside Jacob Trouba, miscast as a shutdown pair. Zac Jones was shifted out of the lineup after the roster shakeup in November. But even before that shakeup, the damage was done. Forcing Lindgren into the lineup may not have been the catalyst to their demise, but it certainly didn't help at all."
Rangers coaching staff entered 2024-2025 with high expectations but the season quickly deteriorated. On-ice results were mixed: a strong start faded after injury management and lineup choices. Peter Laviolette returned an injured Ryan Lindgren to the top pair, disrupting K'Andre Miller and Zac Jones and weakening defensive chemistry. Adam Fox was burdened with Lindgren and the former Miller-Fox dominance collapsed. Zac Jones lost his spot after a November roster shakeup. At season's end, opportunities to develop young players like Gabe Perreault were missed when he was healthy scratched. Off-ice stability also suffered amid broader organizational struggles.
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