New York Rangers Rumors: Could John Tortorella Be Fired If Rangers Are Eliminated?

According to Darren Dreger on TSN Radio, John Tortorella could be on the hot seat if the Rangers lost out to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There have been a ton of fireworks surrounding Tortorella during this playoff run, and most recently, it stems from his shot at Carl Hagelin "stinking" on the power play. Here is a short excerpt from Dreger's report on TSN Radio.

With Tortorella you have that bombastic figure, he doesn’t enjoy dealing with the media or selling the game one bit. Thankfully for the New York Rangers they don’t have to sell the game, it’s like the Toronto Maple Leafs, you kick the doors open and you have a capacity crowd that makes tens of millions per year. In Tortorella there is a shelf life, all coaches have that, his expiration date is probably sooner than most because of how he approaches the media and his players. I didn’t like his comment on Carl Hagelin. He was blunt and honest that he stinks that that is why he doesn’t use him on the power play.

So to answer your question, if the Rangers are to be eliminated in short order by the Boston Bruins, is there a chance John Tortorella could be replaced? Yes there is a chance, absolutely. No question about it. Glen Sather made the big trade, he moved Gaborik out, prior to that they acquired Rick Nash, they aren’t done yet building this team into a true Stanley Cup contender but is John Tortorella the right coach, that management group for sure will have that discussion at the end of the Rangers season, whenever that is.

While Dreger does make some solid points, I still don't think there is a chance in hell that the Rangers canTortorella during a lockout shortened season. It also sounds as if this speculation is a complete shot in the dark. Chance is a pretty big word to use in this case.

There's a chance the Rangers could win the next four games of this series, and advance There's also a chance that the Rangers could score at least ten goals tonight. See where I'm going with this? There's absolutely no possible way to predict John Tortorella's future with this club. Sure, he's made a ton of questionable moves throughout his tenure, but he's been the main driving force behind this team, and is the reason why the Rangers are where they are.

Simply put, I wouldn't place too many bets on Tortorella not being back with the Rangers next season.