The Rangers Need a Specific New Kind of Head Coach
The Rangers’ reliance on recycled coaches is holding them back. Is it time to take a fresh approach with a leader who understands development?
Prior to the New York Rangers 4-3 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild, Blaine, Minn., native Jonny Brodzinski had some of the younger Rangers players over to his house in Andover, Minn., along with a bunch of his family for a nice, wholesome dinner. Those players included Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, Zac Jones, Brennan Othmann, and Brett Berard.
What do they all have in common? That’s right, Hartford Wolf Pack alums who now find themselves on the varsity squad in New York.
Jonny Brodzinski is from Minnesota and had a bunch of the young Rangers over for dinner at his Andover home last night. Jones, Cuylle, Berard, Othmann and Rempe were all there, as was a bunch of Brodzinski’s family.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 13, 2025
“Nothing better than being back here,” Brodzinski said.
There’s been a lot of conversation around Jonny Brodzinski as of late. Many of us here at Blueshirt Banter weren’t loving the ice time he was getting at the cost of younger players the Rangers could potentially use down the line. Chip wrote a lengthy piece about how it hits too close to home with the Rangers’ tendency to overuse depth players at the cost of younger, in-house talent and the guys went deeper into it on the podcast, as well.
Nevertheless, there is a valid counterargument to the point we’ve been driving. For as much as Brodzinski might represent a roadblock for younger players to get into the lineup, he is also a leader who many of those same players truly look up to. Vince Mercogliano, who covers the team for LoHud.com, wrote an article that talked about how much of a positive influence Brodzinski is on the younger players and why that’s an important asset for this Rangers team.
The problem is, Jonny Brodzinski is best used in a role that Sam Carrick is meant to be serving and has served pretty well. As a result, Carrick is now being overused in a third line role while Jusso Parssinen rots in the press box. Perhaps this speaks to the disconnect between Chris Drury and Peter Laviolette, or is just an example of how discombobulated the structure of this roster is in what’s likely becoming, if it's not already, a lost season. Whatever it is, the Rangers need to make a decision about the direction of this team and act accordingly. For as much as that starts with roster construction, it’s only effective if the head coach is on the same page.
Don’t make Eric tap the sign again. Peter Laviolette should have been fired a long time ago. That ship may have sailed at least for this season, but the Rangers cannot go into the off-season with him still at the helm. They need a new head coach to front the next era of this Rangers team and if they want to go with an internal direction where they prioritize their young, homegrown talent, they need a coach who is not only capable of doing that, but understands the importance of AHL development and how to streamline that into next season.
