The New York Rangers’ season is continuing to decline, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman affirming the critical views expressed by New York Post columnist Larry Brooks regarding the team.
On the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Friedman referred to the Rangers’ current situation as a “historic collapse” and supported Brooks’ assertion that the team has effectively “quit on head coach” Peter Laviolette.
“There’s nobody with better sources on the Rangers than Larry Brooks,” Friedman stated. “His writings reflect more than just personal opinion; they come from someone whose insights are highly valued.”
Brooks indicated in his column that Laviolette’s tenure with the Rangers might soon be over, as the players have seemingly given up on their coach, the organization, and each other.
The Rangers started the season well, with a 12-4-1 record, but have now fallen to 4-15-0 in their last 19 games. Notable changes like trading Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, sending Kaapo Kakko to Seattle, and benching Chris Kreider have not reinvigorated the team.
Friedman suggested that further changes could be forthcoming, even involving key players like Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck in trade talks. He remarked, “We are far from finished with major change for the Rangers.”
He added, “Either we haven’t seen anything yet, or more is on the way. The real takeaway from that column is that changes are coming, and we need to consider what those might be.”
The Rangers (16-19-1) suffered another loss on Monday against the defending champion Florida Panthers and will next face the Boston Bruins on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
