Rangers’ elimination hurts Knoblauch in Cup Final

The New York Rangers have had a coaching carousel over the past few seasons. After a five-year run by Alain Vigneault, the Blueshirts went through David Quinn (three seasons) and Gerard Gallant (two seasons) before landing Peter Laviolette this past season.
Like Gallant, Laviolette led the Rangers to the Conference Finals in his first year behind the bench, losing to the Florida-based team in six games. Under Gallant, a 2-0 series lead evaporated against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while under Laviolette, the Rangers blew a 2-1 series advantage against the Florida Panthers.
When Gallant was released, there was some disagreement in the locker room following a surprising first-round exit against their arch-rivals, the New Jersey Devils, in 2023. For the second consecutive season, the Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the finals. The best of seven series was also lost, and it was clear that a change was needed.
After their firing, general manager Chris Drury relieved Gallant of his duties. The search for a new coach was long and tedious. The first man interviewed was Laviolette, and despite Drury standing in for other candidates, the Blueshirts’ GM opted to hire a veteran bench manager.
Rangers Pick Laviolette Over Knoblauch
During the process, there was a lot of talk about the possibility that the Rangers could take a long-term look at Kris Knoblauch, the former head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack. He was behind the bench of the Rangers’ American Hockey League (AHL) membership for four seasons (2019-2023). An up-and-coming young coach, he could be a fresh face in what appears to be the league’s recycling of NHL coaches.
In the end, Laviolette was the hire, and there is no doubt that his philosophy and structure paved the way for a successful season. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best team in the NHL during the regular season. They were the first Presidents’ Medal winners to reach the Eastern Conference Finals since the 2014-15 Rangers did the same.
However, a season ending without a Stanley Cup still feels like a disappointment despite all the success and franchise records set by this club. The team, the pitchers, and the coaches have come together this season, and their success over 82 games has made this a do-or-bust situation for the Rangers. With various contracts up for renewal over the next two seasons, the club’s window is closing, and the 2023-24 campaign looked to be the year for them to do it.
It wasn’t like that.
But, to make their elimination even more intense, the man they died in, Knoblauch, was given a mid-season job to take over from Jay Woodcroft as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. The same Knoblauch who was in the Rangers system and seemed ready to jump to the NHL level was passed over by his parent club and given a chance elsewhere.
He helped turn the Oilers’ season around and now has his team in the Stanley Cup Final against the Panthers, just four wins away from the Stanley Cup. Granted, he coaches two of the five best players in the world, but it’s still heartbreaking to see a potential Rangers pre-season pick given a chance and move on from his former club.
Related Story: Was Rangers’ 2023-24 Season A Success?
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard all scored at will this season, helping push Edmonton to the brink of their first Stanley Cup since 1990. In contrast, the Rangers’ big guns were inconsistent and untidy for much of the Eastern Conference Final.
With that, Knoblauch’s departure and now the subsequent success of the Rangers raises some questions of ‘Did the Rangers make the right hire?’ no matter how good or fair they are. Laviolette was great in his first season on Broadway, even if he questions some of the decisions made during the season’s slump. Questions always arise after the finish, and it would have been sunshine and roses if the Blueshirts had won the trophy.
Knoblauch Brings Mike Sullivan Flashbacks
Going back to the end of the 2012-13 season, the Rangers opted to part ways with then-coach John Tortorella and his staff. On that staff was assistant coach Mike Sullivan, who followed Tortorella to Vancouver before making the jump to become head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sullivan went on to lead the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups and is the only American-born head coach to win multiple cups. He was a tall figure at the time, but an option the Rangers had on their hands and let slip through the cracks. Hindsight is 20/20, and the Rangers’ hiring of Alain Vigneault proved fruitful, going to the Stanley Cup Final and the Eastern Conference Final in his first two seasons.
However, they could not overcome the hump, and their former assistant made a new team. Fast forward to June 2024, and a similar situation is emerging. Knoblauch left midseason for Edmonton, where he is now four wins away from replicating Sullivan-esque style. While the Rangers’ drought will continue for at least one more season, Knoblauch has a chance to help the Oilers end theirs.
And while the elimination of the Rangers at the hands of the Panthers is still fresh and immature for many, the thought of Knoblauch winning the Stanley Cup in the same season that his entry into the vacant Blueshirts job was discussed, makes it sting even more.
Let me be clear—I only wish Knoblauch the best of luck. He served his role as the head coach of the Wolf Pack well and deserved a chance at the NHL level. However, his success with his new club, especially if he backs it up and adds a Cup or two-like Sullivan-to his resume, will always beg the question of whether Rangers made the right decision in letting him go.
The story remains unfinished, but after a disappointing end to a promising season in New York, Knoblauch’s run in Edmonton is a tough pill to swallow.
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