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New York Rangers fire Alain Vigneault after disappointing season

By Dave Stevenson

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 12: Head coach of the New York Rangers Alain Vigneault speaks to the media prior to Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 12, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 12: Head coach of the New York Rangers Alain Vigneault speaks to the media prior to Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on April 12, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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The New York Rangers do what they should have done last May by firing head coach Alain Vigneault

The New York Rangers entered this season with Stanley Cup hopes. However, after a slow start, tensions between head coach Alain Vigneault and both the roster and front office started to increase. After the team announced a rebuild, the boiling point was reached.

Bob McKenzie is reporting the Rangers are moving on from Vigneault. The team has confirmed it.

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This ends a tenure that on paper, might look successful. Five full seasons, a Stanley Cup appearance, four postseason trips, a Presidents Trophy, and two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, considering Vigneault was brought in to bring Lord Stanley to Broadway, his tenure should be seen as a failure.

Most teams would sign up for four postseason appearances in four years. However, Vigneault made his job a lot harder than it needed to be. He didn’t trust young players when he should have. Vigneault put his forward lines and defensive pairings through a blender at the first hint of struggle, which affected chemistry.

Tanner Glass. Dan Girardi. Marc Staal. The list of declining veterans and fourth line grinders Vigneault trusted more than younger, faster, and better players is alarming. He should have been fired back in May because it was at that point it became painfully obvious he wasn’t the right coach for the New York Rangers.

What’s Next For The Rangers?

The Rangers must search for a new head coach. They should do so outside of the franchise, but nothing is set in stone yet. But considering how terrible this season was for the Rangers and how awful the coaching staff was, maybe a fresh start will help them.

What’s Next For Vigneault?

Vigneault faces a much more certain future than the team that fired him. He won’t have much trouble finding another job. Vigneault has flaws, but it’s hard to argue with his resume. Someone will give him another chance. It might take some time, and perhaps Vigneault needs to sit and wait for the right situation.

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But let’s take a look at some facts. Vigneault’s success has come almost exclusively with either Roberto Luongo or Henrik Lundqvist as his goaltender. Between the two of them, you have two of the best goaltenders of the post-2004 lockout era. It’s fair to question how large of a role those two have played in Vigneault’s success.

Still, he wins and that’s what teams care about. If Vigneault wants another job, he’ll get one. He’s far from a bad coach. But it’s clear Vigneault wasn’t the right one for the Rangers, which is what matters.

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