After winning the Presidents' Trophy last season, the New York Rangers missing the playoffs is generating growing conjecture about their off-season plans.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun and the New York Post's Larry Brooks report there's talk around the league that coach Peter Laviolette could be fired. He has a year left on his contract, but the players' performance in recent weeks suggests a change behind the Rangers' bench could be necessary.
Brooks' colleague Mollie Walker thinks everything about the Rangers' “epic implosion” this season will be analyzed to ensure it doesn't happen again. While management and the coaching staff deserve their share of the blame, there could be significant roster changes in the offing.
Walker brought up the possibility of moving Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The veteran forwards have frequently surfaced in the rumor mill this season.
Zibanejad is signed through 2029-30 with an average annual value of $8.5 million and a full no-movement clause. Kreider has two years left with an average annual value of $6.5 million and a 15-team no-trade list.
Walker speculated they could also move a couple of younger players. She believes the Rangers must determine if RFA defenseman K'Andre Miller still has a future in New York and suggested the possibility of peddling Alexis Lafreniere.
Moving Lafreniere would be a bold decision. The 23-year-old left winger signed a seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension last October. He's had a disappointing 2024-25 campaign with 45 points in 81 games, but shipping him out before he reaches his playing prime could be a mistake.
Meanwhile, big changes are also expected for the Boston Bruins after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Because of the Bruins' think prospect pipeline, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic doesn't see them parting with draft picks in any trade proposals. They could restock their roster through free agency, even though that didn't work out so well last summer with their signings of Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.
Shinzawa suggested that going the offer-sheet route could be an option. However, if they're reluctant to part with draft picks in this summer's trade market, they could be unwilling to lose future picks as compensation in a successful offer-sheet signing.
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