The New York Rangers look terrible at the moment, and now they may be in for a significant change in management. According to NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette, they’ve made a surprise decision to reach out to former NHL enforcer Sean Avery.
Things aren’t looking great for the Rangers. They entered the season as contenders but have only won three of their last 14 games, with those wins coming against the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres.
After a strong start to the season, the Rangers have fallen to .500, holding a 15-15-1 record. They were shut out in Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators—the only team in the league with fewer than ten wins—in a 2-0 loss. Now, there are rumblings of potential changes, both on the bench and in management.
Bissonnette’s shocking report
Head coach Peter Laviolette is under considerable pressure due to the team’s poor results, but GM Chris Drury’s position may be even more precarious. On Tuesday, the Rangers reportedly held a players’ meeting to discuss a plan to have Drury removed from his position.
If the reports mentioned on NHL analyst Steve Dangle’s podcast are accurate, the players have seemingly turned on their GM and are actively pushing for his departure. According to Dangle, the relationship between the players and Laviolette is “fine,” but the same cannot be said for Drury.
Now, NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette has floated a shocking name as a potential replacement should Drury be dismissed. On the latest episode of Spittin’ Chiclets, Bissonnette reported that Rangers owner James Dolan is expected to meet with former NHL enforcer Sean Avery this week to “talk about the state of the New York Rangers.”
Avery could join the Rangers
Bissonnette even suggested that Avery, who spent the final three years of his career with the Rangers, could be a candidate for the GM role.
“I’m also hearing rumblings that Sean Avery is going over to NYC to talk about the state of the New York Rangers,” Bissonnette said.
“There is a crazy element to James Dolan that might get rid of Drury and hire Sean Avery as the next general manager.”
It would be a complete shock if Avery were appointed to the job, given his lack of experience in management since retiring from the NHL. As a player, Avery was known as one of the most hated figures in the league due to his abrasive playing style and numerous cheap shots. While he has no background as a general manager, he does know what it’s like to play for the Rangers.
“Avery does bleed blue and red too. He loves the Rangers, and the city loves him,” Keith Yandle said during the Spittin’ Chiclets episode.
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