The Post’s Mollie Walker breaks down the potential candidates to fill the Rangers’ head-coaching vacancy after the club parted ways with Gerard Gallant on Saturday:
The Rangers will have to request permission from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman if they wish to interview and hire Joel Quenneville, who was dismissed from his job with the Panthers after an investigation found that he was complicit in ignoring allegations of sexual abuse against one of his staff members during the Blackhawks’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2010.
He may be the top available option on the coaching market right now, but there is still a belief that Quenneville should not be allowed back in the NHL for his abhorrent inaction.
Hiring Quenneville, who led Chicago to three championships, could be more of a hassle than it would be worth it.
Quenneville owns a career record of 969- 572-77, as well as a 121-104 showing in the playoffs.
After parting ways with the Capitals at the end of this season, in which Washington fell way short of a playoff berth for the first time since 2014, Laviolette just became available.
He won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006, but the 58-year-old hasn’t reached the second round of the playoffs since 2018.
Laviolette is 752-503-25 over his 19 years coaching in the NHL, with a 78-76 record in the postseason.
The Rangers do have an in-house option in Kris Knoblauch, who is currently leading the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on a captivating playoff run.
Knoblauch has never been a head coach at the NHL level, but he was an assistant with the Flyers for two seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
The 44-year-old also has experience at the junior level in the Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League.
The Rangers’ most famous former captain has had his hat in the ring for organizational positions before.
Wouldn’t it be poetic for the Blueshirts to bring in the man who led the team to their last Stanley Cup to help them get over the hump again?
Before you get lost in that perfect picture, word is that would be highly unlikely.
If he hasn’t gotten too accustomed to the broadcast life, Bruce Boudreau is another recently-available option for the Rangers.
After how things went down in Vancouver, where his impending dismissal was dragged out over an extremely unprofessional timeline, Boudreau might not even be ready for another gig.
The Rangers, however, might want a more experienced and proven replacement for Gerard Gallant.