The New York Rangers had a light moment at the end of practice in Dallas on Thursday when a shootout drill featuring five members of the coaching staff inspired laughter and put smiles on what have been a lot of dejected faces in the past month.
Levity alone isn’t enough to cure the Rangers’ ills and get them out of their ongoing slump when they play the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Friday (8 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSG), but at the very least it provided some fun in what has been a heavy few weeks for the team.
“This is one of the greatest jobs in the world,” center Vincent Trocheck said after practice. “I love coming to work every day and whenever you’re coming to work and not having fun that plays a role in how you play on the ice, too. So I think it is important that you’re remembering this game is supposed to be fun. When you’re having fun you’re playing better hockey.”
The Rangers (15-15-1) haven’t been having any fun on the ice the past month. They’ve lost 11 of 14 games, all in regulation, since starting the season 12-4-1.
They’ve dropped out of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
They’ve seen their captain, Jacob Trouba, traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 5. Trouba said he was told he would be put on waivers if he didn’t agree to waive his modified no-trade clause to facilitate the move.
On Wednesday, forward Kaapo Kakko, the 23-year-old in his sixth season after arriving in New York as the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, was shipped out. He was traded to the Seattle Kraken for defenseman Will Borgen and two picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The trade came a day after Kakko publicly expressed his frustration over being a healthy scratch in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, saying he hasn’t been the worst player.
There has been speculation over coach Peter Laviolette’s job security. Laviolette, who took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in his first season with the Rangers last season, addressed that before a 2-0 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
There have been reports of growing distrust among the players toward general manager and president Chris Drury because of his handling of certain matters, including Trouba, the fact that it became public that he might be looking to trade longtime forward Chris Kreider, and Barclay Goodrow’s departure over the summer.
Trocheck asked reporters in attendance at practice Thursday to assemble around him so he could publicly deny a report that the Rangers held a players’ only meeting to discuss Drury.
“That could not be further from the truth,” Trocheck told the group. “I mean, if we’re having a closed-door meeting with just the players the last thing we’re going to do is complain about our general manager. When we have closed-door meetings in here it’s about us, it’s about what we can do. Obviously, we’re in a hole right now and it’s about what we can do to get out of it. It’s got nothing to do with management. They do their job.
“Chris is doing his job to try to put the best players on the ice that he can to succeed. We are those players and we have to go out there and perform and do what we can to succeed.”
Trocheck said it stinks for the team to see Trouba and now Kakko leave, but the changes being made are happening only because the Rangers are not winning.
“Chris has a job,” he said. “You can't just sit there and let us continue to lose and do nothing. His job is on the line, as well. He's doing what he can to put the right guys on the ice and make the right moves that he thinks are going to help us win hockey games. So, yeah, it’s sad, but at the same time, you’ve got to win hockey games if you want to keep everybody in this locker room."
Kreider said the Rangers have to be simple and straightforward in their approach despite everything swirling around them.
“Don’t have social media,” he said. “Don’t read whatever the hell you guys are writing. Focus on what’s right in front of us. Focus on the practice. Focus on your next rep. Focus on your next shift. Be in the moment.
“If you’re not in the moment right now, what does it all mean when it’s all said and done? Compete. Try to win hockey games. Try to get better. Try to enjoy the moment.”
They tried to do that Thursday, when Laviolette, assistants Michael Peca and Dan Muse, goalie coach Jeff Malcolm and skills coach Christian Hmura participated in the shootout at the end of practice.
They had a new player to get to know too with Borgen joining them for practice after arriving from Chicago, where he was with the Kraken. Borgen will make his Rangers debut against the Stars on Friday.
Artemi Panarin was back after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury. He’s day to day but could play against Dallas. Forward Matt Rempe is on his way from Hartford of the American Hockey League, joining the team later Thursday.
There was even good news coming from back home. K'Andre Miller, who is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, is skating. The defenseman won’t join the team in Dallas, but he’s getting close to returning to action.
None of it, though, is enough to turn the Rangers’ season around or to stop Drury from trying to reshape the roster on the fly.
“The best remedy for all of it is winning and we’ve got to start that tomorrow night,” Laviolette said.
