5 potential Rangers head coach candidates after firing Peter Laviolette

After a season filled with disappointment, the Rangers decided to move on from head coach Peter Laviolette. 

Laviolette spent two seasons back in the Big Apple -- and he was extremely successful during his first as he led New York to a Conference Finals appearance, but then greatly underperformed and failed to qualify for the postseason.

So now Chris Drury is stuck hiring his fourth head coach since taking over as GM. 

According to Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports sources say that Drury will likely prioritize experience in his search once again, but the GM said during a Zoom conference on Saturday that his eyes are “wide open.”

Here are five potential options…

John Tortorella 

Tortorella already has one stint under his belt in the Big Apple, as he led Drury and the Rangers to the playoffs four times in five years spanning from 2008-2013.

Owner James Dolan is said to be a big fan of his. 

Following his time in New York, Torts spent six years behind the bench for the Blue Jackets and he changed his coaching style up a bit, which helped them crack the postseason in four consecutive seasons. 

Still, the two sides decided to part way when his contract expired and he landed with the rebuilding Flyers -- where he spent the previous three seasons before being let go just a few weeks ago. 

It’s unknown if the two-time Jack Adams award winner is ready to call it a quits or not -- but if he wants to give it one more try, he just might be one of the top candidates to land back on Broadway.

Mike Sullivan 

If Sullivan is fired by the Penguins, he’d like be at the top of Drury’s list. 

He has enjoyed a ton of success during his 10 seasons in Pittsburgh, but with the team missing the playoffs for the third straight year and in the midst of a deep rebuild, they may look to get a new voice behind the bench.

Sullivan has 751 wins to his name and he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion. 

The 57-year-old Massachusetts-native already has plenty of ties to the organization -- he was originally drafted by the Rangers back in the fourth-round of the 1987 Draft, but he elected to remain in college at Boston University. 

He served as an assistant on Tortorella’s staff back in 2009 -- a team that had Drury serving as it’s captain. 

Sullivan was also selected to led a USA squad during the 4 Nations Face-Off that had a handful of key Rangers and Drury serving as the assistant GM. 

David Carle

Carle is a star coach on the rise around the game. 

He’s quickly become one of the hottest names for NHL openings after he helped shape the University of Denver into a college hockey powerhouse -- leading them to a pair of national championships over the past four seasons. 

This year, the Pioneers were eliminated by the eventual national champion Western Michigan Broncos in a double overtime thriller in the Frozen Four. 

The 35-year-old also has a Coach of the Year award to his name and he’s secured back-to-back gold medal at the World Junior Championships with team USA. 

After failing with Boston University product David Quinn a few years ago, New York may be hesitant to take a big swing on a coach with no NHL experience -- but if they do, Carle is an intriguing candidate.

Michael Peca

Peca has been an assistant coach under Laviolette the past two seasons. 

The two have been together for quite some time -- as the 51-year-old had previously served as the player development coach for one year late in Laviolette’s stint behind the bench with the Washington Capitals. 

Prior to that, Peca enjoyed a successful 14-year playing career. 

He was a former captain and two-time Selke award winner who bounced around the league -- spending time with the Canucks, Sabres, Islanders, Oilers, Leafs and Blue Jackets. 

Drury may ultimately want to clean house from this coaching staff -- but if he decides he would rather just promote from within the organization, taking a chance on Peca could be an interesting possibility. 

Rick Tocchet 

It’s remains to be seen if Vancouver will use the club option in Tocchet’s contract -- but if they do not and the 61-year-old does become a free agent, New York may take a long look there. 

Tocchet took home the Jack Adams award last season after leading the Canucks to a first place finish in the Pacific, but they haven’t quite had the same success this year -- as they also failed to reach the postseason. 

Still, he is said to be well-liked by the players and has shown the ability to hold his players accountable. 

The one question mark here is whether or not Tocchet has a good relationship with Rangers center J.T. Miller, who he called out earlier this season for his poor play while he was still with the Canucks.