By Jordan Long
The New York Rangers sit at 31-18-1 with 63 points. They are in the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, seven points ahead of Philadelphia. The Rangers are also two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the third seed in the Metropolitan Division. Earlier this week, the Rangers decided to extend Head Coach Alain Vigneault for two more seasons. He will also get a pay raise. According to ESPN.com, Vigneault will make $4 million next year as well as 2018-2019. In the 2019-2020 season his salary goes up to $4.25 million. This will make him the third highest paid coach in the NHL behind Toronto’s Mike Babcock and Chicago’s Joel Quenneville.
Vigneault has been the Rangers’ head coach since 2013-2014. The Rangers made the playoffs every year with him behind the bench. They are well on their way to making a 4th appearance in the postseason. The Rangers best finish with Vigneault was in 2014 when they went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the L.A. Kings in 5 games.
This is a decent deal for Vigneault. He is one of the better coaches in the league and this extension shows how valuable Vigneault is. The Rangers didn’t want to risk losing him to another team. With him behind the bench, the Rangers are a threat to be in the post season every year and possibly make a Stanley Cup Final.
With this contract, it will be Stanley Cup or bust the next three years. If they fail to win a cup in the next two years, it might be time for Vigneault to go. He must deliver. Hopefully Vigneault’s coaching style will lead the Rangers to a Cup win for the first time since 1994. Only Time will tell.
What do you think of the New York Rangers extending Alain Vigneault?
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