Rangers Rumors: John Hynes Among HC Candidates After Predators Exit

John Hynes will be in search of a new job this offseason after being fired as head coach of the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, but he will reportedly be in the mix for another franchise's head coaching search.

According to The Athletic's Arthur Staple, Hynes is among the candidates being considered by the New York Rangers.

The Rangers are seeking a replacement for Gerard Gallant, who mutually agreed to part ways with the team this month after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the rival New Jersey Devils in seven games. New York went 99-46-19 in two seasons under Gallant, placing third in the Metropolitan Division this year with a record of 47-22-13.

The series loss to the Devils, which came after the Rangers had won the first two games, was even more disappointing after the massive expectations New York faced entering the postseason.

The team had acquired star wingers Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko at the trade deadline this season in hopes of making a deep playoff run following last year's trip to the Eastern Conference Final. Both Kane and Tarasenko will be unrestricted free agents this summer.

Hynes, who was replaced by former Florida Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette on Tuesday, had coached the Predators for a little over three seasons after being hired midway through the 2019-20 campaign.

Nashville had a record of 134-95-18 during Hynes' tenure and never finished higher than fourth place in the Central Division. The team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14 after going 42-31-8 this season.

Despite a disappointing run in Nashville, Hynes could have an inside track to securing the Rangers' position. Staple pointed out that the 48-year-old is a former college teammate of Rangers general manager Chris Drury.