3 Players Who Will Benefit from Tortorella's Firing

Now that John Tortorella has been dismissed, the New York Rangers will undergo a number of changes before the 2013-14 season. Some players and/or personnel will come or go, but more importantly, the style of play will be different.

Tortorella was ridiculed for his stubbornness and insistence on playing a bland, grind-it-out brand of hockey, and it was the belief of many that he was becoming less popular in the locker room because he refused to deviate from his initial plan.

But any players whose feathers were ruffled can now take a deep breath. In due time, a new coach will be selected and I believe the style in which that coach coaches will be drastically different.

For the purpose of this article, let us assume the new coach is more offensive, because why would general manager Glen Sather fire Tortorella just to replace him with a like-minded coach, such as Dave Tippett?

That being said, let’s take a look at the three players who will be better off now that Tortorella is seeking pastures new.

Chris Kreider

The Rangers had big plans for Chris Kreider in 2013, but unfortunately, none of them were fulfilled.

The 22-year-old rookie burst onto the scene in the 2011-12 playoffs, where he turned heads scoring five goals and seven points in 18 games. His size, speed and skill could not go unnoticed, and the popular belief was that Kreider would, in time, be a star in this league.

But during the lockout, Kreider failed to impress playing for the Connecticut Whale, and by the time the work-stoppage ended, he wasn't the most confident of hockey players. An early injury set him back even further, and before long, the youngster found himself in Torts’ doghouse.

The coach claimed he couldn't trust Kreider, in defensive terms. And for that reason, he was relegated to the fourth line before Tortorella recognized that he’d be better off playing top-line minutes for Connecticut.

What’s most interesting is that when Kreider joined the team during the playoffs last season, Tortorella claimed he wouldn't barrage the former Boston College star with systematic assignments; he was going to just let him play. And I think we can all agree that worked out pretty well.

Similarly this season, when the Rangers acquired Derick Brassard, John Moore and Derek Dorsett for Marian Gaborik, the two former arrived just minutes before their first game in New York, but went on to accumulate a total of five points together that night. Interestingly enough, Tortorella barely spoke to the two before they hit the ice, with the only orders being of the “go have fun” variety.

The point is, Tortorella poisons players with his grinding, over-defensive philosophies, and when he loses faith in their ability to execute his game plan, they end up not playing. Kreider took quite a few steps back in a year in which he was expected to shine, and it’s almost entirely Tortorella’s fault.

There’s no doubt Kreider is a kid who could use the faith of a coach who respects his skill set. 

Mats Zuccarello

Let’s assume that Mats Zuccarello is re-signed, because, well, he’s earned it.

He’s another one of those players who was almost destroyed by Tortorella. After a wildly successful stint in the top Swedish division, the Rangers won the Zuccarello sweepstakes in the summer of 2010. He was advertised as a small winger with all-world passing ability and a knack for scoring goals, but Tortorella was unimpressed with his showing in training camp and Zuc began the season with Hartford of the AHL.

He was called up initially in December of 2010 and impressed so much that he ended up staying with the team until April, when he was returned to Hartford. Apparently Tortorella scratched the varnish off yet another talented forward.

In 2011-12, Zuccarello played nearly the entire season in Connecticut before getting called up late in the season. He played 10 games—and very well, might I add—before getting injured for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

Discouraged by his lack of time with the big club, Zuccarello signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL last summer, although the Rangers were still allowed to qualify him because of his restricted free agent status.

It was obvious Tortorella was not comfortable with Zuccarello’s defensive deficiencies, and that was the main reason he hadn't played much. But Zuc also never really fit well in Tortorella’s system. He’s small, not that quick and a player who excels when in possession of the puck. Torts had no use for that type of player.

But not only did Zuc improve his defensive game and show a lot of heart after joining the team in late March, but he’s extremely talented. There were a number of teams lining up for his services in the summer of 2010 and the Rangers were lucky to nab him. His talent needs to be respected and used because he can be a very solid asset.

I’m very curious to see how a guy like Zuccarello will perform under a coach who allows him a creative license. The potential of a Zuccarello-Stepan-Nash line with offensive freedom is simply mouthwatering. 

Henrik Lundqvist

We all know Henrik Lundqvist is as good as it gets in terms of goaltending, but over the past few seasons, the Rangers haven’t been able to provide him with enough goals. Although a new coach could mean less support for Lundqvist in front of the net, it could also mean more goals-for, and potentially more wins.

Tortorella’s system encouraged net-front collapsing, and because of that the team allowed their opponents more zone time and an opportunity to create high-quality scoring chances way too often. At times, Lundqvist had to be spectacular, but his successes were, on way too many occasions, overshadowed by the team’s inability to create their own scoring chances.

A new coach could not only mean less net-front collapsing, but more scoring chances, and I think we can all agree, a little less defense and some more offense will not cripple Lundqvist; he’s the best in the biz.

But it doesn’t matter how good your goalie is, if you can’t score goals you’re not going to win. There’s only so much he can do without goal support, and he’s done just about everything he can. It’s time for a change of philosophy, and if it’s not for the sake of the fans not having to watch incredibly boring hockey, it’s for Lundqvist.

He gives his all every single night and he deserves to play behind a team that does their job while he’s doing his. If they can’t do that he could test the market next summer.