Rink Rap | A New York Rangers Podcast from Forever Blueshirts

Lou Orlando fills in for Jim Cerny on the Rink Rap Podcast from Forever Blueshirts, breaking down the latest on the New York Rangers as the season winds down. Lafreniere is playing the best hockey of his career — but is it real? Plus, is Gabe Perreault being set up for the same power play frustration Lafreniere dealt with for years? And with Dylan Grandy getting recalled, what's going on in the Rangers' crease?

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Chapters:

0:00 – Intro 

0:18 – Lou Orlando fills in for Jim Cerny 

1:37 – March Madness & Rangers struggles 

3:13 – Rangers post-Olympic break: fool's gold confirmed 

5:32 – Panarin's return to MSG 

9:18 – Kopitar & Quick moment; hockey history 

11:14 – JT Miller returns, Rangers slide continues 

13:03 – Mika Zibanejad still producing 

13:58 – Noah Laba injury concern 

16:48 – BREAK 

16:53 – Lafreniere's surge: 8 goals, 15 points in 12 games 

21:00 – Is this real or garbage time production? 

24:10 – Should the Rangers trade Lafreniere this offseason? 

28:33 – Laviolette on Lafreniere's power play usage 

33:46 – Gabe Pro: following in Lafreniere's footsteps? 

37:19 – Rangers PP numbers since Olympic break 

39:15 – What happens to Pro's role next season? 

42:39 – Dylan Grandy recalled; the goalie situation 

46:44 – Final thoughts & outro

Lou Orlando fills in for Jim Cerny and breaks down New York's three-game skid, Panarin's return to MSG, and why losing is actually the right move for this franchise right now.

Lafreniere's post-Olympic surge is real enough to get excited about, but the bigger question is whether Gabe Perrault is already being set up for the same power play exile that stunted Lafreniere's development for years.

The Rangers didn't blow things up at the trade deadline — and Pierre McGuire is here to explain why that might actually be the right call. We break down every move New York has made in their retool, dig into why Vincent Trocheck stayed put, and sit down with Pierre to get his unfiltered take on where this franchise is headed. He weighs in on Chris Drury's deadline discipline, what he sees in Gabe Perreault's future, whether Alexis Lafreniere is finally turning a corner, why the Brennan Othmann experiment ran its course, and what Braden Schneider and Scott Morrow need to become for this team. Plus — the Adam Fox contract situation is coming, and nobody's pretending it isn't. #rangers #NYRangers #NHL

Chapters:

0:00 – Intro / Welcome 

1:38 – Trade deadline recap begins; why Jim held off on a hot take 

3:18 – The Trocheck decision: breaking down why he wasn't traded 

5:07 – Trocheck's value, stats, and what he brings 

9:56 – Will the off-season bring a better return? Cap implications, NTC shift 

16:17 – Did the Rangers make the right call? Reading Trocheck's vibe post-deadline 

23:20 – Quick breakdown of all Rangers trades (Carrick, Panarin, Karic, Othmann, Pulliot) 

28:36 – SEGMENT 2 BEGINS: Pierre McGuire joins the show

29:44 – Fool's gold or real? Rangers' strong play since the Olympic break 

32:28 – Player development failures; the Schneider/Lafreniere problem 

32:50 – Why it didn't work with Brennan Othmann 3

4:16 – The BU coaching tree: Sullivan, Quinn, Drury connection 

38:54 – The Adam Fox conundrum heading into the offseason 

41:30 – Is Lafreniere finally figuring it out post-Panarin? 

43:10 – Gabe Perreault: Pierre's full scouting breakdown 

45:06 – Quick question: Chris Drury sticking to his guns at the deadline 

47:10 – Around the league: Colorado as Cup favorites, Minnesota's moves 

50:30 – Should the NHL go to a play-in format? Conference-seeded playoffs? 

52:22 – Between the benches memories: Rangers moments that stood out to Pierre 

59:14 – Wrap-up / Sign-off

We set the table on the Rangers' ongoing retool — what they've done, what they passed on, and why keeping Vincent Trocheck made more sense than moving him. A full breakdown of every deal New York has made and what it signals about where Drury thinks this roster is going.

Pierre McGuire joins the show and doesn't hold back. From whether the Rangers' recent strong play is real or just pressure-relief to Gabe Perreault's ceiling, Lafreniere's evolution, the Othmann trade, defensive development in Schneider and Morrow, and the offseason Adam Fox decision that could define the next era in New York.

The NHL trade deadline arrives Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern, and Jim Cerny breaks down exactly where the New York Rangers stand heading into one of the most pivotal 72 hours in franchise history. This isn't just about who gets moved on Friday — it's about the full shape of the retool: who stays, who goes at the deadline and beyond, what the Rangers must demand in return, and which young players are ready to step into the picture sooner than you might think. Plus, Gabe Perreault's emergence takes center stage, and Adam Fox's future gets a hard look after some notably ambiguous comments.

Chapters:

0:00 — Intro: Deadline Week Is Here Setting the table for Friday's 3 p.m. deadline and why it's not the only date that matters in the retool.

6:00 — Rangers Post-Break Report Card Three overtime games, two collapses, one comeback — what the results actually say about this team.

11:22 — Gabe Perreault Is Figuring It Out Career-high three points vs. Columbus, growing confidence, and what it would mean for this season if he emerges as a top-six fixture.

17:34 — Adam Fox's Ambiguous Future Fox sidesteps two direct questions about staying. Jim breaks down what that non-answer actually signals.

20:00 — Jim's Princeton Women's Hockey Call A personal aside: Jim called the ECAC quarterfinals for ESPN+, Princeton punches their ticket to Lake Placid.

23:12 — Igor's Cheeky Deflection Shesterkin plays the "I don't speak English" card when asked about the retool letter.

36:05 — Segment 3: The Deadline Breakdown Begins Why Friday isn't the be-all-end-all, and why nailing the Trocheck return is the most important move Chris Drury makes.

39:24 — Trocheck: Trade Him Now Peak value, East Coast destination, Minnesota Wild offer on the table — why this deal needs to happen before the deadline.

46:35 — What the Rangers Must Target in Return Speed, youth, finishers, and future leaders. Why Noah Laba is already a core piece.

50:46 — Schneider and Lafreniere: Not Going at the Deadline Jim's take on why both stay for now, and what kind of return they'd need to justify an offseason move.

54:38 — Carrick, Raddysh, Othman, Berard: Who Stays, Who Goes Sorting through the bottom-six — who has value, who Sullivan doesn't trust, and who needs to clear a spot.

1:01:44 — Connor Sheary: Find Him a New Home A Sully favorite, but his roster spot needs to go to younger players. Trade him for whatever you can get.

1:03:20 — Kartye and Iorio: Low-Risk, High-Upside Additions Why claiming both off waivers was the right move, and how Iorio fits in as Morrow competition.

1:05:48 — Prospects Turning Pro: Greentree, Aspinall, Fortescue, Lamb Who's expected to make the jump to Hartford this spring — and a reality check on prospect hype.

1:08:41 — Closing: The Retool Is a Process, Not a Deadline Final thoughts and a reminder that more moves are coming all summer long.

Gabe Perreault's post-break breakout and what it means for the Rangers' rebuild.

dam Fox's murky comments about his future put his place in the retool under the microscope.

The full roster breakdown — who stays, who goes, new additions and which prospects could turn pro by spring.