Calvin de Haan's public frustrations symptomatic of Rangers' general unhappiness
Calvin de Haan of the Rangers skates against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden on March 3. Credit: Jim McIsaac
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When a team doesn’t make the playoffs, no one should be happy. And on Sunday, a day after his team was eliminated from playoff contention, Rangers defenseman Calvin de Haan made his unhappiness public.
De Haan was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in March, a week before the trade deadline, along with Juuso Parssinen and a couple of draft picks for Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. But after Rangers general manager Chris Drury traded for defenseman Carson Soucy at the deadline, de Haan became an unused spare part. He has been scratched for 18 consecutive games.
So when he stepped on the ice for the Rangers’ optional practice on Sunday, de Haan expressed frustration about not playing in front of two reporters.
The reporters asked if he wished to talk after practice and de Haan said yes, but he then changed his mind. He promised to share his feelings at the team’s breakup day after the season ends Thursday.
However, after the reporters described what happened on social media, de Haan took to Twitter to share some of his feelings about his not playing since March 5.
“I said what I said because I am frustrated, and any competitor who says that they would be happy in this position would be lying to you,’’ he wrote. “After playing three games for the team and going 2-0-1, I thought I maybe would have got an opportunity to jump into the lineup and help win some games. Did I help win those games I played, maybe? Maybe not? But we still won and collected some crucial points to climb the standings.’’
De Haan is not the first Ranger to go public with his discontent about playing time this season. In December, after he was scratched for a game in St. Louis, forward Kaapo Kakko complained bitterly about being scratched because the team was losing.
“I know you’ve got to do something as a coach when you’re losing games, but I think it’s just . . . easy to pick a young guy and pull him out,’’ Kakko said on Dec. 17.
He was traded to Seattle the next day.
Defenseman Zac Jones also expressed his frustration about not playing on New Year’s Day. “I’m just generally a pretty easygoing, happy person. And no matter what is going on in my life, I’m gonna try and come to the rink with a smile on my face,’’ Jones said. “But it sucks.’’
It’s all part of what’s been a miserable season for the Rangers, who were Presidents’ Trophy winners and Eastern Conference finalists last season but will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Drury tried to help by trying to remake the roster within the season. He traded away captain Jacob Trouba and Kakko in December, Filip Chytil in January, and Lindgren, Vesey and Reilly Smith in March. But the changes didn’t help, and now Drury has a lot to do over the summer to try to make sure the Rangers get back into the postseason in 2026.
Coach Peter Laviolette, who led the team to franchise records of 55 wins and 114 points in his first season last year, likely will be fired.
“I think everything gets looked at when a year is not good like this,’’ Laviolette told reporters Sunday when asked about his job security. “I’m not blind to anything. I love being here with these guys and the New York Rangers. It’s a year where everything went right to a year where things didn’t go right. When things don’t go right, I’m sure everything gets looked at. I’m not naive.’’
Robertson to make debut. D Braden Schneider, who has been playing through an upper-body injury, will be shut down for the final two games. The Rangers recalled D Matthew Robertson from Hartford and Laviolette said he will make his NHL debut Monday against Florida.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
