CHICAGO — Now that the NHL draft is over, the Rangers can focus internally, and that’s starting with a change in the coaching staff.
First-year assistant Jeff Beukeboom will no longer hold that job next season, and all signs are pointing to veteran headman Lindy Ruff taking over the defensive responsibilities, if not more. Because the deal with Ruff was not completed, general manager Jeff Gorton would not confirm the new hire. But he would confirm that Beukeboom is not leaving the Rangers organization, just shifting roles.
“We met with Jeff and we agreed on both sides to offer him another job,” Gorton said on Saturday afternoon at United Center, where rounds 2-7 of the draft took place. “He wanted to do something else, so we’re going to put him in another role. It’s yet to be defined, but he’s definitely going to be part of the Rangers going forward. As far as his replacement, that’s ongoing, trying to figure that out now.”
This was Beukeboom’s first year behind the Rangers bench after a stellar career as a Rangers defenseman and four years as an assistant with AHL Hartford. Ruff spent 15 years as the coach of the Sabres and four with the Stars before being fired after this past season. He would certainly bring more experience to the staff, and head coach Alain Vigneault is obviously quite secure in his job to bring on such a big name in support.
“It’s always nice to have experience,” Gorton said. “[Beukeboom] had plenty of experience, but it’s just a mutual thing, and I think we have a better role for him right now. As we move forward, who replaces him, if he’s going to be experienced or not, we’ll see. We’ll talk to some people and hopefully have some results soon.”
As far as the Rangers’ big two remaining restricted free agents, forwards Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast, Gorton said he is working on getting both signed — with Zibanejad’s deal possibly waiting to see what the market bears.
“We’re open to anything as far as Mika,” Gorton said. “We want to make a good deal. It could be short term, it could be long term; we’re wide open. I’ve had conversations with [his agents]. I think we’ll see how the market plays out a little bit and then we’ll go from there.”
The discussions with Fast seem closer to getting done, with Gorton saying he would “like to have something done relatively soon.”
The expansion draft that happened Wednesday kind of threw a wrench into negotiations, and Fast held some leverage with a certain amount of players needing to be exposed to the Vegas Golden Knights.
“In some cases, it’s whether they’re more attractive with a contract or not to another team, like Vegas,” Gorton said. “Those are questions we ask. Jesper has been a good Ranger, and hopefully we get it done soon.”
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Veteran defenseman Kevin Klein is contemplating retirement, still with one year on his deal that carries a $2.9 million salary-cap hit. Gorton said he spoke to Klein recently, but all they decided was that they would talk again soon.
“I don’t really have an update,” Gorton said. “I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.”
The Rangers need a backup goalie, but impressive 21-year-old Russian prospect Igor Shestyorkin is not in the mix. He is still under contract in the KHL for the next two years, a deal that Gorton called “pretty iron clad.”