At this point, the New York Rangers fans probably don’t even know what to expect. The team lost the playoffs race after bombing against the Hurricanes in a 7-3 loss. Yet, in a cruel twist, tonight they beat the Florida Panthers, who had beaten them in last year’s conference final. What’s more? They defeated the defending champs with three young talents in the lineup.

Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann came off the bench, while Matthew Robertson made his NYR debut. However, coach Peter Laviolette once again drew the ire of the community for benching yet another younger talent Brett Berard. The fans have already called out Laviolette for sitting on the promising young talents for far too long. Now, journalist Larry Brooks has done the same.

“Brett Berard being a healthy scratch tonight is infuriating. Don’t tell me it’s because the Rangers need a center while also scratching Carrick. Rempe could go into the middle for his 8:00 of ice time. There’s no acceptable explanation,” the beat reporter wrote on X ahead of the Panthers game. It’s not difficult to see why even the journalist is so critical of the New York Rangers coach’s roster building.

22-year-old Brett Berard emerged as one of the stars on the ice for the Rangers when they beat their rivals, the Islanders, 9-2. “I thought Berard played a really good game [against the Flyers], and so we decided to come back with him,” Coach Laviolette admitted himself after Berard scored 2 goals. And so, like many fans, Brooks couldn’t wrap his head around why the coach would pick and choose between the young talents instead of including them all in the lineup.

The fact that the youngsters are making a difference has only fueled the fans’ argument. Brooks already fought back against those saying there wasn’t enough space in the lineup saying the veteran Sam Carrick would be on the beach, where he’s spent most of his time recently. Despite the New York Rangers crashing out of the playoffs, Laviolette is still reluctant to go all in on the young talents. But on April 14, he glossed over what goes into making decisions regarding young players.

The New York Rangers coach’s cryptic hint

Peter Laviolette spoke about his decision to recall Matthew Robertson for the last two games of their disastrous season. Robertson, who became a second-round pick in 2019, has been riding in the AHL for years. The 60-year-old explained how finally giving the 24-year-old his NHL moment after the team’s playoff dream died was far more than just a token gesture.

“This is an opportunity for him to step in and show his game… He’s played very well for us in Hartford and so… He’s still a young player. It’s not just a token, ‘Here you go.'” said the New York Rangers. While the New York Rangers coach didn’t divulge any other details, he said, “Decisions have to be made at the end of the year, on lots of different things.”

Does that mean the NYR is gauging how the rookies fit with the more experienced players? Is this a hint that after a disastrous season, last year’s President’s Trophy winners are planning to give the young players a bigger role next season? That could be the case, as Perreault has spoken about earning a place on the roster after sitting out multiple games himself.

“Obviously, everyone wants to play. But, you know, it needs to be earned,” Perreault said on Sunday. Unfortunately, Peter Laviolette didn’t shed any light on what “decision” the New York Rangers will take regarding the young talents. And that, at least for now, has only resulted in the community calling out the coach.