'It’s F----d': Calvin de Haan Rips Rangers As Disastrous Season Nears End

The New York Rangers were eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention Saturday, and nobody in the organization can be happy with the way things have unfolded for them this season.

But one Ranger in particular – veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan – made it publicly known how angry he is at the moment. And de Haan speaking out could be the precursor to major changes for the Blueshirts.

Speaking to the New York Post Sunday at practice, de Haan said, “How about the way I’ve been treated here? It’s f----d." De Haan bit his tongue after that statement, but he told media he’d be “very transparent” at the end of the season. 

You can understand why de Haan’s frustrations boiled over with Rangers management: he’s been a healthy scratch since March 3 – missing 18-straight games – and he had been playing third-pair minutes for the Colorado Avalanche before being dealt to the Rangers in the March 1 deal that sent blueliner Ryan Lindgren to the Avs.

De Haan also made a post to X later Sunday, saying he thought he had the opportunity to help win more games after going 2-0-1 in his three appearances.

"As a player you have to respect the lineup decisions whether you like them or not, it’s just been frustrating not being able to compete and do what I love to do," he wrote as part of his post.

At 33 years old, de Haan – who will be a UFA at season’s end – is nearing the conclusion of his 12-year NHL career, and no player wants to be treated as a spare part. But de Haan’s criticism of the Blueshirts is going to be a stain on the team moving into the off-season, and it could give pause to free-agent NHLers who take in de Haan’s comments and decide to join a team that doesn’t have its players openly ripping team brass.

There’s no doubt de Haan was happy to play on an Avalanche team that, unlike the Rangers, was going places this season. And being forced to sit on the sidelines and watch helplessly as the Rangers nosedived out of playoff contention is obviously the straw that broke the camel’s back for de Haan.

If he had even the slightest inkling the Blueshirts would re-sign him for the 2025-26 campaign, de Haan would’ve kept his anger to himself, the way many players on losing teams choose to do. But clearly, he’s not concerned about burning bridges, and consequently, the Rangers look bad for not addressing the situation to de Haan’s satisfaction.

He’s going to be a free agent who will be, at best, a depth addition next year, so de Haan almost assuredly understands his place in the pecking order. But we don’t know the whole story behind him lashing out – and to be fair, we don’t know the Rangers’ side of the story – so Rangers GM Chris Drury will want to snuff out this human resources fire before it affects more people in the organization.

Indeed, de Haan has created a negative spectacle with his choice of words, and the public relations impact could affect Rangers fans and potential veteran additions this summer.

No player is bigger than a team, of course. But the way you handle your roster assets does reflect on you as a franchise. And that’s why de Haan’s outburst needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. It sure sounds like de Haan is going to be in a position to lash out to an even bigger degree when the season ends, so Drury has to do major damage control immediately to prevent that from happening. 

Because if he doesn’t, the odor of a player who feels betrayed or misled is going to linger – and the Rangers are going to take an even bigger PR hit than the one they’re dealing with now.

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