Glen Sather placed a call yesterday morning to Lou Lamoriello to ask for permission to speak with Larry Robinson about the Rangers’ head coaching position, The Post has learned.
As of late yesterday afternoon, Robinson, who on Sunday had told The Post that he would be “stupid not to listen [to the Rangers],” had not been made aware of the request by Lamoriello.
“I’m meeting with Lou [today], so I imagine that’s when it would come up,” Robinson, who is under contract to the Devils until June 30 but has yet to sign the three-year consulting contract with the team that would kick in on July 1, said when told of the Ranger inquiry. “If permission has been asked, I’d be pretty surprised if Lou wouldn’t give it, but again, I would think that would be part of our discussion.”
Lamoriello, who would face a storm of derision by refusing to allow Robinson to seek employment in the locale of his choosing – then again, having Robinson come into the Meadowlands next year as head coach of the Rangers isn’t a cheerful scenario for the GM to contemplate, either – refused yesterday to publicly commit on the subject.
While Sather waits for permission to speak with the individual who coached the Devils to 31 playoff wins in two years as head man behind the New Jersey bench, sources have told The Post that the GM is not accelerating his timetable because of possible competition from Philadelphia (or the Devils) for Ken Hitchcock. Sather intends to wait until he has spoken to key candidates – including LA assistant Dave Tippett and Montreal assistant Guy Carbonneau – who are currently unavailable because of playoff commitments.
In addition, Sather is expected to meet with Pat Burns this week and Herb Brooks next week.