Available - Vociferous Coach and His Baggage - NYTimes.com The Rangers" dismissal of John Tortorella has prompted plenty of speculation about who their next coach might be. But what about Tortorella? Where will he land? Tortorella is no ordinary coach. For one thing, he won a Stanley Cup - with Tampa Bay in 2004 - and that means teams will consider hiring him. But he comes with some baggage that will limit his options. While Rangers General Manager Glen Sather would not elaborate Wednesday on his decision to fire Tortorella, there are several plausible reasons behind it, apart from the fact that, as goalie Henrik Lundqvist and other players said, the Rangers took a step backward this season. There is the sense that Tortorella's demanding style, and often insulting demeanor, caused him to lose support among his players. That will certainly resonate with teams looking for a coach. His public persona could also curb interest. Sather was noncommittal when asked if Tortorella's demeaning remarks and curtness with reporters figured in his firing, but many N.H.L. clubs that guard their public image closely - especially those in small markets - would not want to be defined by Tortorella's outbursts. In fairness, Tortorella made an effort this season to curb those angry encounters. But as the pressure mounted late in the regular season and in the playoffs, he was less able to filter his statements. Regardless, his long history of confrontational exchanges with reporters has branded him, perhaps permanently, in hockey circles. So who would hire Tortorella? Because he would have difficulty overseeing a seriously flawed roster, he would probably be a bad fit for clubs in the early stages of rebuilding. The ideal team for him would be one on the rise or an underachiever. Either might benefit from a short-term motivational spur. And his ideal employer would very likely be a maverick organization, less concerned with how the rest of the hockey world views it, or one that wants to redefine itself as snarly, with Tortorella as its public face. Two teams immediately come to mind: the Philadelphia Flyers, who have historically embraced the image of N.H.L. bad boys, and the Islanders, who may want to adopt a new attitude as they begin their move to Brooklyn. For now, both teams seem happy with their coaches, Peter Laviolette and Jack Capuano. But if the Flyers tank as drastically next season as they did this year, who could deny the appeal of the Broad Street Bullies" hiring the biggest bully in coaching? Lundqvist's Value After Henrik Lundqvist said Monday, "I'm going to talk to my agent - we'll see," in response to a question about his interest in signing a contract extension this summer, it was later interpreted as a swipe at the soon-to-be-departing John Tortorella, even though the coach was not mentioned in the question. More likely, and more worrisome for the Rangers, Lundqvist was signaling that he intends to negotiate hard during the last year of his contract. What he said was a far cry from what Pavel Datsyuk, facing the same situation in Detroit, said Friday: "I look forward to playing here for many years to come." The Rangers should probably be prepared to give Lundqvist what he wants, because he is a franchise player - perhaps even more important to his club than Alex Ovechkin in Washington or Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh. Lundqvist's average salary, $6.875 million, is the 23rd highest in the N.H.L. But he has a strong argument to demand something in the neighborhood of Ovechkin's league-high $9.538 million average, or the $8.7 million average, the next highest salaries, of Crosby and Malkin. Consider where the Rangers would have been if, in each of Lundqvist's eight seasons with the club, his save percentage were replaced by the N.H.L."s average. This season, replacing Lundqvist's .926 percentage with a goalie at the N.H.L. average of .912, the Rangers would have given up 17 more goals. Assuming, conservatively, that two goals equal a point in the standings, Lundqvist's absence would have cost the Rangers about eight points. And since they made the playoffs with only five points to spare, it is fair to assume they would have missed the playoffs altogether. The Rangers made the playoffs in seven of Lundqvist's eight seasons. But if Lundqvist were switched for an average goalie for that time, the Rangers would have allowed 162 more goals - and probably made the playoffs only twice. Those are compelling numbers for Lundqvist and his agent, Don Meehan, to wield. Safety Concerns Penguins General Manager Ray Shero is one of the N.H.L."s most progressive voices when it comes to player safety. But when asked Friday if the league should consider requiring a full helmet with jaw protector, he rejected the idea, although such equipment is mandatory in the N.C.A.A. and similar to the one Sidney Crosby wore until last week. "No, I don't think so," Shero said. Crosby's broken jaw, and those of several other N.H.L. players each season, might have been prevented by full helmets, but a discussion at the N.H.L. level seems a long way off. Dozens upon dozens of serious eye injuries have occurred since the first clear face shield was introduced in 1974. Only now are N.H.L. players on the verge of approving the mandatory use of visors.