Alain Vigneault and John Tortorella trading places is a unique storyline. How will their new teams do?
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In the classic 80’s hit movie Trading Places, Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd are used by The Dukes. “They used as guinea pigs,” Valentine tells Winthorpe, who is restrained by servant Coleman from strangling him. A classic scene in one of the best 80’s movies. After finding out it was over a bet of one dollar, they team up and put the Dukes out of business.

In the NHL, the stakes are higher. Guide a team within grasp of the Stanley Cup and you can still lose your job. Alain Vigneault can vouch for that. In 2011, his Canucks lost in seven games to the Bruins for Lord Stanley. Following two early exits, he was out of a job. A year later, John Tortorella led the Rangers to their first Conference Final appearance since ’97. After falling to the Devils, high expectations were too much for him to overcome. Following a second round exit, he was dismissed. The locker room had become stale. Tired of the taskmaster, players wanted a fresh face with a different outlook. What they got was Vigneault. A successful coach who plays a higher tempo. The Rangers are hoping he’ll be the right fit. His successor in Vancouver turned out to be Tortorella. The Canucks felt they needed a tougher approach. That’s exactly what they got in the more demanding coach, who fared well in New York.

Now, the two coaches are pitted against each other. Tonight marks the first of three meetings between the Rangers and Canucks. What you’ll get is plenty of talk centered around Tortorella and Vigneault. Both are still adjusting to their new rosters. For Tortorella, he goes from coaching Henrik Lundqvist to the unpredictable Roberto Luongo. A man who thought his days in Vancouver were over. Instead, GM Mike Gillis stunned everyone by dealing Cory Schneider to New Jersey for 2013 first round pick Bo Horvat. Stunned by the move, the normally colorful Luongo went silent. He’s still a Canuck with his new coach praising him. The kind of love he shouldn’t get used to. What’s more intriguing is if Tortorella can get The Sedins to buy into his shot blocking style. He has emotional leader Ryan Kesler, who he’ll love more than Ryan Callahan. Meanwhile, Vigneault is looking to reignite Brad Richards, who was at odds with the coach he teamed with to win a Cup in Tampa. At his arsenal is Rick Nash, who figures to benefit from a more aggressive system. That includes pinching defensemen. Already Marc Staal has demonstrated what Vigneault wants scoring twice.

Interestingly enough, neither team has lit it up. It’s still preseason. The Canucks enter their final exhibition 1-4-0 while the Blueshirts come in 1-3-0. After tonight, the Rangers have one final game against the Kings. A Vegas reunion 23 years later. That should be a treat. For Vigneault’s club, they’ll fly home this weekend and make final preparations. They start with a crucial nine-game road trip that includes stops in LA, San Jose, Anaheim and St. Louis. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly they gel. The coaching staff is still making final decisions on a roster that finally includes re-signed center Derek Stepan. As for Vancouver, they start against the team that eliminated them at San Jose. Four of their first six are at home including visits from the Oilers and Sharks. Tortorella still has to make final cuts. Does he decide to keep Horvat?

The exciting aspect is both coaches get fresh starts along with their teams. Two coaches have never traded places like this. It’s one of the most unique storylines. Who will have more success? We shouldn’t be so quick to judge. There’s no guarantee either club reaches their goal of the Cup. It’s Year One of realignment. Gone are the days of three division winners. Making the playoffs will be more of a grind. Especially in the East where Columbus and Detroit have been added. The Rangers play in the Metropolitan that features Pittsburgh, Washington, New Jersey, Columbus, the Islanders, Philadelphia and Carolina. Even though there are only 14 teams in the West, Vancouver finds itself in a much tougher Pacific that features Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, Edmonton, Phoenix and Calgary.

Each coach is presented with new challenges. It’ll be something to follow. They shouldn’t be compared to each other. Of course, fans and media will because that can’t be helped. But they should only be judged on how their teams perform. Tonight will be fun. The Rangers won’t see the Canucks again until Saturday, Nov. 30 at The Garden. Hopefully, fans will not boo Tortorella. He doesn’t deserve it. Not for developing most of the roster Vigneault takes over. The Rangers improved under him. Expectations are higher with several players believing they’re capable of winning the Cup. What a story that would be on the 20th Anniversary of 1994. Ironically, they beat the Canucks in seven. Vancouver is still searching for its first Cup. Now it falls on Tortorella.

In a bizarre twist, the Rangers don’t return to Vancouver until April 1, 2014. An April Fool’s Day joke showing that the league has a sense of humor. By then, we’ll have a better idea on both teams. The fun starts tonight.