Speculation: The coaching search continues

[Micklebot]

Yep, it happened at least twice in the Melnyk era

Murray wanted Bob Hartley in 2008 but reportedly was capped on $$$ so we ended up with the awful Craig Hartsburg

Boudreau was in the final steps in 2016 but Minnesota offered more term and $$$

Boucher had one of the lowest NHL coach salaries during his tenure

DJ Smith was likely not a pricey coach either

I think you're mixing up Hartley with DeBoer. Hartley was also interviewed but it was DeBoer that supposedly flew to Barbados to meet with Melnyk.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Hiring the head coach sooner than later is a priority so that they can support the coach's footprint in recruiting the types of players they need. To supplement with what they know of their own evaluation of player personnel.

Too Bad there was no suitable Head Coach Candidates when DJS was let go, with 57 games left in the season.

Who knows, perhaps if they did hire an acceptable Head Coach, with NHL Head coaching Experience and perhaps one that also had a Stanley Cup ring, as Head Coach…. He could have had a front row seat, and a behind the scene look at the current roster, and could today, be giving valuable feed back to the Rookie GM, and the rest of the staff, to help chart the course this off-season….

But it sure looks like our Rookie GM is bound and determined to hire a buddy, and make him a NHL Rookie Head Coach… after going with the substitute teacher/lame duck route, with 57 games left.

Oilers and Islanders hired head coaches mid season, when both teams were well out of the playoff picture……

 

[Laphroaig]

The organization has generally had their best years/highest peaks under coaches with previous NHL HC experience (Martin/Murray/Boucher) and has had some of their lowest moments under guys who were first time NHL HC's (Clouston/Hartsburg/DJ/ect) so I think there's probably an inherent bias towards guys who've "been there and done that".

It doesn't mean there's a right or wrong way to approach this coaching search, it just means there's reasons why people might want to see someone with experience brought in.

At the end of the day I'm confident whoever will be brought in will be an upgrade over what the team has had recently, but it's "easier" to get behind a veteran of the game who can show our young group what it takes to win.

Craig Hartsburg had five and a half years of head coaching experience in the NHL before joining the Senators.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

I wouldn’t mind Creed as the head coach.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I think you're mixing up Hartley with DeBoer. Hartley was also interviewed but it was DeBoer that supposedly flew to Barbados to meet with Melnyk.

I heard that meeting was legitimately 30 seconds long

It’s gonna be gruden or Sullivan. If it was berube they would have hired him.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

 

[Micklebot]

32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with Jeff Marek and NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

www.sportsnet.ca

Friedman saying he no longer thinks it will be Gruden in Ottawa, starts around 36 mins

 

[GCK]

32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with Jeff Marek and NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

www.sportsnet.ca

Friedman saying he no longer thinks it will be Gruden in Ottawa, starts around 36 mins

Cmon Dubas, fire Sullivan so you have room to bring in Keefe. Do it before the end of round 1.

 

[Micklebot]

Cmon Dubas, fire Sullivan so you have room to bring in Keefe. Do it before the end of round 1.

Sullivan would be pretty good, I'd be down with that.

 

[GCK]

Sullivan would be pretty good, I'd be down with that.

I think if Sullivan gets let go, we have a real shot to get him.

 

[redbrick98]

I think if Sullivan gets let go, we have a real shot to get him.

Do we know if PIT has confirmed he's coming back ?

Sullivan would be pretty good, I'd be down with that.

Do we know if Sullivan is confirmed coming back to PIT as of right now?

 

[Micklebot]

I think if Sullivan gets let go, we have a real shot to get him.

The problem with Sullivan isn't whether we'd have a chance, it's that he just signed an extension that hasn't even started yet... But Hextall signed it not Dubas so...

 

[Tuna99]

Too Bad there was no suitable Head Coach Candidates when DJS was let go, with 57 games left in the season.

Who knows, perhaps if they did hire an acceptable Head Coach, with NHL Head coaching Experience and perhaps one that also had a Stanley Cup ring, as Head Coach…. He could have had a front row seat, and a behind the scene look at the current roster, and could today, be giving valuable feed back to the Rookie GM, and the rest of the staff, to help chart the course this off-season….

But it sure looks like our Rookie GM is bound and determined to hire a buddy, and make him a NHL Rookie Head Coach… after going with the substitute teacher/lame duck route, with 57 games left.

Oilers and Islanders hired head coaches mid season, when both teams were well out of the playoff picture……

advantage of the Oilers and Islanders is the GM’s had built those teams and understood them inside and out, so could move on coaches to suit the team needs. Staois had just started and needed to evaluate his team before he could even understand what type of players he has and what type of coach he needs

 

[redbrick98]

The problem with Sullivan isn't whether we'd have a chance, it's that he just signed an extension that hasn't even started yet... But Hextall signed it not Dubas so...

Don't really see that as an issue...

The thing is if Dubas /PIT go down that route ... they gotta know that he'll be picked up by another team pretty quickly and that $$ will be offset ..

 

[Micklebot]

Don't really see that as an issue...

The thing is if Dubas /PIT go down that route ... they gotta know that he'll be picked up by another team pretty quickly and that $$ will be offset ..

Just feels like a bad look to fire a guy before his contract even starts, but since it was a Hextall contract I'm not writing off the possibility.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Cmon Dubas, fire Sullivan so you have room to bring in Keefe. Do it before the end of round 1.

my pie in the sky hope is for Carolina to lose 1st round and fire Rod the Bod. I imagine Buffalo and other teams will back up the Brinks truck for him.

That would be a best in class hire.

 

[Crosside]

Now , I m leaning forward for Dean Evason

 

[GCK]

Now , I m leaning forward for Dean Evason

Zero interest.

 

[redbrick98]

Just feels like a bad look to fire a guy before his contract even starts, but since it was a Hextall contract I'm not writing off the possibility.

It's becoming more of a common thing in NHL circles now, just business ... look at Buffalo for instance with Granato, gone before extention kicked in ..

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Zero interest.

why?

 

[Emerica]

I really hope we get a vet coach in the mold of Bowness, Laviolette, Maurice who has been there done that. Wouldn't mind Gerard Gallant even if its just for two years. Need someone that is going to call out the guys on their BS habits

 

[GCK]

why?

Evanson has won 1 playoff series in Junior, 0 in the AHL and 0 in the NHL. I’d rather a successful retread or a fresh option like David Carle.

 

[BankStreetParade]

It's gonna be some random AHL coach.

Staios, probably: "Hmmmm, let's see if we put some AHL coaches in a randomizer...aaaaaaaand, still ended up with Jon Gruden! Huh, weird!"

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Evason would be good.

 

[redbrick98]

Evason would be good.

We might be able to do better even ...

Deboer might shake loose in DAL if they go out first round ...


Jacques Martin gave DeBoer his 1st NHL job ....