Coach coming circa January 2021

[LadyStanley]

GM Francis has timetable on January 2021 to hire coach

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[gstommylee]

Makes sense to wait till 2021 for a coach.

 

[StreetHawk]

Makes sense to wait till 2021 for a coach.

January seems like an odd time of year. You can’t hire an assistant who is employed in 20-21. Would have to be someone out of work.
Would have thought summer of 2020 so he could be involved in scouting and provide input on expansion draft.

 

[gstommylee]

January seems like an odd time of year. You can’t hire an assistant who is employed in 20-21. Would have to be someone out of work.
Would have thought summer of 2020 so he could be involved in scouting and provide input on expansion draft.

But hiring a coach an entire year before the team plays kinda is a waste of money.

 

[StreetHawk]

But hiring a coach an entire year before the team plays kinda is a waste of money.

Small price to pay for someone who will be assisting with the scouting and deciding who they want on the roster to start.

 

[Lindys Lazy Eye]

You guys want one gently used John Hynes?

 

[LadyStanley]

Often a handful of (good) coaches (with a history of success) aren't doing well before Christmas so are out of work.

January 2021 is the **planned** date for hire. If the right guy comes along in November, he might get hired then.

 

[VanIslander]

January is earlier than Vegas did.

Gallant was hired in APRIL (he had been fired the previous November, as coaches ate scapegoated, after lousy Florida had a slow start.

January is fine. He might decide to wait until the end of season and get a guy finishing a contract in April or May.

Seattle has a GM and assistant GM. The scouting dep't is what will be more important to focus on.

After all, the kind of coach you want to hire may be influenced by the kinds of players drafted (quality veterans available? Or longterm youth projects?)

 

[LadyStanley]

Vegas set what they wanted as a team identity (fast, hard hitting) and then went and got the players that met those criteria in the expansion draft. (Entry draft, it was focused on BPA.)

The NHL coach will have a couple of years without too many "kids" in the lineup. (Now, their AHL guy -- he might have a few undrafted kids, but majority of players might be from expansion draft.)

 

[NitroF]

Hello Mike Babcock!

 

[brewski420]

Hello Mike Babcock!

No. I think he would want too much control. Hearing fans from both Detroit and Toronto not liking the way he managed/coached makes me nervous about starting a franchise with him.

 

[LadyStanley]

Babcock is owed $5.875m until 2022. Anything that his new team doesn't pay has to come out of TML's pocket.

I don't know that Babs is the coach for Seattle. I'm assuming he'll find a new position before the end of the season, not hang out for 1.5+ seasons.

 

[LadyStanley]

31 Thoughts: Flames not interested in selling low on Gaudreau - Sportsnet.ca

A few more specifics from Freidman on what is being looked at for a coach

Seattle GM Ron Francis ... was asked what he’s looking for in his first coach.

“The most critical thing for me is the experience,” he said. “You’re going to be picking players from all different teams, you’re going to try and bring them into your locker room and get them together as your team and get them on the same page. You’re trying to figure out what you have, and how they fit…. I think it’s critical for me to able to say, ‘I know it’s not the coach.’ A guy with some experience in the role to start for sure.”

Francis re-iterated that the plan is to wait until 2021 to hire someone, although he reserves the right to go earlier if the opportunity presents itself.

Getting guys from 30 teams and free agency to gell into a team does take someone with experience at the helm.

 

[TheeNorthStar]

I really hope Pete DeBoer gets a chance in Seattle. I personally think he’s a good coach.

 

[LadyStanley]

I really hope Pete DeBoer gets a chance in Seattle. I personally think he’s a good coach.

He'll be out of coaching for as long as he wants to be. I doubt he'll (still) be available in a year (when Seattle will be looking to hire a coach)

 

[TheeNorthStar]

Gerard Gallant anyone? Here's another chance for him to rebuild a team via expansion.

 

[LadyStanley]

17 months without coaching? Doubt it.

He could be hired by new organization before the end of the season, easily. (Or even over the summer)

 

[TheeNorthStar]

17 months without coaching? Doubt it.

He could be hired by new organization before the end of the season, easily. (Or even over the summer)

No doubt. Really my hope is that the FO staff just brings him on board ala Dave Tippett and use Gerard as a resource on how to operate, build and scout successfully like he did in Vegas. And ensuring that he'll be the HC on game 1. But of course, if he wants to coach right away -- he will coach.

 

[LadyStanley]

Paywall. Still on track for hiring between January and June 2021.

 

[gstommylee]

Sounds like they may hire one this summer and not wait another 6 months to a year due to potential candidates not being available later.