Coaching options if Bruce leaves?

[Canucks LB]

Let’s throw out some names.

The only guy that comes to mind right now, is maybe Paul Maurice?

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[VanillaCoke]

Rikard Grönborg.

Maurice makes zero sense cmon, and has already been dispelled as an option.
Will pick and choose and likely not coaching in Canada again.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Marc Crawford just became available again. Not even 100% sarcastic.

Gronborg seems like the popular choice at the moment, but I’d like an experienced coach to handle this group.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

After having a players coach (who the players clearly wanted to win for )..Having a first year Euro coach has got disaster written all over it.

If Boudreau's not here next season....dont kid yourselves.....players are going to be rightly pissed off...and 3 coaches in 2 seasons doesnt exactly demonstrate stability.

 

[canuckking1]

Mike Sullivan if he become available

 

[geebaan]

Rikard Grönborg.

Maurice makes zero sense cmon, and has already been dispelled as an option.
Will pick and choose and likely not coaching in Canada again.

I’d go Gronborg as well. But would bring BB back if he wants it, if only cause the players seem to like him.

 

[vancityluongo]

Alex Burrows or Manny Malhotra??

Less jokingly, Malhotra's colleague Dean Chynoweth; he was on Rod Brind'Amour's staff in Carolina and seemed to add some actual structure to that team after they absolutely lacked it under Bill Peters. Truthfully, I only looked him up three days ago after being hella impressed by the Leafs PK off the Clifford major. No idea if he's a good coach, lol.

Gronborg is the hot name these days and there are obvious re-treads like Vigneault and Tortorella available...but none of those names really interest me. Would rather find a highly successful assistant from a highly successful organization under a strong coach.

I've had to Google like 15 times that Andrew Brunette is the Panthers coach post-Quenneville. Literally has not stuck in my mind. But it doesn't matter - they haven't really missed a beat since their HHOF, top-5 coach of all-time was removed. And Brunette stepped in seamlessly.

We're not going to get Quenneville (or maybe we could...) or someone like Darryl Sutter, but when you look at the impact those guys had, combined with the ability for guys like MSL to just step in and... coach - it makes me think the best bet is to look for guys outside the box that could actually have tangible impacts, and not just a Mike Yeo or Dave Tippett, lol.

Finally, I'd also look at adding a guy like Jeff Blashill as an assistant. Obviously just left Detroit, but he was supposed to be the next upcoming superstar coach (in the mold of Cooper, Keefe, and Eakins) at one point, and then late-stage Ken Hollandism hit and he was stuck with a basement dweller for 7 years. He could be a guy that really takes off in a second stint with a fresh new group.

 

[Aphid Attraction]

So, um, is this where we line up to audition for the role as head coach?

 

[God]

Marc Crawford just became available again. Not even 100% sarcastic.

Gronborg seems like the popular choice at the moment, but I’d like an experienced coach to handle this group.

do you mean NHL experience? gronborg is 53, has been coaching since 1994, and did 8 years of coaching in sweden's national system before his current 3 years in the swiss league

 

[PuckMunchkin]

After having a players coach (who the players clearly wanted to win for )..Having a first year Euro coach has got disaster written all over it.

If Boudreau's not here next season....dont kid yourselves.....players are going to be rightly pissed off...and 3 coaches in 2 seasons doesnt exactly demonstrate stability.

What would disaster mean?

A step back is to be expected either way.

The players should understand that the current management did not bring Bruce here, also if Bruce chooses to leave that is on him, not on the current management.

 

[LordBacon]

Travis Green with Willie D as ass coach

 

[Diversification]

What would disaster mean?

A step back is to be expected either way.

The players should understand that the current management did not bring Bruce here, also if Bruce chooses to leave that is on him, not on the current management.

A disaster would be passing on Boudreau for a mystery box first-time coach and then having a disastrous season. We already experienced this twice with WD and TG. The grass isn’t always greener, and yes, things can get worse.

As for the notion that we take a step back next year. I mean, maybe? Depends a lot on what our offseason moves look like. I get that there are people who would like the team to take a step back and I can appreciate the logic, but it’s far from ‘expected ’. Certainly the players won’t agree with that assessment.

As for the third point, I can’t see how the players will understand hiring a coach that leads to a poorer outcome so that they can be the foundation for a potentially better team down the road. Not that player’s opinions are the be all/ end all, they’re not. But I also don’t think that they should be expected to just be okay with it for some hypothetical window of contention that may or may not materialize and future success they may or may not enjoy as a result.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

A disaster would be passing on Boudreau for a mystery box first-time coach and then having a disastrous season. We already experienced this twice with WD and TG. The grass isn’t always greener, and yes, things can get worse.

As for the notion that we take a step back next year. I mean, maybe? Depends a lot on what our offseason moves look like. I get that there are people who would like the team to take a step back and I can appreciate the logic, but it’s far from ‘expected ’. Certainly the players won’t agree with that assessment.

As for the third point, I can’t see how the players will understand hiring a coach that leads to a poorer outcome so that they can be the foundation for a potentially better team down the road. Not that player’s opinions are the be all/ end all, they’re not. But I also don’t think that they should be expected to just be okay with it for some hypothetical window of contention that may or may not materialize and future success they may or may not enjoy as a result.

Bruce has a contract for next year. Team is willing to have him back.

If he chooses not to come, that is at least mostly if not all on him.

Im afraid there is going to be a bunch of stuff that needs to happen that the players wont like in the short term.

A disaster would be passing on Boudreau for a mystery box first-time coach and then having a disastrous season. We already experienced this twice with WD and TG. The grass isn’t always greener, and yes, things can get worse.

As for the notion that we take a step back next year. I mean, maybe? Depends a lot on what our offseason moves look like. I get that there are people who would like the team to take a step back and I can appreciate the logic, but it’s far from ‘expected ’. Certainly the players won’t agree with that assessment.

As for the third point, I can’t see how the players will understand hiring a coach that leads to a poorer outcome so that they can be the foundation for a potentially better team down the road. Not that player’s opinions are the be all/ end all, they’re not. But I also don’t think that they should be expected to just be okay with it for some hypothetical window of contention that may or may not materialize and future success they may or may not enjoy as a result.

Bruce has a contract for next year. Team is willing to have him back.

If he chooses not to come, that is at least mostly if not all on him.

Im afraid there is going to be a bunch of stuff that needs to happen that the players wont like in the short term. We need to start to prioritize long term success over being wary of upsetting players on the team.

 

[Grub]

Bruce is the best option right now, give him a full season.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

do you mean NHL experience? gronborg is 53, has been coaching since 1994, and did 8 years of coaching in sweden's national system before his current 3 years in the swiss league

Yes, I’m referring to NHL experience. Sorry, should have specified.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

If they let him go, I'd give Ruff a whirl. Ordinarily I would have said Quenneville but he can go f*** himself. I'm perfectly fine with keeping Bruce.

 

[Peen]

Mike Sullivan if he become available

There’s literally zero chance

 

[innitfam]

Mike Sullivan if he become available

Ideally yes. Would be a great option.

 

[Dab]

Fans gonna be on his ass from game 1 if he sucks, so I’d prefer an interim Coach next season especially if they are trading away JT. If JTs traded there’s probably no rush to get much done in the coaching department as there will be likely more dismantling needed.

Bruce has a contract for next year. Team is willing to have him back.

what self respecting coach works under the option of his contract? He’d have to either be a literal idiot with no one giving him basic employment advice or have no other options.

 

[Vector]

If they are viewing next season as a developmental season where success is based on progress towards future success then Gronberg makes a lot of sense. Basically gives him a mulligan year to get used to the NHL and North America.

I'm always a little surprised that Dan Bylsma or Guy Boucher haven't got another job. Both had extreme highs and are quite young (51 and 50) compared to other NHL coaches. They both follow the Alain Vigneault mold of having a bunch of success, then failure, and wander the wastes for a bit.

 

[Vector]

Just so everyone is clear about Maurice.

 

[m9]

Fans gonna be on his ass from game 1 if he sucks, so I’d prefer an interim Coach next season especially if they are trading away JT. If JTs traded there’s probably no rush to get much done in the coaching department as there will be likely more dismantling needed.


what self respecting coach works under the option of his contract? He’d have to either be a literal idiot with no one giving him basic employment advice or have no other options.

So you think a coach working under the last year of his deal is idiotic.. but a coach taking an interim tag from the start of the season is totally fine? Has there ever even been a coach who starts the year as an interim?

 

[MS]

John Stevens is a guy I'd have considerable interest in.

Hugely respected coach who was basically Darryl Sutter's protege in LA and then had the nearly impossible task of following up Sutter as coach with a declining core entering a rebuild.

 

[Josepho]

Keefe?

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

What would disaster mean?

A step back is to be expected either way.

The players should understand that the current management did not bring Bruce here, also if Bruce chooses to leave that is on him, not on the current management.

If you listened to the interview, a 'step back' next season was not on the agenda..according to the GM.

The current management gave Aqualini the blessing to hire Boudreau...He was recommended.