What if coaches could be traded just like players? :-)

[cujoflutie]

I don't know why someone would assume coaches couldn't be traded (or any team asset for that matter).

Back in the day coaches and players got traded for nonsense like nets, equipment and other weird items.

As far as the answer to your other question - that's why coaches are hardly traded.

Bingo. A team wanting to change their coach would do it; for instance Lou Lamourello right now would probably toss an asset or two for a successful coach since he just turfed his. But why would a successful team trade away a successful coach and risk messing with the formula?

The last three teams we've seen a coach voluntarily vacate his position were both disasters; Scotty Bowman retiring after Detroit's last coach led to it's two worst years since and of course the last time the Ottawa Senators were relevant, Bryan Murray left the head coaching spot to move to the GM spot after the finals run and we all remember what happened next. Daryl Sutter relieved himself as the head coach of the flames to focus on being the GM and that team spiralled. Going back further the canucks had a similar decline when Pat Quinn removed himself as head coach.