As the NHL regular season comes to an end, so to does many coaches jobs. For many NHL teams not making the playoffs is a difficult time of the year, and changes are usually made. The sad thing is that the coach is usually the first one to take the hit.
This year there seems to be even more coaches that are at risk of losing their job than normal. Many times it is not the coach that is the main problem, but it is impossible to trade twenty-two players, and it takes a little more work to release the general manager. Sadly the coach is the easy guy at the top to go.
Here is a list of some of the coaches that will be at risk of losing their head coaching position in the next few weeks.
John Tortorella – Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks were thought of as a strong cup contender just six months ago. Now they are being thought of a one of the most screwed up teams in the NHL. Now this is not all John Tortorella’s faul,t but he sure was the cause of some major issues.
First there was the incident in Calgary where he attempted to enter the Calgary dressing room to go after Flames coach Bob Hartley. This cost him a lengthy fifteen day suspension. If that was not enough, he shook up all of Vancouver, and broke the final straw with starting goalie Roberto Luongo when he did not give him the start at the Heritage Classic.
In recent days the Canucks have fired general manager Mike Gillis and hired former Canuck great Trevor Linden as President of Operations. It is very difficult for me to believe that Tortorella will survive this summer. I understand that it is eight million dollars to pay off Tortorella’s contract, but this might be one case in which it is worth it. I think that the only way that he survives is if Jay Feaster is hired as general manager in Vancouver.
Adam Oates – Washington Capitals
This one may seem a little odd, but it shouldn’t. The Capitals are a highly talented team that continues to under achieve, and has now been eliminated from the playoffs.
That is the first strike against second year coach Adam Oates. The second is the apparent poor relationship with star Alexander Ovechkin. Now I am not saying that I would not want to string him up either if I was head coach, but it is just difficult when a coach and a teams star player do not see things the same way. It is obvious that they don’t, and I am not sure many coaches would accept Ovechkin’s lack of defense. The problem comes when a team signs a star to a ton of money for a long period of time. Usually the coach goes and the star remains.
The fate of Oates position as coach will be determined by the decision the Capitals make on what to do with Ovechkin. If they decide to trade him, Oates will probably stay. If Ovechkin stays (which is probably more likely) Oates will be gone.
Randy Carlyle – Toronto Maple Leafs
Lets face it Randy Carlyle is an easy target, and he will probably be facing the chopping block later this week. After making the playoffs last year the Leafs failed to do so this year. Their playoff hopes were dashed when they dropped eight games in a row late in the season.
The Maple Leafs season was filled with ups and downs but one thing remained the same all year – poor defense! The Leafs just give up way to many shots, and scoring chances to ever be a consistent strong team.
There looks to be a lot of changes in Toronto this season and it will all start with the firing of Carlyle.
Honorable (or not so honorable) Mentions –
Kirk Muller – Carolina Hurricanes – Did not show the progress needed.
Dallas Eakins – Edmonton Oilers – A total disaster in Edmonton. He has had problems with players and has not got a defensive system in place.
Mike Yeo – Minnesota Wild – They expect a deep run in the playoffs and if this is not achieved Yeo may be the one left hanging.
Barry Trotz – Nashville Predators – The long run may be over. His long-term success never took him far enough and his recent struggles may cost him his job.
It will be very interesting to see what coaches will take the fall. Who do you think will be on their way out?
Brad Burud the owner/editor of the Inside Edge Hockey News. I am a huge fan of hockey, from youth hockey, to junior hockey, and of course professional hockey. I have played, coached, worked as statistician, and watched hockey all of my life. Hockey is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and family. The game of hockey is great! It can bring you nights of great enjoyment. It also brings nights where you feel like your team will never win. I am proud to be a journalist for the greatest game in the world. I have a degree in Business Administration, Psychology from Minot State University. I also have a Hockey General Manager and Scouting, and Sports Communications/Journalism degree from Sports Management Worldwide. I am also a member of the Sports Executives Association. Most of all I am a fan. Hockey is a huge part of my life and my families life.