Coaching Search - Candidates/Discussion and Predictions

[JelloPuddingPop]

Thought I'd give this a dedicated space to discuss.

So far, these coaches are off the list:

Sullivan - Signed by Rangers
Quenneville - Signed by Anaheim
Carle - Re-signed with BU

List of likely coaching candidates (not exhaustive, or currently employed/AHL etc.)

1.Tocchet
2.Hakstol
3.Laviolette
4.Torts
5.Woodcroft
6.Blashill
7.Ducharme
8.Eakins
9.Gallant
10.Lelond
11.Reirden

Coaching Vacancies:

1. Philly
2. Pittsburg
3. Seattle
4. Boston
5. Chicago
6. Vancouver

[JelloPuddingPop]

Predictions: Because they are fun!

1. Philly - Laperriere
2. Pittsburg - Halpern
3. Seattle - Tocchet (?!?)
4. Boston - Laviolette
5. Chicago - Woodcroft
6. Vancouver - Manny

[Lancer]

Throwing some darts at a board...

Philly - Tocchet. Pittsburgh will make a strong pitch, but Philly will tug the heart-strings for the guy they wanted all along.
Pittsburgh - Reirden. Pittsburgh will circle back to their in-house option after failing to get Tocchet. Laviolette if they want to compete through the last years of Crosby/Malkin/Karlsson.
Seattle - Woodcroft. No superstars to coddle, so Woodcroft may think he'll get a team that will listen to him.
Boston - Lalonde. Management is going to rebuild the roster. Lalonde has a track record of being a coach of rebuilding rosters.
Chicago - Torts. Management will want to 'change the culture'. Bedard may make public trade demands by end-season, though.
Vancouver - Laviolette if Pittsburgh doesn't nab him. If not Laviolette, Canucks will go with their in-house solution in Manny or Foote.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Foote follows Tocchet rather than step into the head coach shoes in Vancouver. He may not think the time or situation is right for him to start as a head coach.

Hackstol and Eakins will have to compile a compelling resume to get another shot at head coaching at the NHL level. Probably the same deal with Ducharme and Blashill. I'm willing to bet Gallant's name has been tarred by management league-wide after his latest stints. I think he's staying retired.

[JelloPuddingPop]

I'm willing to bet Gallant's name has been tarred by management league-wide after his latest stints. I think he's staying retired.

Can you share a bit more info here? Gallant is, if not top, high on my list for possible coaches in Van. He fuck around too much?

Only issue I can remember is getting left at the airport, and having to catch a cab or something? Tickles the memory, but not quite.

[Lancer]

I'm willing to bet Gallant's name has been tarred by management league-wide after his latest stints. I think he's staying retired.

Can you share a bit more info here? Gallant is, if not top, high on my list for possible coaches in Van. He fuck around too much?

Only issue I can remember is getting left at the airport, and having to catch a cab or something? Tickles the memory, but not quite.

Nothing explicit per se, but references in various stories regarding Gallant either being fired or being considered for a head coaching job. There were references to him rubbing management in Vegas the wrong way. Besides, the way the guy has been fired or let go from various organizations, just smells of acrimony from management.

The other criticism is that he can quickly wear out his welcome with players. There were reports that player exit interviews in New York played a part in Drury shit-canning Gallant in '23.

[2Fingers]

Whom ever Canucks pick they better have good communication skills and work with Abby. It is imperative that prospects are properly developed, it’s a small but important part of their job.

We also need a coach with a no nonsense approach to manage the team and not allow the patients to run the asylum.

[UWSaint]

I think the Canucks go with either Laviolette (if they can get him) or Manny, and the decision is going to be tied to whether their plan is to throw more young guys onto the roster or whether they attack next year with more middling vets. If the former, Manny. If the latter, Laviolette. Laviolette just strikes me as a guy that JR would like. And I think he's a better than average coach for on ice strategy, identity, and game management, but I really don't trust him to get the most out of head cases and rookies.

For Manny, who really knows (answer, the twins....). I think the Canucks need lots of things to go right to be anything more than bubbly ... the first of these (with the personnel they have) isn't an impossibility, but for Demko and EP40 to be healthy and find their games. But they also may need an extra base hit with the coach. And we sort of know that Laviolette is a single, right? Malhotra might be a strike out, which if other things go wrong, will completely unravel what's left. But there's an unknown upside with a new coach who's hungry, knows the younger players who can also be a part of the lots of things going right, and has done well at the baby stages.

[Chef Boi RD]

It’s the Aqualini’s. It will be whoever is the cheapest coach out there they can get.

[Lancer]

Malhotra might be a strike out, which if other things go wrong, will completely unravel what's left. But there's an unknown upside with a new coach who's hungry, knows the younger players who can also be a part of the lots of things going right, and has done well at the baby stages.

With the relative unknown with Manny at the NHL level, I would get Quinn's vote before giving Manny a second interview. Philosophically, I'm against giving your star player such leverage, but the team has never really had a player like Quinn. Given the kid's demonstrated character, I doubt that he would act like LeBron, but I can understand what messages he would interpret if management goes for a relatively unknown, cheap AHL hire that looks like a potential muppet.

[edit] - Foote is a wild card. Hughes apparently thinks quite highly of Foote. If Foote is management's cheap in-house selection, that may create a vote of confidence from Quinn.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Malhotra might be a strike out, which if other things go wrong, will completely unravel what's left. But there's an unknown upside with a new coach who's hungry, knows the younger players who can also be a part of the lots of things going right, and has done well at the baby stages.

With the relative unknown with Manny at the NHL level, I would get Quinn's vote before giving Manny a second interview. Philosophically, I'm against giving your star player such leverage, but the team has never really had a player like Quinn. Given the kid's demonstrated character, I doubt that he would act like LeBron, but I can understand what messages he would interpret if management goes for a relatively unknown, cheap AHL hire that looks like a potential muppet.

And he likely has a lot of friends in the league who have played for certain coaches - like Lav. Bet he has an opinion already. Like you, I'm not on board with giving the inmates the keys.. but Quinn is no inmate.

I would definitely ask him, and put good weight on his ideas. Then sign the coach to a couple years longer than Quinn so he feels guilty about leaving LOL.

[Lancer]

Apparently management interviewed with Marco Sturm, who's currently coaching LA's AHL affiliate in Ontario, CA. Hopefully, this is just due diligence. I would much rather see Sturm take over behind the LA bench. The guy hasn't accomplished much in Ontario besides making the playoffs - hasn't take the team past the second round in the three years he's coached them.

Pass. Please tell me that management has their sights set higher than the likes of Sturm.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Wasn't Sturm coach of the 2018 German team in the Olympics? Pretty good result there.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Speaking of previous LA bench bosses - what about asking Vegas for permission to talk to John Stevens once they are done? Or will that be waiting too long?

I remember him being a high-value candidate for Van (and the GDHTMBs) prior to signing in LA?

[Madcombinepilot]

Sturm might not be a bad choice, but whomever they get, they best find a guy that the media likes. If the media turns on the coach early, it will be another drama shitshow

[Cornuck]

No matter what happens with this club,

....it will be another drama shitshow