Should an NHL coach win the Jack Adams Award for leading a perennial Stanley Cup contender? We think so, but bench bosses of some surprising teams are also in the running.
This NHL regular season has been full of surprises up to this point.
Several teams that were seen as locks to make the post-season ahead of the campaign, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and even the Winnipeg Jets, are all out of a playoff spot.
On the other hand, the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and a handful of other teams have surprised the rest of the league with a current spot in the post-season.
Marco Sturm and Patrick Roy, coaches for the Bruins and Islanders, respectively, weren't able to crack my list of the top five candidates for the Jack Adams Award. However, they deserve some credit for how they've managed their teams to this point.
At any rate, here is my list of front-runners for this season's Jack Adams Award, as of Jan. 27.
5. Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning#
It would be wrong not to give Jon Cooper any credit, not only for the way he's handled the Tampa Bay Lightning this year but throughout his entire tenure.
This is Cooper's 13th full season as the Lightning's bench boss, and since the 2013-14 campaign, Tampa Bay has only missed the playoffs once. However, you don't win the Jack Adams for your history; it's about what you do in the current season.
Well, this year, the Lightning are in a promising position to claim the Atlantic Division. It helps when the Bolts have allowed the second-fewest goals and own the second-best goal differential in the NHL. Props to the bench boss for that.
BetMGM Jack Adams Award odds: 4.50/+350
4. Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres#
Who would've thought the Buffalo Sabres would be a top-three team in their division? That is where they stand today, and it's tough to ignore the efforts of Lindy Ruff from behind the bench.
It can be argued that Buffalo took a step when they had a change in GMs, but there weren't any notable changes to the personnel on the ice. Therefore, credit goes to the players and to the coach.
After a slow start in what is Ruff's second season in his second stint with the Sabres, the team has found its footing as a playoff contender. The 65-year-old's experience is coming in handy, leading Buffalo to what could be its first playoff appearance in 14 years.
BetMGM Jack Adams Award odds: 6.00/+500
3. Dan Muse, Pittsburgh Penguins#
Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas' decision to hire Dan Muse has worked like a charm in his first season as an NHL head coach.
The Penguins sit in a similar boat to the Sabres. There weren't many expectations going into the season, and now, they're tied on points in the standings.
Muse has been able to transform an aging team that had no hope last season into an actual contender to win the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh is just six points behind the Carolina Hurricanes and has a game in hand on them.
After being certain sellers at the NHL trade deadline going into this campaign, the Penguins may stand pat or even buy, thanks to Muse.
BetMGM Jack Adams Award odds: 21.00/+2000
2. Todd McLellan, Detroit Red Wings#
The Detroit Red Wings have finally emerged as a likely playoff team after nine seasons without playing in the post-season. A lot of that success falls on the shoulders of coach Todd McLellan, who's in his second season with the Wings.
Detroit is hanging around at the top of the ruthless Atlantic – they haven't won their division since 2010-11.
While the Red Wings have young core players in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, veteran bench boss McLellan has helped his team mature on the ice. They've emerged as one of the top and most consistent teams in the NHL.
After a number of disappointing regular seasons, McLellan has transformed his team into a real contender in the Eastern Conference.
BetMGM Jack Adams Award odds: 11.00/+1000
1. Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche#
The Colorado Avalanche have been indisputably the best team in the NHL this season. So, of course, Jared Bednar deserves his flowers as the best coach in the league and the front-runner for the Jack Adams Award.
Sure, a chunk of credit should go to stars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the rest of the squad. But the Avalanche's well-oiled machine wouldn't function nearly as well without a brilliant mind leading them in the dugout.
Bednar's ability to coach consistency and keep his team a Stanley Cup contender is similar to Cooper in Tampa Bay. As Cooper just about did in 2018-19, Bednar has Colorado trending toward a record-breaking campaign.
The Bruins recorded the best regular season of all-time in 2022-23, and coach Jim Montgomery ended up winning the Jack Adams. If Bednar can execute that formula, there should be no reason why he doesn't earn himself some silverware at the end of the year.
BetMGM Jack Adams Award odds: 2.05/+105
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