Adam Proteau takes his guesses on which coaches could get hired by NHL teams this off-season and which shouldn't.
The NHL’s coaching carousel spins steadily every off-season, with many of the league’s teams looking for a new voice to lead its players, right from training camp onward.
There’s been no shortage of teams looking for a new coach this spring: five teams currently have a coaching vacancy, but there are different types of coaches available to fill those holes. Let’s take a look at what kind of bench bosses are on the market and hazard an educated guess as to which markets may be a fit for them. Also be sure to check out Carol Schram's latest on the NHL coaching carousel, which includes some different names and which current coaches could be on the hot seat.
New coaching faces: Spencer Carbery, Brad Shaw, Mitch Love
Breakdown: Two of this group of coaches – Carbery and Love – have yet to get their first NHL head coaching position, and Shaw only received a cup of coffee as a head coach when he was the New York Islanders’ coach for half a season in the 2005-06 campaign. Shaw has bounced around the league as an assistant/associate coach, most recently serving as an assistant to John Tortorella in Philadelphia this past season. We’ve heard his name linked to Washington’s vacant coaching job, which would make sense, as it’s somewhat of a transition year for the Capitals, and they could use someone who wouldn’t come in and start pushing hard for a playoff spot that’s unlikely to be theirs by season’s end.
Carbery – an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs – has also been linked to the Capitals, and Carbery also could be the choice to replace Gerard Gallant as New York Rangers' coach. Love, meanwhile, did solid work in the AHL this season for the Calgary Wranglers. If the Flames give their vacant GM position to internal hire Craig Conroy as rumored, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Conroy promoted Love and gave him the difficult task of getting this mixed bag of talent back into the playoffs next year.
Retread faces: Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette, Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville
Breakdown: Gallant unexpectedly parted ways with the Rangers following their first-round exit this spring, but he’s been an in-demand figure for years now. That said, Gallant might choose to lay low, let his contract with the Blueshirts play out and step into another coaching position once the 2023-24 season has begun. Similarly, Laviolette – who parted ways with the Capitals in April – has been linked to the Rangers position, and perhaps he and Gallant also could bide their time and see what happens to Sheldon Keefe in Toronto.
Two other coaches with championship success – former Ducks/Red Wings/Leafs coach Mike Babcock and longtime Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville – also could be in the running for the Rangers’ job. And Quenneville might be in line for the Leafs’ job if Toronto’s to-be-hired GM chooses to let go of Keefe. Both Babcock and Quenneville have had some terrible parts of their coaching decisions come out into the light – Quenneville still doesn’t have league clearance to work in the NHL again after his disastrous leadership role in the Kyle Beach coverup, so he’d need commissioner Gary Bettman’s approval to rejoin the coaching fraternity. In our opinion, Quenneville should not get that opportunity.
Babcock has also been linked to Columbus’ vacant job, but would it be completely surprising to see him back in Anaheim for his second stint with that franchise? No, it would not. After he was fired from the Leafs, however, allegations surfaced that he mistreated some of his players during his time with Detroit and Toronto. Their image has taken a significant hit in recent years, and there are plenty of other candidates to choose from, but it wouldn’t be the first time the league has extended an olive branch to someone after they screwed up royally.
Hybrid new/retread face: Andrew Brunette
Breakdown: We could see either the Ducks or Flames take a flier on Brunette, who served as Florida's coach for 75 games in the 2021-22 campaign. He replaced Quenneville in that season as interim coach before the Panthers moved on from him in favor of Paul Maurice last summer. Brunette left the Florida franchise this past year for the New Jersey Devils, with whom he is an associate coach.
Brunette had a run-in with the law in Florida in February, being arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence and two counts of disobeying a stop or yield sign. That case hasn’t yet played out before the legal process, so the charges have not been proven in court. Police body camera footage showing the arrest took some of the shine off his candidacy, but otherwise, he still appears to be highly regarded among coaching candidates at the NHL level. Brunette also may choose to wait until the 2023-24 season begins before choosing a new path for himself, banking on a different opportunity coming up that may suit him better.