Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed on his podcast, 32 Thoughts, four potential candidates the Seattle Kraken could be looking to sign as their next head coach. 

The Kraken have witnessed Mike Sullivan, Joel Quenneville and Rick Tocchet sign elsewhere. Recently, they have been linked with Jeff Blashill, but recent reports indicate there is a strong chance he will wind up with the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Now looking elsewhere, Friedman revealed that the Kraken are doing their due diligence with Mitch Love, Marco Sturm, David Quinn and Don Granato.

"I think [Mitch] Love and [Marco] Sturm are their list, potentially [David] Quinn, and I'd mentioned Don Granato too, with the history with Botterill," said Friedman.

Friedman also went on to mention that he is sure that he's forgetting names. 

The four candidates are quite fascinating. Love and Sturm have never served as head coaches at the NHL level but have had success elsewhere. Love has been a head coach in the WHL and AHL, but is best known for his job as an assistant coach of the Washington Capitals. 

Sturm has been a head coach in the AHL and the German national team. His time with the Ontario Reign has seen successful AHL campaigns, but he's most regarded for his work as an assistant coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

Granato has accumulated more head coaching experience at the NHL level than Love and Sturm, but he could still considered a "newbie." He spent four seasons as the Buffalo Sabres head coach and has been out of a job since the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign. His history as a scout, AHL coach and coaching the USNTDP provides him with the tools to develop young players, something the Kraken are searching for in their next hire. As Friedman mentioned, Granato and Kraken GM Jason Botterill have a history together with the Sabres. 

Quinn is by far the most experienced. He's served as the head coach for the New York Rangers and the San Jose Sharks, accumulating five years of head coaching experience. He's also served as the head coach for Team USA at the Olympics and the World Championship. 

The market for NHL coaches is large, and the Kraken seem to be considering each and every option, just as they said they would. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.