After promoting Adam Foote to the head coaching position, the Vancouver Canucks are in the market for some new assistant coaches. According to GM Patrik Allvin, the goal is to add two additional assistant coaches to round out Foote’s staff for the 2025-26 season. If Vancouver is looking for experience as well as somebody who knows the organization, then Brad Shaw may be the perfect hire.
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According to reports, Shaw won't be returning to the Philadelphia Flyers and is now a free agent. The 61-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Flyers and, after John Tortorella was fired, took over as interim head coach. Shaw's main focus was the defensive group, where he worked with notable defensemen like Jamie Drysdale, Travis Sanheim and Cam York. Over the three years Shaw was in Philadelphia, the Flyers averaged 28.5 shots against per game, which was the sixth-lowest in the NHL.
Shaw has plenty of experience in the NHL. He has been an assistant/associate coach since 2005 and was also behind the bench for Team Italy at the 2022 Winter Olympics qualification tournament. Part of his long coaching history also includes a stop in Vancouver, which occurred during the 2021-22 season.
While Shaw’s time with the Canucks only lasted one year, he had the opportunity to work with some key players on Vancouver’s current roster. Quinn Hughes and Tyler Myers both played under Shaw in 2021-22, as well as Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, Conor Garland and Nils Höglander. Even though he hasn’t worked with these players in three years, having some level of familiarity is a positive when bringing in new coaches.
Based on how the Canucks current coaching staff is built, they need to add someone with experience. With Foote being promoted, Vancouver also needs to hire a coach with experience running the defensive side of the bench. In the end, Shaw checks a lot of boxes and would be a smart hire by the organization this summer.
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