NHL coaches under critical eye
NHL pundit talks about those on struggling teams who are sitting on the hot seat
No coaches were fired throughout last season’s NHL schedule. A month into this season, however, the head coaches of the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues find themselves on the hot seat for various reasons.
Clipped Wings Having missed the playoffs over the last two years, the Red Wings embraced a full-fledged roster rebuild with younger talent under third-year coach Jeff Blashill.
Entering this season, there was hope they would show some improvement. Instead, they’re off to the worst start in franchise history. With just two victories in their first 11 games, they’re at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Despite the poor start, general manager Ken Holland could be reluctant to replace Blashill at this point. Still, he might not have much choice if there’s no sign of real improvement soon. The mounting losses could hurt the development of promising youngsters like Michael Rasmussen and Dennis Cholowski.
Kings royally floundering
The Kings rebounded from a poor effort in 2016-17 with a 98point performance last season under bench boss John Stevens. Expected to be a legitimate postseason contender this season, they’re last in the Western Conference with just three victories in 11 games through October.
GM Rob Blake expressed support for Stevens, but acknowledged his club must turn things around soon. The pressure is on the Kings’ bench boss for find a solution, but could be easier said than done. Their expensive, veteran-laden roster, led by Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick and Jeff Carter, was built for a slower, physical game. They’re struggling to keep pace against younger, faster opponents.
Singing the blues in St. Louis
A lack of scoring depth, rather than the coaching of Mike Yeo, cost the Blues a shot at reaching the playoffs last season. GM Doug Armstrong wasted no time addressing that issue in the offseason, adding forwards Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Maroon.
The good news is the Blues offence has improved. The bad news is their defence and goaltending are now in shambles, ranking among the league’s worst with a 3.90 goals-against per game. Following a 7-4 loss last week to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Yeo admitted his team played poorly and suggested his own job should be under review. With the Blues sporting just three wins in their first 10 games, Yeo could be handed his walking papers if the losses keep piling up.
Philly’s Failings
In Philadelphia, Flyers fans are increasingly unhappy over the club’s performance. With just four wins in 11 games, they enter this week with a league-worst 4.18 goals against per game while their penalty-killing percentage (67.5) is second-worst. While the Flyers goalies and defencemen bear the burden of blame, calls are growing for coach Dave Hakstol to be fired.
Hakstol challenged his team to play better before Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders, but responded with a lifeless 6-1 defeat. That loss stoked speculation the players are tuning out their coach. If that’s the case, GM Ron Hextall could consider a season-saving shakeup behind the bench.