This site is crazy pants, and that's not an insult. I love the write ups on all these guys.
http://www.thesportster.com/hockey/top-15-nhl-head-coaching-candidates/
I would love it if Tim Murray grabbed some guy out of Canadian college hockey to coach the Amerks, but NHL direct from McGill?
Also, anybody else wonder about Groulx? He sucked in Rochester, but the reports are that he's mellowed. Maybe not.
1. Heavily prefer Claude Julien
2. if it can't be Julien, please let it be someone with experience developing talent and implementing an effective system in today's game
3. but definitely not Blysma or Guy Boucher
4. If it has to be a newbie, at least it's not Blysma or Guy Boucher
Assuming the miraculous that all are available:
1. Dave Tippett
2. John Stevens
3. Claude Julien
4. Ken Hitchcock
To me, any of these four are no brainers.
Stevens may look like the oddity there, but that man did a good job with a youthful PHI team and has had success in a winning environment recently. He is a guy I've always had an eye on for another opportunity six years later.
He's the kind of guy willing to bend his ways to maximize what he had. He went 120-109 in the years with the Flyers, but it's more than that to me. It's the Phantoms' Calder Cup... It's the LA success. It's the fact that he knows the game well and won't say "go out and work," rather "go out, attack the right side because they're thin on RHD, and lines 2&4 will send two men in with 1&3 only one... And Girgensons, you're doubling because you've locked down both of their top guys tonight at ES and PK".... ETC
Philly looked systematic and prepared under him. They just weren't that good, especially on D and in goal.
I'm pretty sure Stevens is locked in in LA. I can't see Tippett opting out for Buffalo. I can't see Claude or Hitch being let go. I could see St. Louis getting Tippett to bail on Ari to come coach a team ready to win. Then I could see Boston grabbing Hitch. In this scenario, I could see Julien coming free. So it'd be very complicated to get any of these guys.
What about Paul MacLean, he did pretty good in Ottawa with a young team
Who fills #2 on your list?
nobody super exciting... my top 2 choices would be:
Paul Maclean
Kevin Dineen
followed by retreading good solid coaches...
Claude Noel
Ron Wilson
Marc Crawford
Andy Murray
John Stevens
Craig Custance
@CraigCustance
Sabres moving on quickly from Babcock. Have received permission to interview Dan Bylsma.
This site is crazy pants, and that's not an insult. I love the write ups on all these guys.
http://www.thesportster.com/hockey/top-15-nhl-head-coaching-candidates/
I would love it if Tim Murray grabbed some guy out of Canadian college hockey to coach the Amerks, but NHL direct from McGill?
Also, anybody else wonder about Groulx? He sucked in Rochester, but the reports are that he's mellowed. Maybe not.