Speculation: Head Coach Hunt 2021

[XX]

Hope this works link works. I much preferred Nelson or Keefe back then. Didn't hate Tocchet but was not enthused about his hire at all.
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It's bizarre going back and reading what I wrote:

I feel like he's the least legitimate of all the rumored options. This feels like a very cynical hire meant to please fans with the name and 'pedigree'. No offense to anyone excited about this.

Tocchet hasn't been the sole man in charge very much and he's about to go into a complete power vacuum where he'll have a ton of say. It could go great, but there's also a good chance he flops.

This is the first move they've made all summer that I'm struggling a bit with.

He needs stud assistants for me to be real enthusiastic about the hire. It just seems like an unnecessary gamble (no pun intended), so I am curious to hear Chayka's reasoning behind the hire.

He didn't get great assistants. Well, he got one, but fired him for no real reason.

Nelson should have been the guy back then. But Barroway and Chayka got suckered by the OBC.

 

[JasonDemersWasOkay]

Tocchet was, is and always will be a big product of the OBC. I’m surprised he would consider a job as the Rangers head coach because with all the talent there there isn’t anywhere to hide. You take a job in Buffalo or Seattle you have built in excuses if it doesn’t work out

 

[rt]

Here's my post for July 6th 2017

"My preference:

1. Nelson
2/3. Keefe/Tocchet
4. Krueger
5. Anyone who's ever coached any hockey team and isn't Dallas Eakins
6. Anyone who's never coached hockey
7. A friendly ghost
8. An unfriendly ghost
9. The ghost of Adolf Hitler
10. Satan himself
11. Dallas Eakins
12. Dave Tippett"

^ LOL

 

[rt]

It's bizarre going back and reading what I wrote:





He didn't get great assistants. Well, he got one, but fired him for no real reason.

Nelson should have been the guy back then. But Barroway and Chayka got suckered by the OBC.

Here are some more of yours:

Tocchet has never really done well as a head coach. Love the guy, but he's a really underwhelming choice if true.
It is super easy to 'coach young forwards' when they're sheltered by two of the best players in the world on a contender. Same for the powerplay. Give me a break if that's his selling point.
This seems like such a cynical, promotional hire in every way. Hire the ex Coyote who has recently won cups as an assistant.
Out of all the candidates, the Coyotes managed to pick a 53 year old with the least amount of head coaching experience. A+ job.

^ HAHA - Nailed it!!!

 

[Mosby]

For one all top name guys like Gallant and Boudreau are available, which I don't believe there were really any "premium" coaches available four years ago. Then there is a whole group of guys who have been getting pro experience that were coaching in the juniors four years ago. The pool feels 5x larger. Not saying all of the names that are available or that have been mentioned here are interested in the position. But the amount of potential options are much higher than the four names we know we had interest in 4 years ago which were RT, Nelson, Keefe and I want to say Eakins.

Bob Hartley also got an interview last time around.

 

[rt]

Bob Hartley also got an interview last time around.

Did it come out at some point that Hartley and Krueger only got phoners? Maybe I made that up...

 

[rt]

With Hextall and Burke running the show in Pittsburgh now, is it possible Mike Sullivan gets the axe? Another former Coyote...

 

[Mosby]

Did it come out at some point that Hartley and Krueger only got phoners? Maybe I made that up...

Phone for Hartley. I didn't even know we talked to Krueger. Christ that would have been worse than Tocchet.

 

[Mosby]

With Hextall and Burke running the show in Pittsburgh now, is it possible Mike Sullivan gets the axe? Another former Coyote...

Nope. He has 3 years left. Too expensive to fire.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

Nelson was my run-away favorite early until Tocchet's name came up. That shot Tocchet right to the top of my list. I think I was basically saying I'd flip a coin and had the two tied at the top when they went with Tocchet and I was happy. The only poster that was vocally against the Tocchet hire was XX. I can't remember but I think XX had Keefe in front and Nelson in the two slot. Did not like Tocchet.

I wanted Nelson, said RT was a meathead and he was/is.
I just don’t clamor on and on about that which I have no control over.

 

[cobra427]

It's bizarre going back and reading what I wrote:





He didn't get great assistants. Well, he got one, but fired him for no real reason.

Nelson should have been the guy back then. But Barroway and Chayka got suckered by the OBC.

Your always negative, but Im glad one of your old posts was accurate, thanks for pointing it out

 

[cobra427]

Tocchet was, is and always will be a big product of the OBC. I’m surprised he would consider a job as the Rangers head coach because with all the talent there there isn’t anywhere to hide. You take a job in Buffalo or Seattle you have built in excuses if it doesn’t work out

RT is 0-2 as a head coach, I will be stunned if anyone actually hires him as a head coach, but RT will take any head coaching offer/last chance.

 

[rt]

@Grimes made a great point offline that kicking off the interviews with Todd Nelson is a great way to set the bar high. I want him to be the guy the next candidate is compared to, and so on.

 

[Grimes]

@Grimes made a great point offline that kicking off the interviews with Todd Nelson is a great way to set the bar high. I want him to be the guy the next candidate is compared to, and so on.

Yeah pretty sure that wasn't how it went with RT. Sounded like there were some casual interviews and then RT came in with his supposed 5 hour interview and then was handed a five year contract.

Nelson being the first interview not only sets the bar with this process but it he also is such a great candidate because of his resume, philosophy and tactics. All of his traits are very solid, methodical and mid-road. You look at a guy like Rocky and he is much more very forward thinking philosophically compared to Nelson who seems much more aligned with how the current NHL is. Rocky seems much more brash on player and roster make up decisions where Nelson seems like the guy who would roll a line like Crouse-Larsson-Fischer and if he likes the results wouldn't change it just to change it (a welcomed change btw). Where Nelson may want a well balanced roster that can support grit and skill up and down the lines, someone like Quinn may push BA so more players that for his system, as he seems more devoted to a certain set of tactics.

I want coaches who use certain extremes of the "coaching vernacular" to be judged against the median, not compared against each other. Nelson is a perfect guy to begin this process and set the bar for the rest of the interviews.

 

[rt]

Nope. He has 3 years left. Too expensive to fire.

But if he is fired, this likely makes him much cheaper for us to higher. PIT will have to pick up some of the tab the next three years. Knowing Hextall, he'd just want to sign Nate Leaman for league minimum anyway, and they'd end up saving money. Meanwhile we get Sullivan for Leaman money. LOL.

 

[ParisSaintGermain]

The Stars had injury problems this year.

On top of that they were also very affected by Covid protocols early on. For a long period of time they had 5-6 games played less than most teams; tough to catch up particularly as the injuries were piling up.

 

[Mosby]

It’s unfair but I don’t want any coaches from Pittsburgh.

 

[Jakey53]

For one all top name guys like Gallant and Boudreau are available, which I don't believe there were really any "premium" coaches available four years ago. Then there is a whole group of guys who have been getting pro experience that were coaching in the juniors four years ago. The pool feels 5x larger. Not saying all of the names that are available or that have been mentioned here are interested in the position. But the amount of potential options are much higher than the four names we know we had interest in 4 years ago which were RT, Nelson, Keefe and I want to say Eakins.

You said options. I don't think any of the Gallant's are an option for us this time around anyway. I hope having BA as GM, more names will surface, and I think they will once the playoffs are done, but so far it's pretty damn quiet.

 

[Jakey53]

If we're opening the search up to dudes in their 50s, I hope we take a look at David Quinn, Derek Laxdal and Brad Shaw, in addition to Todd Nelson.

I like Rocky Thompson the best. Then I like Todd Nelson and David Quinn in my next tier. After that, I probably have Derek Laxdal, Brad Shaw, and Mike Van Ryn in a group.

1. Thompson
2/3. Nelson/Quinn
4/5/6. MVR/Laxdal/Shaw

^ something like that. But this will change daily or weekly. LOL.

Anyway, people mistook my who rant about coaches in their 40s as a preference. It was not a preference. Only two of my top six are younger than 52 years old. I just find it funny how BA went around the radio show circuit talking up how he was looking for a coach who was YOUNGER and then the first leaked interview is a guy who's 52. Haha. I didn't expect it. I guessed it meant he was looking for youth. Apparently not. Which is fine by me.

I don't follow these coaches like you do, but why has no one mentioned Lane Lambert?

 

[Jakey53]

Your always negative, but Im glad one of your old posts was accurate, thanks for pointing it out

Well, if you throw enough shit against the wall, some sticks.

 

[Mosby]

I liked Nelson a lot last time around. I remember him doing some creative stuff in Grand Rapids like using 5 forwards on the powerplay.

A little apprehensive though on why no one else has hired him. Why is he always the runner up? Still, the resume is pretty good, though I'm not sure how much value I place on the UHL stuff. Good records in OKC and GR.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

Well, if you throw enough shit against the wall, some sticks.

In fairness to xx, he’s more consistent than our numero uno shit thrower.

 

[Mosby]

I was listening to another Army interview and he said his process for hirings is to make a list of 10 candidates, drill that down to five, and then again to three. Those three get interviews.

Nelson is one interview. I'd guess Van Ryn is another as Friedman expects him to be on the shortlist. So who is candidate #3?

 

[rt]

I was listening to another Army interview and he said his process for hirings is to make a list of 10 candidates, drill that down to five, and then again to three. Those three get interviews.

Nelson is one interview. I'd guess Van Ryn is another as Friedman expects him to be on the shortlist. So who is candidate #3?

Link?

 

[Mosby]

I think it may have been a Craig article or podcast now that I think of it. I know Brian Daccord is very involved with the process.