If they lose in the first round, Keefe and Shanny both have to go. I’m thankful for the work they’ve done, but at this point, it’ll be clear they’re not going to finish the job. New voices will be needed, and that’s fine. I’ll thank them for getting us 2/3’s of the way up the hill, and look forward to getting people in that can get us to the top.
With that said, I have no moral qualms about making Quennville the first call we make, in the event that Keefe is fired. I think he’s the perfect mix of a coach who commands respect, demands a lot from his players, while also maintaining good relationships in his room. For the President’s job, I don’t know enough about proper candidates to make a call. Ideally you would look at organizations like Tampa, Boston, and Vegas, and maybe try to poach someone high up in their ranks, as they will have been a part of sustained success, and a culture of winning hockey. We need that.
Other than that, we need to use this offseason to re-shape our back end, and get our ducks in a row for the following year, as well, for when Tavares comes off the books/takes a big discount, to potentially finish building a roster that can win a cup.
