The rationale thing to do is understand that a past history as a HC at the NHL isn't a requirement to be successful, as evidenced by the examples I provided. That doesn't mean just anybody is a good hire, but if you have trust in the GM, you should trust that if he chooses someone without prior NHL experience over the guys who do, there is likely a reason for that, and if you don't trust the GM, then why would you trust the choice he makes if they do have NHL experience?
The reality is, most people here have no clue what makes a good HC, and even less understanding of what attributes the candidates being considered have, so a rationale thing to do no matter who is hired would be to wait and see how things play out, but fans and rationale seldom go hand in hand,