The quarter of the season is just over and National Hockey League teams have briefly dealt with their head coaches.
The Oilers opened things up on November 12th by replacing Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch. Then the Minnesota Wild followed suit two weeks later and made John Hynes the successor to Dean Evason. On Tuesday evening, Craig Berube was fired by the St. Louis Blues and Drew Bannister took over on an interim basis.
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Several other formations are performing below expectations and their pilots are on a tightrope. Here are four who could find themselves unemployed in the coming months or even weeks.
Photo Martin Chevalier
DJ Smith
At this time of year, the Ottawa Senators should have been fighting for a playoff spot, according to experts. However, they are in last place in the Atlantic Section despite having played fewer games than their competitors. In the eyes of many, the team's performance is not satisfactory, but the new owner Michael Andlauer has not yet touched Smith's position; general manager Pierre Dorion is rather paying for the “Sens' failures”. If there are interesting new names on the market, they might be encouraged to make a move.
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David Quinn
The San Jose Sharks' start to the season was nothing short of disastrous. It has since rebounded and the team has even surpassed the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division standings. However, David Quinn's team should undergo a rebuild, but the team continues to rely on veterans like Tomas Hertl, Mikael Granlund and even Mike Hoffman to lead its attack. If the Sharks experience another slump, Quinn, a coach who has proven little in the past with the powerful New York Rangers, could suffer.
Martin Chevalier / JdeM
Don Granato
As with the Senators, expectations were very high for the Buffalo Sabres. Don Granato was in charge for about three years and helped the club return to a winning record in 2022–2023, but it was not enough to get the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson are now part of the elite and with a young and dynamic team, all hopes remain. The Sabres' disappointing record of 12-15-3 should force them to question themselves.
Photo Martin Chevalier
Dave Hakstol
Before Thursday night's games, the Seattle Kraken had as many wins in 30 games as the Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets, nine. The 32nd team in the National League was sorely lacking in success after regular time and missed valuable points with seven defeats in extra time or penalties. Above all, it's a difficult return to earth for the Kraken after an encouraging appearance in the second round of the playoffs. The experience of Hakstol, the first coach in the history of the concession, could be coming to an end.