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NHL Power Rankings: Who is the best head coach in the league?

By Dave Stevenson

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the NHL shield logo before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the NHL shield logo before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

#22: Willie Desjardins

It’s a bit hard to fairly judge Willie Desjardins because of how awfully the Vancouver Canucks roster is constructed. Their roster almost exclusively consists of players who are either past their prime or before it with very few players who are actually in their prime years. Still, Desjardins doesn’t utilize what talent he does have efficiently. He doesn’t negatively impact his team or positively impact. Desjardins is just kind of there.

After Willie Desjardins led the Canucks to a playoff berth in 2014-2015, many people thought he was a great coach. Looking at what caused him to have success, the Sedins went back to being awesome and Desjardins finally put a skilled player with the Swedish duo. Give him credit for that because Tortorella managed to mess that up but still, that’s the kind of decision that one expects to see from an NHL head coach.

It’s anyone’s guess what the Canucks will do this offseason after missing the playoffs two of the past three years. Desjardins is most likely safe, but good luck predicting what Jim Benning is going to do next. He hasn’t done much to show that he deserves an NHL head coaching job over someone who is younger. He’s a decent placeholder as an NHL head coach, but that’s about it.

Next: #21: Patrick Roy

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